Assault weapons at center of 2nd Amendment debate

President Obama has launched what some conservatives are calling an all-out assault on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

But Obama and his supporters say their call for a ban on assault weapons and extended gun clips could save lives and will not violate the Constitution.

This has intensified an ongoing debate over gun control and our constitutional rights. The right to keep and bear arms is one of the founding principles of the U.S. Constitution.

Our founding fathers rebelled from an oppressive empire, and did not want our new government to become oppressive in the future. So they gave us the right to carry weapons to fend off potential tyranny.

The U.S. Supreme Court later confirmed that right extends to individuals.

But there is a limit to the kinds of weapons we can own, such as bombs or missiles.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court ruled handguns cannot be banned.

In general, we have a right to weapons that are not specifically designed for the military. President Obama and those who support his plan say banning assault weapons or extended gun clips does not attack the Second Amendment.

So there is a raging debate over how we define assault, or military-style weapons.

"Some of the stuff defined as an assault weapon is not a military-style weapon," said Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Conservatives say the definitions can be vague and could infringe on our rights.

Both sides are arguing over where to draw the line. That debate could play though Congress, and eventually head back to the U.S. Supreme Court.