The Right to Bear Arms Trivia Quiz

Answer: Infringed

This is the actual wording (and punctuation) of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The precise interpretation of these words has become the subject of a polarizing debate in the United States.

Answer: False

The idea of the right to bear arms was influenced by the English Bill of Rights which was passed by the English Parliament in 1689. The English Bill of Rights states, "the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law."

Answer: The second amendment only applies to small arms such as pistols

There are three interpretive models regarding the debate over the true meaning of the Second Amendment. The first is the "Individual Right", which claims the Second Amendment protects the individual rights of Americans to bear arms. The "Collective Right" model claims that the Second Amendment was intended only to protect the states' right to arm themselves.

The third model claims that the Second Amendment only applies to an individual when that person is serving within a militia.

Answer: ATF

ATF stands for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (and Explosives). Originally a part of the U.S. Treasury department, the ATF is responsible for regulating the sale and use firearms and explosives in the United States. They are often involved in criminal investigations involving the use of firearms.

Answer: True

A commercial pilot in the United States may be a Federal Flight Deck Officer. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, legislation was passed to allow pilots to voluntarily carry firearms into the cockpit as a means of preventing future hijackings. Pilots who participate in the program receive special training conducted by the Transportation Security Administration.

Answer: St. Valentine's Day Massacre

The National Firearms Act was enacted on June 26, 1934. It called for the taxation of certain types of firearms. The legislation was drafted after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre where seven men were killed in Chicago, Illinois by Al Capone's gang. The law was enacted to combat the increasing number of violent crimes involving the use of firearms.

Answer: Assault Weapons Ban

After a series of shootings involving assault weapons, the United States passed the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994. It prohibited the manufacture and sale of assault weapons. The ban was very controversial and flawed. It did not ban weapons that were in possession prior to the law's enactment, nor did it accurately identify what was considered to be an "assault weapon".

The ban expired in 2004 and was not renewed.

Answer: Washington, DC

In February, 2003, six residents of Washington, D.C. filed a lawsuit challenging the Firearms Control Regulations Act, a local law that was passed in 1975 by the city government. The residents claimed the law violated the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

The case (District of Columbia vs. Heller) was sent to the U.S. Supreme Court and on June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the six Washington, D.C. residents.

Answer: True

The Boy Scouts of America offers merit badges involving the use of firearms. The Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting merit badges (previously known as the Rifle and Shotgun Shooting merit badge) were split into individual badges in 1987. Scouts can obtain these badges as early as age eleven.

Answer: National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association was founded in 1871. Originally conceived as simply a club for leisure, it has since evolved into an organization intent on protecting the rights of Americans to bear arms. Famous actor Charlton Heston was formerly the President of the NRA from 1998-2003.