Opposition paper

Cole Ashby
March 30, 2009
English 1010
Opposition paper
Gun Control

With every passing year the violence in our great country continues to get worse and worse. Violence starts with a thought and ends with an action. These thoughts derive from video games, movies, music and basically anything else media related. These matters are inevitable as in we can't take control or stop them from happening. Though something we can take partial control of is the weapons being handled within the United States.
The fastest and easiest way to obtain a gun is through a gun show. Kids as young as 18 years old, in some states, can walk in off the streets and just buy a shotgun or rifle legally. How is an inexperienced kid that young going to know how to handle a gun properly? The only experience they might have had with a gun is on video games. In several games thugs walk around streets killing people and taking their money. What are these kids thinking of when they're holding that gun? What do they need a gun for anyways? This is absurd and needs to be taken care of before things get out of hand.
According to the organization Legal Community Against Violence, everyday in America there are 20 deaths caused by firearms to people under the age of 25. In 2005 alone there were 3,027 deaths to kids under the age of 19. Of those 1,972 were homicides, 822 were suicides and 173 were unintentional shootings. A majority of these kids I’m sure had gotten a hold of a gun from a family member. My brother Christopher was only 16 years old when he decided to take his life. He knew where my dad’s gun case and keys were. It was a tragic night for my whole family but a night that could have been prevented.
My sister and her husband are both weapon carriers. She carries a pistol in a holster on her leg. One day she set the gun on the bed absent mindedly. We were playing games when my other sister’s son came running in the room holding the gun like a toy. That was a mistake that could have caused someone their life. My sisters started crying from the mistake and she never carried a gun on herself again. So how often do you think this happens? How can it be prevented? Even though my dad tried to hide his guns my brother still found a way in. The only way to ensure yours and your families safety is to not own one.
First course of action should be a higher age limit for gun carriers. People under the age of 21 are still developing personality and don’t have their emotions completely in check. Next, in order for someone to buy and own a gun they should have to go through a gun safety course. This shows that they are committed to owning one legally and safely. The world is becoming a more dangerous and violent place even with all of the government’s security. When worse comes to worse we need to pull the whole idea of even having individual rights to a gun. The world is evolving in some ways and devolving in others. Change is inevitable but with change in the world we need change in laws. When it comes to safety gun control is a good place to start.

Prop

Cole Ashby
March 28, 2009
English 1010
Gun Control
Every day the American government is doing its best to get a better grip on the safety of its civilians; but how far is too far? Many government officials feel that they have the answer to all of America’s problems and given the chance they would make many drastic changes. One issue that all Americans have in common is the insecurity of their safety. Along with that comes the difference of opinion on gun control. Some feel safer with a gun in their house and others can’t sleep at night knowing that inside one of their neighboring houses, there is a gun. So who is to say that America would be better off or worse with the option of gun control? There is only one way to know and that is through statistics.
Statistics show that Florida in 1987 had fewer homicides by -37% after the right-to-carry law was passed. Between October 1987 and April of 1994 there were 221,443 concealed weapons licenses given out in Florida and of those there were 18 crimes recorded with people who had concealed weapons licenses. Though statistics aren’t always correct the number is astounding. Only 18 in thousands had committed a crime with a concealed firearm. It only makes sense though right? Why would a criminal go through all that trouble to validate a weapon when he could get one for cheap and no problem at all? Numbers also show that since 1998 not one single concealed weapons holder had fired at an officer, nationwide. Actually, it shows that on several occasions concealed weapon holders have often saved an officers life.
So how many people carry weapons legally and what does it take? Well statistics show that in 1977 the number of guns in houses peaked at a high of 54%. It was around that time too when the American government started putting restrictions on gun control and a steady decline started. In 2006 the percentage of concealed guns in homes was 34.5%. The decline was most likely related to the requirements it took to receive a concealed-weapons license. A couple of things you must have in order to obtain a weapons license are a clean criminal record, be of age, and you must have taken a firearm safety course.
Even with these precautions and astounding statistics the government is still trying to put more restrictions on weapon licenses and maybe even ban gun control all together. A man once said, “An armed man is a free man.” What do we do when we or our family and loved ones are attacked? Are we to be defenseless? The idea is both scary and aggravating. The only source of security and safety so many Americans have has been threatened to be taken away. Though there are not quite as many people as there used to be with concealed weapons there are much more people who support the idea of gun control. So where do you stand, behind or in front of the barrel of the gun?