Pro and Anti-Gun Control
One of the most controversial topics today is gun control. In the month of November, 2016, voters will vote for the issue of Gun and ammunition control. Pro and anti-gun supporters have very different opinions on the issue of guns. Gun and anti-gun control laws are extremely controversial in today’s society. Supporters and non-supporters are debating whether guns should be illegal or not. Two writers from “Armed with Reason”, Evan Defilippis and Devin Hughes are opposed to gun control laws and on the other hand, author Phoebe Malts Bovy from New Republic is pro-gun control laws.
One of the main issues today is gun control and gun violence; there are many Americans who are opposed and many who are for the control of
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In her article, “It’s Time to Ban Guns. Yes, All of Them”, Bovy states reasons why she believes guns should be outlawed. Not only is Bovy strongly opposed to guns, she also wants all types of firearms to be banned. She firmly believes that guns are the cause of all of this violence occurring everywhere. The purpose of her article is to persuade all Americans that guns should be banned completely including police officer weapons. She strongly hopes to persuade citizens to vote for the banning of guns by giving her …show more content…
She wrote this article to encourage the banning of guns, in her article, she states, “Ban guns! Not just gun violence. Not just certain guns. Not just already-technically-illegal guns. All of them.” Bovy is putting so much emotion, and is very specific on why firearms should be illegal. She fears that we might be heading downhill with anti-gun control laws. Bovy believes that with no gun control laws, people will continue to commit crimes. Bovy’s article is largely opinionated and does not provide sufficient evidence for why guns should be banned.
Logical fallacies were present in both articles; for example, in Bovy’s article, appeal to probability was often used. She believes that if guns are completely banned, there will be no more gun violence. Then again, Defilippis and Hughes argued that a criminal will continue to be a criminal, even if gun control laws were enforced. Hasty generalization is mainly in Bovy’s article; she only states that guns are bad but does not give any facts or data on how the crime rate would go down if guns were completely
"The Controversy of Gun Control." Open Discussion about Various Controversies. N.p.. Web. 3 Dec 2013. .
In his article “Gun debate? What gun debate?” Mark O 'Mara discuses the controversial issue of gun control. O’Mara takes the tragic school shooting in Oregon as an opportunity to voice his opinion on the debate of guns. He clearly states his position and explains that gun violence has increased enormously because of the lack of command by the government and support from the public to speak out against it. O’Mara claims the issue is no longer a debate because it is so evident that guns have become a significant problem in this country and therefore actions must be taken to control and govern gun laws. In his article he attempts to raise awareness to the severity of the issue and tries to persuade his readers to take a stance against gun violence
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.
The book titled "Guns in America" written by Helen Strahinich defines gun control as any las that restricts the ownership or sale of firearms(Strahinich 2). The history of the gun control debate can be traced back to colonial times when guns were being outlawed to keep them out of the hands of the poor. Today, the subject still remains so controversial that many politicians fear touching the subject. Will banning guns eliminate crime? Will criminals still be albe to obtain firearms? These are two of the most controversial questions that fuel the fire in the debaate spotlight. tThese following two examples best illistrate how easily one can put forth arguments either for or aginst gun control.In 1995, a gang of four masked theives armed with Tec-9 semiautomatic pistols brok into Marsha Bealty's home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The thieves were supprised when they were confronted by Marsha and her roomate armed with 9mm pistols. The immediately fled when threatened by the two women.(Blackman)
Aroung the time of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the controversial and widely argued issue of gun control sparked and set fire across America. In the past decade however, it has become one of the hottest topics in the nation. Due to many recent shootings, including the well known Sandy Hook Elementary school, Columbine High School, Aurora movie theater, and Virginia Tech, together totaling 87 deaths, many people are beginning to push for nationwide gun control. An article published in the Chicago Tribune by Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Collins, entitled “Gun Control is Long Overdue” voiced the opinion that in order for America to remain the land of the free, we must take action in the form of stricter gun laws. On the contrary, Kathleen Parker, a member of the Washington Post Writers Group whose articles have appeared in the Weekly Standard, Time, Town & Country, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune Small Business, gives a different opinion on the subject. Her article in The Oregonian “Gun Control Conversation Keeps Repeating” urges Americans to look at the cultural factors that create ...
Opposing sides have for years fought over the laws that govern firearms. For the purposes of this paper "Gun Control" is defined as policies enacted by the government that limit the legal rights of gun owners to own, carry, or use firearms, with the intent of reducing gun crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated rape, and the like. So defined, gun control understandably brings favorable responses from some, and angry objections from others. The gun control debate is generally publicized because of the efforts of the Pro-Gun Lobby or the Anti-Gun Lobby.
In "Just Take Away Their Guns," author James Q. Wilson argues that "Legal restraints on the lawful purchase of guns will have little effect on the illegal use of guns" (Wilson 63). Wilson points out that it would be tough to remove all legally purchased guns from the streets and nearly impossible to confiscate illegally purchased guns. Gun advocate J. Warren Cassidy argues that "The American people have a right 'to keep and bear arms'. This right is protected by the Second Amendment to the Constitution. . ." in an article titled "The Case for Firearms" (Cassidy 275). James B. Jacobs and Kimberly A. Potter wrote in an article called "Keeping guns out of the "wrong" hands: the Brady law and limits of regulations" that "US law enforcement should concentrate on stiff sentences for crimes committed with guns and recognize that gun control laws do not keep guns from the wrong people" (Jacobs and Potter 1 of 27). Daniel B. Polsby, author of "The false promise: gun control and crime," simply states, "Gun control laws don't work" (Polsby 1 of 11). Polsby feels that "gun control laws are ineffective because [they] have not been proven to be a deterrent to crime" (1 of 11). James D. Wright states, in his article "Second Thoughts about Gun Control," that "If there were fewer guns around, there would also be less crime and less violence" (Wright 93). More gun control laws will only make it a hassle for law abiding citizens to purchase guns. They will not keep guns out of the criminal's hands because they have other methods of obtaining guns, such as the secondary market which is the illegal sale of firearms. Another reason why more gun control legislation will backfire is that those who want to purchase guns to protect themselves a...
Imagine, a person is sitting in their classroom in college. He or she is focused on listening to the teacher, because he or she needs to pass the final exam in order to graduate. All of a sudden, an intruder charges through the door. The intruder pulls out a gun and starts blasting bullets throughout the classroom. There is nowhere to run and there is no way to fight back. Everyone is hit and on the floor, bleeding. This person is so close to graduating and starting a new life. Now his life has been cut short, because there was someone who illegally brought a gun to a school. Because the school had a symbol of “no guns allowed”. Because the intruder knew there was no one else could shoot back. Now imagine if that student, dying on the floor,
Today in the United States many people argue over the fact of guns being legal or illegal. There are people using guns for personal safety and there are others who use them for crimes, as well as for other situations. Firearm deaths in the United States have slowly been decreasing from year to year with all these bills getting passed to promote a safer country than ever before. Guns are the main weapon for youth suicide, school shootings, and for committing murder. In 2010 there were 2,711 infants, child, and teenage firearm deaths. As in school shootings and in committing murder, studies show shooters often had multiple, non-automatic guns, shootings were planned, most youth tell before shooting, shooters have a history of being bullied or threatened, shooters have mental issues, and shooters have done suicidal gestures before (Gun Control with School Shootings). Although there are people who use guns for murdering, there are also those who oppose guns being used without the proper requirements. 85% of all respondents to the survey supporting requiring states to report people to national background-checks systems who are prohibited from owning gu...
Gun control is a highly controversial topic in today’s world where the fight is between the liberal and the conservatives. Many people believe that guns should be banned due to many recent massacres that have happened whereas others are wanting people to have background checks done before owning a gun. I am against gun control because banning handguns in the United States should not be allowed because handguns fail to protect the people and it is ineffective.
Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. The debate over gun control, however, is nothing new. In 1924, Presidential Candidate, Robert La Follete said, “our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” Clearly this debate still goes on today and is the very reason for the formation of gun control laws.
Another controversial issue in America is the issue of gun control. The Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. However, the extant of this right remains highly debated. In the past two decades, massive killing sprees and school shootings have given rise to debates about this issue. In the 1990s the prevalence of guns in our society has allowed these mass killings to occur, angering a majority of the Americans. Therefore, in the 1990s there was a massive public push for stricter gun control with the majority of 60 percent Americans thinking laws needed to be stricter (Figure 4). However, as state laws became stricter and shootings became more prevalent there was a push back on gun control in a few short
In this article the author Fawn Johnson gives us a brief look of what goes on during the great gun control debate. This article gives us a look at the gun control proposals, from American’s not bein...
Supporters on this side say that without guns in our system, less homicides will happen and shooters will have a harder time finding weapons to use. This perspective does deliver a thought-provoking fight; according to chicagotribune.com, from January 1st, 2015- October 8, 2015, over 2,360 people were victims of shooting in Chicago and in an article from CNN.com, in Australia, a country where guns are banned, the risk of being killed by a gunshot has dropped over 50% since a tight gun control laws were established. Although a ban on guns seems like a great decision, there are many downfalls that will come with this policy. On Washingtonpost.com, a Gallop Poll was done and showed that 51% of people felt safer in homes with a gun. If guns became banned, the percentage would drop, and criminals, like rapists or burglars would have more motivation to commit crimes. In Australia, a country with extremely tight gun control, the rate of sexual assaults is 28.6% and in America, a country with loose gun control, the rate is 27.3%, so it is obvious that if America were to ban guns, the rate would increase. Another repercussion that results in taking away guns is actually more violence happening. According to politifact.com, in 1976, Washington DC required for all new handguns at home to be stored unloaded and disassembled at home. This led criminals into committing more crimes because they knew that the
Gun control is an awfully big issue in the United States today. Many people in America don’t agree with the gun control laws that they have today. Gun control laws only take guns and freedom away from law-abiding citizens. Many citizens have their own reasons for owning a gun. Why would the government want to make it harder for people to own a gun? People that own guns aren’t very likely to be attacked by criminals. Owning a handgun is one of the best ways of protection when used correctly. The second amendment states “the right to bear arms”; does this grant everyone the right to own a gun? Gun control laws have not been proven to do anything for citizens. Gun control laws just make it harder for the good guy average Joe to own a gun. Gun control laws are not a good idea, and are taking part in the loss of our freedom that was given to us.