Gun Control: Holding Washington Hostage

Envision yourself waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Something has awakened you. Something falls to the floor. Then you understand. Someone is in your house. You hear a noise right outside your bedroom door. It's getting closer. You heart is beating as fast as Rambo with a machine gun. You reach for the handgun under your mattress you purchased for self defense. You feel under the soft, comfy surface for something hard. Except all your hand feels is more soft cotton. There is no hint of the cold, safe touch of your gun. Then you realize why it is not there. You just moved to Washington D.C., which has a handgun ban. No longer can you legally defend yourself with a handgun, even in your own home. So when that door opens, the government has left you completely exposed. As a result of this lugubrious law, innocent people have been robbed, innocent people have been shot, and innocent people have been killed.

At the same time, Washington D.C. officials proclaim the handgun ban has saved lives. However, the numbers point to the contrary. Washington D.C.'s murder rate rose 200% within fifteen years after the law was imposed, while the rate for the rest of the U.S. remained relatively stable. And today, the District of Columbia has become known as "the murder capital of the United States", usually having the highest annual murder rate of any major U.S. city.

Ironically, our nation's capital is one of the few areas in the United States where gun laws are being violated. Since 1975, it has been illegal for residents of Washington D.C. to own a handgun, even in their own home. This raises a question: does the government have the right to stop people from owning a handgun? Since America is ruled by the people, and they decide what is right and wrong in this country, why don't we ask them? According to a survey of registered voters, people believe by an eight to one margin that they have the right to use a handgun to defend themselves in their own home. The American people have spoken.

However, even if the people agree the government has no right to ban handguns, aren't handguns still dangerous? The answer is yes. Of course handguns are dangerous. But so is driving a car. In fact, why don't we ban swimming pools? According to the most recent statistics, about 550 children drown every year from residential swimming pools. However, less than one hundred