POMEROY — The right to bear arms, a right guaranteed to America’s people by the United States Constitution, has come under scrutiny following the December shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Many people throughout the nation have strong opinions on the topic, leading people to wonder what the future of gun ownership may look like.

The second amendment to the United States Constitution reads,

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.

That right is also guaranteed to citizens of the State of Ohio in Article 1, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution which reads,

The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.

The amendments to both the U.S. and Ohio constitutions will be the topic of a meeting to be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 15 in the Meigs County Common Pleas Courtroom on the third floor of the Meigs County Courthouse.

Friday’s meeting will be hosted by the Meigs County Commissioners.

The town hall meeting will allow residents to discuss constitutional rights, specifically the second amendment.

Following the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut — which killed six adults and 20 children, all under the age of 10 — President Barack Obama selected Vice President Joe Biden to head a task force to make recommendation on curbing gun violence.

A proposal from Obama, following the task force recommendation, includes universal background checks, along with a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

According to President of the Board of Commissioners Tim Ihle, the meeting will allow for the public to speak directly with the commissioners regarding a possible resolution in support of preserving the second amendment right to bear arms.