Abuse of the Second Amendment: The St. Valentine's Day MassacreSenior Historical PaperAshleigh RogersMr. Todd GonionNinety bullets rang through the air, seven bodies hit the asphalt, and blood pooled on N. Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre represented one of the bloodiest and most catastrophic abuses of the Second Amendment and illustrated how citizens ignored the responsibilities that came with owning a gun. This massacre connects to the theme “Rights and Responsibilities in History” because it shows a group of individuals irresponsibly taking their inalienable constitutional rights and using them to resolve trivial conflicts with other citizens. On February 14, 1929, the true intentions of the Second Amendment were massacred when a Chicago gang ignored their responsibilities as gun owners and decimated other citizens. The Second Amendment states: “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.” Because America was once dependent on England, Americans looked to English government institutions as a basis for how to govern the United States. America shaped the Second Amendment based on political ideologies that originated in England. In 1181, King Henry issued the Assize of Arms, stating that citizens must possess arms at all times to ensure that English citizens were protected from foreign invasions. In England, boys as young as seven were required to bear arms to provide ample defense for their country; it was considered an Englishman's obligation to his country. Furthermore, militias became vital to English life, as they leveled monarchical rule... middle of paper... a telling example of how citizens took the privilege of owning arms for their own safety at home and in the nation. , and used it for poisonous reasons. A concept that was effective in the 11th century lost its value when citizens began to ignore their responsibilities as gun-owning U.S. citizens. The federalist predicted that citizens would cancel their right, but this right was still enshrined in the Constitution. The discernment of a plan to execute seven people demonstrates how citizens have ignored both the meaning of their rights and their responsibilities. The decision by some individuals to organize the Valentine's Day Massacre subsequently led to severe regulation imposed on gun owners. "Violence is an evil thing, but when the weapons are all in my hands without respect for human rights, then men are truly in trouble" - Louis L'Amour.