Guns Don't Kill People - Criminals Do
It's late at night, and you're home all alone. You double checked to make
sure all of the doors were locked and made sure all of the windows were closed.
It's been a quiet night, but for some odd reason you cannot sleep. During your
restless night, you hear a bump in the kitchen. At first you dismiss it as the
wind. But there it is again, and it's louder this time. You're scared, your
pulse is racing and you cannot think of what to do. You don't know whether to
call 911 or just lay there and hope whatever it was will go away. But then you
realize you have a 9-mm Smith and Wesson hand gun in the nightstand. You
quietly get it out, take off the trigger lock, and retrieve the bullets from on
top of your dresser. You don't want to create a situation that isn't necessary
so you huddle next to your bed and hope whomever it is takes what they want and
leaves. You hear them walking down the hallway toward you. Your bladder nearly
lets go. The intruder tries to open your door but luckily you locked it.
There still is the possibility that it's your spouse so you don't shoot the
intruder through the door. Then the intruder kicks the door in, sending
splinters of wood flying about the room. The time has come, you raise from the
side of your bed, instinctively assuming a marksman's pose and fire just as the
intruder is raising his weapon. He flies back against the wall and slumps into
a lifeless pile. You then proceed to call 911.
Now, that is not an uncommon scenario in the present state of society.
Now what I ask you to picture is that same scenario, but this time only the
intruder has a weapon bec...
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...t work well enough. It's time that we stop trying to keep
guns out of the hands of criminals by taking guns out of the hands of law-
abiding citizens. It's time to start educating each gun owner on how to safely
use and keep their weapon. That, along with tougher penalties for those using
guns during crimes, will lower the crime rates involving guns and the deaths
related to guns.
Works Cited
Cassidy, J. Warren. "The Case for Firearms." Current Issues and Enduring
Questions Boston: Bedford, 1993.
Desuka, Nan. "Why Handguns Must Be Outlawed." Current Issues and Enduring
Questions Boston: Bedford, 1993.
Goldwater, Barry. "Why Gun Control Laws Don't Work." Reader's Digest Dec. 1975:
183-188
Selib, Henry A. "The Case Against More Laws." Current Issues and Enduring
Questions Boston: Bedford, 1993.
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
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Lott, Jr. John R. More Gun Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.
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