This thesis discusses the contested question of gun control in America with focus on the debate over Second Amendment rights, gun ownership, gun violence, as well as gun control legislation. The thesis also offers an overview of the role of the National Rifle Association, its objectives and practices. Mass shootings and their influence on gun control measures are also addressed, with view to President Obama’s and President Trump’s policies. In the analysis, the role of the media and its representation of guns and gun culture are also dealt with.