Need Help With Thesis Statement Regarding 2nd Amendment.....

[Iowa Roo Mom]

First, let me begin by saying that I do not want this to turn into a debate about the right to bear arms. If you are against owning a gun, please excuse yourself from this thread.
Now, with that being said, I need help coming up with a thesis statement for my research paper. The paper is about the second amendment and whether or not it gives an individual the right to bear arms. I need to take a stance on one side or the other, and obviously I stand on the pro-gun side of this debate.
The problem is, I can't come up with the right wording for it.

Why is college so very stressful? <--- Where is the "pulling your hair out" smilie when you need it?

 

[debilorrah]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Meaning_of_.22to_keep_and_bear_arms.22

section 6.3 of the second amendment - definition of "to keep and bear arms"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Link to the entire second amendment and all subtitles within.

 

[Amyable]

What documents (besides the 2nd Amendment) are you using for research? Although, what do you really need other than, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"?

Our founding fathers were wise enough to know that an armed citizenry was the last stand against oppression and governmental tyranny. They lived it under the rule of Britain, and they did not want it for their new country. The world's history, both old and recent, is full of massacres and oppression of people who are not armed. Bearing arms is essential to the survival of a truly free people.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Thanks for the links, Debit!
Amyable, I have to use scholarly journals and books as refrence materials, not things like Wikipedia- although Debi's links have given me some ideas to help organize my paper.

So far I've come up with:

There is a continuing debate over the interpritation of the Second Amendment and whether or not it gives the individual the right to bear arms, although it seems to be clearly stated by the wording "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."


Hey... it's a working thesis

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Erm - use spell check!!!!

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Quote:
Erm - use spell check!!!!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I have to agree with 'Debit'

You need to research the context more to get a clear picture of what it says. I like the subject of your paper

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I would rather have the right to bear arms, rather than the right to arm bears!

 

[Amyable]

How about works written by the founding fathers themselves?
Here is a page of quotes concerning 2nd amendment by FF: http://cap-n-ball.com/fathers.htm It gives the original documents that the quotes were taken from also.

 

[saddina]

You'll want to brush upon the revolutionary war, for background.