Persuasive Essay On Gun Control

As firearm technology evolves, weapons become more efficient. These improvements come from the increasing ammo capacity, rate of fire, accuracy, and overall user friendliness. According to everytownresearch.org, roughly 91 Americans are killed each day as a result of gun violence. Currently, the murder rate of the U.S. is 25 times more than the average of other countries. The United States has also endured various mass shootings. Incidents such as the Columbine High School massacre and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have inspired the awareness of gun control. Although the government has been debating ways to reduce this violence, no major reforms have been developed. In response to these rates, President Obama delivered the “Address

The most dominant element is the use of pathos to compel the audience to aid in the reduction of gun violence. In the speech, references were made to several incidents involving weapons. The stories of victims were brought up and specifically included the effects that have been imposed onto children and teenagers. “Those rights were stripped from college students in Blacksburg and Santa Barbara, and from high schoolers at Columbine, and from first-graders in Newtown. First-graders” (Barrack 41). This statement appeals to emotions as it includes the nation’s future as a focal point. It also depicts the dark side of guns as it brings realization to the audience of innocent victims losing their lives to violence. Near the end of the speech, Barack Obama told Zaevion Dobson’s story, “Zaevion Dobson was a sophomore at Fulton High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. He played football; beloved by his classmates and his teachers. His own mayor called him one of their city’s success stories” (Barack 47). This description of a young teenager demonstrates the innocence of victims and the severity of gun violence as the President later described, “And then gunmen started firing. And Zaevion -- who was in high school, hadn’t even gotten started in life -- dove on top of three girls to shield them from the bullets. And he was shot in the head. And the girls were spared” (Barack 47). This was the final story told in the speech and was

This device may not appear as much, but it does not lack effectiveness. Logos is the usage of facts and statistics in a piece used to appeal to the audience’s logic. Obama states, “After Connecticut passed a law requiring background checks and gun safety courses, gun deaths decreased by 40 percent -- 40 percent. Meanwhile, since Missouri repealed a law requiring comprehensive background checks and purchase permits, gun deaths have increased to almost 50 percent higher than the national average” (Barack 21). The use of this statistic was the most powerful argument Obama made in his speech as it had demonstrated the effectiveness of gun control. Although conservatives believe freedom of firearms aids in the prevention of tragedy, the fact obviously poses a different perspective. Gun control can significantly reduce the murder rate using