Gun control laws aim to restrict or regulate firearms by selecting who can sell, buy and possess certain weapons. Criminals do not obey laws and stricter gun control laws or gun bans will have little effect on reducing crime. There are many myths that gun control will reduce gun violence, but research shows that these myths are simply false. People are responsible for crimes, not the guns themselves. Taking guns away from U.S. citizens who use them for many reasons, such as target practice, competition, hunting, and self-defense, should not be punished for the actions of criminals. As Mytheos Holt said: “Guns in the right hands contribute to public safety. Guns in the wrong hands harm public safety.” Research shows that defensive use of firearms deters criminals and reduces crime (Holt 2). Not only is it wrong to penalize law-abiding citizens, it is also against the Second Amendment. It is unconstitutional to pass laws that infringe on the right to bear arms set forth in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is often misinterpreted due to its wording; people think this only applies to the military or militias. The Second Amendment reads: "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." On June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller, that the citizens are the militia and that the Second Amendment is an individual right. McDonald v. Chicago, set a precedent that the amendment covers every state and locality, not just federal enclaves (Levy 1). The second amendment has two clauses, the operative clause and the preliminary clause. The operative clause is the right actually protected and the preliminary clause is the middle of paper......news. Yahoo!, April 23, 2013. Web. October 11, 2013.Kleck, Gary. “Firearms and Self-Defense by Gary Kleck, Ph.D.” Firearms and Self-Defense by Gary Kleck, Ph.D. Internet. October 4, 2013. Levy, Robert. “Cato Institute.” National Law Review (2013): n. page. Cato Institute. Internet. October 9, 2013. MacBradaigh, Matt. “It’s clear that firearms are not just for the military.” PoliticsMic. Np, and Web. October 11, 2013. Pavlich, Katie. “Arkansas will allow teachers to carry guns in school.” Mairie.com. Np, August 1, 2013. Web. October 17, 2013. Sager, Josh. “Refuting Anti-Gun Control Arguments.” The progressive cynic. Np, January 12, 2012. Web. October 17, 2013. Tucci, Peter. “The Daily Caller.” The Daily Caller. Np, and Web. October 7, 2013.Zhao, Emmeline. “Guns in schools: Firearms are already allowed in 18 states with few restrictions.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, January 15, 2013. Web. October 17. 2013.