In If Obamacare is Upheld, written by James Johnson, the
issue of individual mandating of health insurance and gun ownership is
discussed. Johnson says “There is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees a
citizen the right to health care. In contrast, the Second Amendment guarantees
the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.” These two sentences are the basis
for the entire article, which discusses how Obama is doing the opposite of what
he should, which is not mandate that every citizen should have to purchase
healthcare, but to allow everyone to own a gun. Johnson says, “Murder fell in
Chicago by 14%, robberies using guns fell by 25% and assaults using guns fell
by 37%”; these percentages were given after Supreme Court’s Heller decision
affirming Second Amendment rights.
Johnson
believes that “if the government can make us buy health care insurance against
our will, there is nothing to stop them from mandating purchase of a firearm.” Johnson’s
argument is clear and is backed by evidence in the Constitution and also with
accurate statistics. I agree with all the statements that Johnson has made so
far: citizens of the US should not be mandated to purchase health care
insurance but that our right to bear arms and own a gun should be kept.
