| To foreigners who travel to America either for | | | | The beauty of the Constitution can be found in the |
| business or sight seeing, it is always a question that | | | | way it takes human nature into consideration. We are |
| how American people can bear guns with themselves | | | | not a docile species capable of coexisting within a |
| and they express their amazement when they | | | | perfect society under everlasting benevolent rule. We |
| become aware that American Constitution itself, has | | | | are what we are. Egotistical, corruptible, vengeful, |
| guaranteed the right to bear arms in second | | | | sometimes even a bit power-mad. The Bill of Rights |
| amendment that says" A well regulated Militia, being | | | | recognizes this and builds the barricades that need to |
| necessary to the security of a free State, the right | | | | be in place to protect the individual."(McKay, Et, |
| of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be | | | | al.2002.p.97) |
| infringed." But for American people who immigrated | | | | Also he believes that the Second Amendment is |
| to the Wild Land many years ago , it was not odd to | | | | more important than the First Amendment because |
| carry guns in order to secure themselves and their | | | | without arms one can not defend his/her speeches. |
| families in confrontation with Indians who had come | | | | But for anti-gun advocates who hate guns as they kill |
| and settled there many years before whites arrived | | | | people, the story runs differently. Those advocates |
| at the boarder of New World. In fact the concept of | | | | demand people to recall all the Wars in which the |
| gun has transformed to be the part of the American | | | | America was involved and the numbers of American |
| culture through the history, praised by many | | | | people killed in those wars such as revolutionary war |
| American people even nowadays. | | | | against England, Civil War, First and Second World |
| But looking at the other side of debate reveals that | | | | Wars, etc. Also they emphasize on all gun-related |
| recently the right to bear arms has been overdone | | | | deaths in recent years. |
| led to the sever problems. For example, all of us can | | | | Anti-gun advocates also criticize the American |
| recall the assassination of John F. Kennedy, failed | | | | National Policy by raising a question that why it is so |
| assassination of Ronald Reagan and unfortunately | | | | easy for a person to get a handgun license in |
| most recently the deaths of some American | | | | America than it is to get a driving license. |
| students who had killed by their friends who had | | | | DECISION MAKING PROCESS |
| brought gun to their schools. | | | | To answer how a specific issue such as gun control |
| So as a result of all these incidents the debate over | | | | prevails on the decision making process, it is |
| gun control turned to be the "hot button" issue in | | | | necessary to become familiar with the following |
| American politics. Some arguments are for guns and | | | | factors presented in the process of decision making |
| against control and some of them are against guns | | | | in Congress: |
| and for control. For example, the National Rifle | | | | Information gathering, constituency interests, expert |
| Association (NRA) is one of the powerful lobbies | | | | opinion, political ramifications and personal judgments. |
| which opposes gun control legislation supports | | | | To run this process, Congress Members play an |
| American Constitution, second amendment, that has | | | | important role. They are responsible to vote and |
| granted the right of carrying arms to American | | | | decide on a variety of bills, motions, amendments and |
| people. | | | | all the contemporary issues such as abortion rights, |
| Pro-gun, NRA lobby was founded in 1870s, "as a | | | | school safety, gun control, etc. |
| body which offered training and instruction in how to | | | | Before expressing the final decisions, members |
| use firearms-specifically as a response to the poor | | | | provided with the materials on both sides of any |
| marksmanship of Union soldiers in the Civil War- and | | | | issue including letters, emails and phone calls all of |
| later represented the interests of those using guns in | | | | them expressing different and controversial opinions. |
| sports and hunting."(McKay, Et, al.2002.p.95) | | | | However, in reality there are many members who |
| However as the pro-gun lobbies, most powerful of | | | | vote not based on the truth but on the benefit of |
| them NRA, focus more on fighting against legislation | | | | interest groups and political parties. |
| that would limit the citizens' right to access to gun, | | | | To be honest it is really hard to stand indifferently |
| the anti-gun lobbies also take more attempts to | | | | and firmly against all influences which attack the |
| grow in strength. The incident which led to the call | | | | members' decision. |
| for reform of gun legislation in congress was the | | | | As mentioned above information gathering is the first |
| failed Ronald Reagan assassination in which Reagan | | | | step in the process of decision making regarding the |
| survived but his press secretary, James Brady, was | | | | contemporary issues such as gun control issue that |
| wounded badly. So as a result James Brady's wife, | | | | provides congress members with the main arguments |
| Sarah Brady, who was extremely against gun | | | | on both sides of the debate. |
| legislation, took hard attempts in opposing with the | | | | Members can use the Congressional Research |
| gun legislation in congress" although it took many | | | | Service, Committee reports, newspaper articles and |
| years to achieve, congress finally passed the Brady | | | | even information provided by advocacy organizations |
| Bill in 1993. The bill required a five-day waiting period | | | | or groups who are against the issue, in this regard |
| and background checks on the purchase of a | | | | gun control issue, as a material helped them to make |
| handgun."(McKay, Et, al.2002, p.95) | | | | their major decisions. Members are required to explain |
| Also in the year 1994 congress passed some laws | | | | why they have decided so, those explanations are |
| against Gun-bearing which were supported by United | | | | based on the resources that members have cited |
| States' President, Bill Clinton including anti-crime | | | | them. |
| legislation, the violent crime control, and Law | | | | The second step is a constituency interest which |
| Enforcement Act. | | | | focuses on the Congress members' responsibility to |
| But regarding to all these attempts, pro-gun lobbies | | | | reflect the viewpoints of the majority of |
| are still more powerful and more organized than | | | | constituents, in members' own area, who take the |
| anti-gun lobbies, interestingly supported by majority | | | | issue seriously. Members have to follow this step if |
| of American people. Although most of the American | | | | they want to be elected for the next election. |
| people insist on their right to own and bear arms but | | | | The third step, as mentioned above, is the expert |
| there are also many people who support the Brady | | | | opinion. Although Congress members are responsible |
| Bill and some sort of gun control. For instance, Gallop | | | | to work on the particular issue by analyzing many |
| poll conducted in January 2001 revealed that 54 | | | | different debates to make their own final decisions, |
| percent of people in America wanted to make | | | | however some issues are such a complex ones that |
| gun-laws stricter and only 14 percent favored | | | | members need to consult with experts in this |
| weakening the existing laws. | | | | particular matter and take a benefit of the experts' |
| To answer the question that how gun lobby can | | | | advices into the process of decision making. |
| prevail on the policy-making process, one should | | | | Political ramification is the fourth step and more |
| focus on the majority of American people who | | | | influential one in the process of decision making. It is |
| support any form of anti-gun legislation but in a | | | | necessary for the Congress members to understand |
| passive mode with no well established organization. | | | | the political ramification of a vote that means |
| So as a result of the gun-control advocator passivity, | | | | members should fully understand the political parties |
| Charlton Heston, the president of the National Rifle | | | | which are for or against the issue. In regard to the |
| Association, can claim that "you can have my gun | | | | major issue it is common to see that two different |
| when you pry it from my cold, dead hands."(McKay, | | | | parties stand on too different positions when they |
| Et, al.2002, p.96) | | | | are required to vote for that issue. Also it is common |
| He as one of the pro-gun advocates argues about | | | | to see that some of the senior members encouraged |
| the necessity of owing and bearing arms to the | | | | their colleagues to vote for one side of the issue |
| American way of life, outlining the major reasons to | | | | which preferable to the particular interest groups or |
| justify this necessity. | | | | political parties, also the influence of the President is a |
| According to Heston, the Founding Fathers who were | | | | point that must not be ignored in regard to the |
| concerned about the central powerful government, | | | | process of decision making. |
| took hard attempts to add Bill of Rights in particular | | | | And finally the fifth step is the personal judgment |
| Second Amendment to the American Constitution in | | | | that refers to the Congress member's ideological |
| order to guarantee the right of citizens to arm | | | | viewpoint on the particular issue. In fact their beliefs |
| themselves against Washington DC if it was needed." | | | | may be based on the religious or political trends. |