The Newtown massacre last month that resulted in 27 deaths, including those of 20 children, has once again renewed debate on gun control in the United States.
While the debate will continue, as legislators such as Democrat Dianne Feinstein promised to propose a bill to restrict the use and sale of certain assault weapons once a new Congress is convened, I believe the debate should instead focus on the right to gun ownership.
As pro-gun activists and powerful lobby groups such as the National Rifle Association continuously proclaim that the second amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, public opinion on gun ownership has shifted.
A Gallup poll that asked respondents whether there should be a law that bans the possession of handguns, except by police and other authorised persons, demonstrated that the public support for a complete ban had decreased from 60 per cent in 1959 to 26 per cent in 2011.
However, I believe the position of pro-gun advocates has misled the public on the right to gun ownership.
Even though the second amendment says, "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", most of the pro-gun advocates only emphasise the second clause.