"The constitutions of most of our states affirm that all power is inherent in the people; that...it is their right and his duty to be always armed." Thomas Jefferson said this quote almost 200 years ago and it still applies to this day. The right to bear arms was such a priority for the founding fathers of this country. country that it was placed second on the list of basic rights of all Americans This right is being restricted in order to allegedly reduce crime and homicides These gun control laws do not. should not be allowed because they restrict access to guns for law-abiding citizens, leave people defenseless when a crime occurs, and have been shown to be unhelpful in other countries. Guns claim that banning the purchase of handguns would reduce murders and other gun-related crimes. However, cases where handguns have been declared illegal have proven ineffective. During the years that the handgun ban and trigger lock law were in effect in Washington, D.C., the murder rate in Washington, D.C. was on average 73% higher than it was was at the start of the law, while the murder rate in the United States was on average 11% lower (Agresti). and Smith). This gun ban has not only failed in Washington, DC, but also in Chicago. Since Chicago's handgun ban began, the percentage of murders committed with handguns in Chicago has on average been about 40% higher than before the law took effect (Agresti and Smith) . Chicago was recently named the nation's murder capital by the FBI and in 2012 saw as many murders as all of Japan, demonstrating once again how ineffective these ordinances are. More than 8.5 million Americans legally carry concealed handguns, but only at a rate of less than 1% commit arson... middle of paper ... which violates the law, so why strengthen gun laws when criminals don't follow the laws anyway? Works Cited Agresti, James D. and Reid k. Smith, “Gun Control, Just the Facts.” Gun Control – Just the Facts. JustFacts.com, September 13, 2010. Web. March 06, 2014FBell, Larry. “Disarming the myths promoted by the gun control lobby. » Forbes. Forbes, Inc., February 21, 2011. Web. March 6, 2014 Funds, John. “The Facts About Mass Shootings.” National Review Online. National Review Online, December 16, 2012. Web. March 27, 2014. Lott, John R., Jr. “Opposing View: Guns in Schools Can Save Lives.” » The United States today. Gannett, December 25, 2012. Web. March 27, 2014. Rosen, Gary. “Yes and no to gun control.” Commentary 110.2 (2000): 47. Opposing views in context. Internet. March 27, 2014. Snyder, Michael. “18 Little-Known Gun Facts That Prove Guns Make Us Safer.” Information wars. Infowars.com, August 12, 2013. Web. March 25. 2014.