Banning guns will ensure only criminals have access to them

When someone is intent on committing a terrible crime with a gun, they will source it by any means necessary - whether they are illegal is immaterial. The only way to stop these crimes is if regular, law-abiding citizens are also able to own guns and can therefore protect themselves and others from terrible crimes.^[1] Originally, when Europeans first colonized what would become the US, the population contended with a hostile landscape with only firearms for protection. Guns were the only thing that could ensure an element of safety.^[2] This evolved to not only be for practical purposes, but for recreational purposes too, as firearms became more and more popular for pastimes like target practice and recreational hunting and fishing. Since then, guns have been firmly part of American culture for fun and protection alike. Heroic American figures over time have often used guns to protect themselves and others, from Annie Oakley to hard-boiled detectives in 1920s crime novels.^[3] These figures demonstrate the powerful ways in which guns can be used for protection to stop atrocities from occurring. When it comes down to it, it is clearly not guns that are the problem. It is the people using them. If more good people had access to guns, those with bad intentions would be stopped in their tracks. If guns are outlawed, bad guys will still find a way to source them. So why should the good guys be punished and prohibited from protecting their countrymen?

[P1] Bad guys have access to guns and are going to commit crimes with them. [P2] The only realistic way to stop this is to ensure good guys also have guns in order to protect themselves.