to firearms in the United States. John Hinckley was later acquitted of the charges by reason of insanity. However, the issues of waiting periods, background checks, and other gun control measures are still on trial in our courts and in our legislative branch of government.
             James Brady, White House Press Secretary under President Ronald Reagan, suffered permanent brain damage due to the March 1981 shooting. The shooting prompted his wife, Sara Brady, to become a gun control activist. Mrs. Brady campaigned aggressively to pass the Brady Handgun Control Act of 1993. Sara Brady contends that her husband would not have been shot if a background check and waiting period were required when John Hinckley Jr. purchased the gun used in the assassination attempt. She now heads Handgun Control Inc., an organization founded in 1974 by Dr. Mark Borinsky and N.T. Shields to "keep handguns out of the wrong hands". (Issues and Controversies).
             Who has the right to own firearms and how much can the government regulate gun ownership? Many people believe that the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America protects gun owners against laws designed to regulate firearms sales and ownership. The Amendment states; "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." These words are the backbone behind gun-rights groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) founded in 1871. The NRA is composed of hunters, sportsmen, and gun enthusiasts all banded together in one organization. The NRA currently has 3.2 million members. These members form one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States and campaign against all laws attempting to regulate the use of firearms. (Issues and Controversies)
             The National Rifle Association seems to depend heavily on the literal interp...