Question

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. the second amendment to the u.s. constitution, which is a frequent source of controversy in public debates, says that "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." the controversy stems from the fact that some americans feel that the second amendment guarantees all citizens the absolute right to own firearms, while others believe that some restrictions on gun ownership are consistent with the second amendment. which phrase from this passage demonstrates that the author is identifying a source of debate?

Answer 1

Answer:

The paragraph in which the author identifies a source of debate is the following: "... being necessary to the security of a free state"

Explanation:

This phrase points to the heart of the main reason behind this amendment; a state should provide security to its citizens by the means of giving each private citizen the right to bear arms. This point is debatable, since providing security does not necessarily imply that each citizen should bear arms, since this could possibly lead to a feeling of insecurity amongst each citizen. Since the statement above is questionable, it is a source of debate.

Answer 2

When the author states "which is a frequent source of controversy in public debates," he is giving us some indication that the information that follows is a source of debate. The debate is that people cannot always agree on what the exact meaning of the amendment is.