America is called the land of the brave and the home of the free. As a nation, this country prioritizes the freedom and liberty of its people at a fundamental level. This fierce dedication to liberty is arguably one of the reasons why #TheSecondAmendment exists.

However, with the myriad of mass shootings and other gun incidents, the right of Americans to bear arms, specifically weaponry like the AR-15, has been questioned and heavily criticized.

According to experts, mass shootings are only one of the many problems that easy access to firearms creates. Many people believe that semiautomatic weapons are not needed for protection, as less lethal weapons can address that need. Also, firearms like the AR-15 and other semiautomatic weapons have been directly implicated in four of the five deadliest shootings over the last decade. A ban on semiautomatic weapons was implemented in the past, but expired in 2004 under George W. Bush’s presidency. In retrospect, the Democrats have expressed significant regret with not extending the assault weapons ban in 2004.

On the other side, there is the belief that banning guns like the AR-15 would be another step to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of Americans. They also argue that, while AR-15s might be close in appearance to guns like the military-grade M15 and M16, functionality-wise, they are not nearly as powerful. Additionally, some argue that the purpose of the second amendment is to allow the people to form a militia to protect individual freedoms against an oppressive government, and that weapons, such as the AR-15, are what is needed in a fight against a military force.

This leads us to the question for debate, should there be a ban on semiautomatic weapons such as the AR-15?