A drawing of a pistol on a shield

Up until now, this lesson has focused on the first amendment freedoms and the rights of the accused. Those only cover five of the 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights. The document contains a few other freedoms, most notably the second amendment's protection of the right to bear arms, or own guns.

The right to bear arms is probably the most obvious example of needing to balance rights and responsibility. The government can restrict possession of certain types of weapons and carrying them in certain places because these activities present a danger to the public. These restrictions vary across the country. Carrying a gun that is legal in Texas may land a person in jail for multiple years in New York City.

A graphic of a man in a a red shirt and cap, standing next to a stream, and pointing a rifle up to the sky with two brown dogs at his feet

More importantly, a person has to learn how to use a firearm safely to protect both himself or herself and others. Even the strongest defenders of the second amendment, like the National Rifle Association, stress the importance of bearing arms responsibly.

Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Click here to view the rest of the protections in the Bill of Rights. The other protections in the Bill of Rights include preventing the government from quarteringsoldiers in people's homes without their consent (3rd amendment), the right to a jury trial when a person is being sued for a sum of money over $20.00 (7th amendment), the guarantee that the people have more rights than just those listed in the Bill of Rights (9th amendment), and the statement that the people and the states have the power not given the federal government, otherwise known as the protection of federalism (10th amendment). Close Pop Up

Activity

In the following activity, you will see a violation of one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. Your job is to decide which amendment counters the violation.

Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required.

Voting

The Bill of Rights does not address one major category of rights essential for a constitutional republic—voting. Expanding suffrage, or the right to vote, is a frequent topic of the other 17 amendments to the Constitution. Five of the remaining 17 amendments address voting rights to make sure that every citizen can equally participate in government.