Paul Hewson English 1 -- Mr. Jarot Period 6 Gun Control Paul Hewson English 1 -- Mr. Jarot Period 6

Introduction “How does removing my right to defend myself from a rapist make you feel any safer?” So many victims are attacked every day, and they don’t have a way to defend themselves. Without our ability to own and carry guns, we lose the ability to protect ourselves. Do you want your children growing up in a time when they are scared because they cannot protect themselves?

While many people believe that guns are the cause of the violence in our country, through research and databases, it has been made clear that guns are not the problem; rather, it is the irresponsible people holding them…

Pros of Gun Control Vs. Cons of Gun Control Pro-Gun Control Anti-Gun Control Women would not be victims Fewer home invasions Fewer rape cases Citizens would be self- sufficient Citizens would have more liberty (“ProCon.org” 1-2) Would allow citizens to feel safe Gun violence would decrease Video games would be less violent Fewer gun-related deaths Fewer gun-related wounds

Pro-Gun Control During 2016, 15,036 people lost their lives to gun violence. 30,586 were injured, and there were 385 mass shootings. Everyone can agree that these numbers are too high. Something must be done about them. (“Gun Violence” 1) Young children and adults are constantly exposed to the violence in video games. Most video games can be harmless, but some can instill hate in a person. Players begin to enjoy “killing,” and they decide to try out their skills on humans instead of in a video game. (Wallace 2)

“Modern video games have become so realistic and their interactive aspect so educational that in the long run, they teach kids to kill” (Crooker 36). “Video game producers claim that games with violence carry warnings that are for ‘mature audiences only,’ but children do not need to provide proof of age to buy the products, and most are readily available online” (Crooker 36).

So many people are negatively affected by gun violence every day, and everyone knows that the numbers are outrageous. Guns kill people, and innocent humans die every day due to guns. (“Gun Violence” 2)

Through video games people experience the thrill of killing, and that violence they see follows them into the world. Most players do not experience a difference in their personality, but others are drastically affected by a gun they have fired on a screen. (“Video Games” 1)

“Guns were the leading cause of death by homicide between 1999 and 2013” (“ProCon.org” 1). “About 200 Americans go to the hospital with gunshot wounds every day” (“ProCon.org” 3).

Anti-Gun Control Many people blame the crime on the gun, but in all reality, that is not true. Guns may make the crime easier, but taking away guns and the right to carry a gun will not stop a hateful person from killing someone.

There were an estimated 2,496 home invasions and 321,500 rape cases in 2016. Many people were put in a life-and-death situation, and many lost their lives because they had no way to protect themselves from the perpetrator. (“Gun Violence” 2)

Concealed carry is when you are allowed to carry a gun on you Concealed carry is when you are allowed to carry a gun on you. Your gun must be hidden from the public. This, in the long run, saves many lives every day and prevents attacks from happening. (“Concealed” 1)

“Gun rights proponents argue that would- be criminals in such jurisdictions are deterred from crime because they know that any potential victim might be packing a gun” (Crooker 7). “If the person gains the element of surprise by suddenly producing a gun at a crucial moment, that person may be able to fend off the attacker without having to fire” (Crooker 11).

When people are allowed to carry guns, they are able to defend themselves, most of the time without even having to fire the weapon. Would- be criminals are scared to commit crimes because they know that there is a chance that their victim might have a gun, which in turn saves lives and prevents crime.

People focus on the fact that a gun has been fired instead of focusing on who the killer was. The real thing to fear is not the registered owners or even the gun itself. Instead, you should fear the person who wants to kill.

“Are guns more lethal because of their design or because the person shooting the gun has the determination to kill? In other words, would every firearm murder happen anyway by other means if the killer did not have access to a gun” (Crooker 3)? “Gun-rights proponents say that the majority of registered gun owners are responsible and that you should not blame the crime on the tool but the criminal using the tool” (Crooker 8).

My stance: People have been so desperately scrambling for a way to end gun violence that they don’t take a second to think about their opinion. They think the gun is the problem, but by getting rid of guns, you are only going to create more violence. To end violence, you must get rid of the criminals.

People tend to blame the gun for the crime, but people are still going to have the ability to kill. You could lay a loaded gun on a table in front of the entire population, and the gun will not kill anyone. However, if someone picks it up and fires it, there will be violence. Therefore, who really is to blame for the violence, the gun or the person?

Many people would like to see more gun restrictions and laws Many people would like to see more gun restrictions and laws. Some want to get rid of guns all together. They think more laws will solve our problem… According to the NRA’s website, there are 14 gun laws in Illinois as of today. This number is continuing to grow. People think that we need more laws, but what we need to do is enforce all the laws we currently have. Within 50 miles of Chicago, there are close to 30 gun-training facilities open to the public, and there are 3.35 million women who own a gun. Gun laws would put restrictions on gun owners and would not allow them to practice their skills or carry a gun at all. (“NRA” 2)

“Federal government needs to take the lead in enforcing the laws we have” (Crooker 10). “A repeated theme of gun rights groups is that we have enough laws on the books already, and that we should focus on enforcing the laws we already have” (Crooker 9).

People want to get rid of guns, but if you take away guns, you will not only be depriving people of defending themselves, but also people will still kill even if they do not have guns. “Criminals do not obey the law. Without the fear of retaliation from the victims, criminals in possession now have a much easier job. As the saying goes, ‘If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns’” (Stossel 24). “The gun-control camp would remove guns from society, while the gun-rights camp would remove the criminals” (Crooker 5).

Guns are everywhere. It is my belief that if you were to take away guns, you are only going to do more harm. Victims become sitting ducks because they do not have a way to defend themselves. If you were able to somehow remove every single gun in the entire world, people will still kill…

Criminals will resort to other weapons, such as knives Criminals will resort to other weapons, such as knives. Then we will be discussing getting rid of knives. What are you going to do then, go into every home and kitchen and take away everyone’s knives that they use to cook with because they are potential weapons? Getting rid of guns will not stop violence. Let’s be honest; the only way to get rid of violence is to get rid of the criminals.

Conclusion So many people believe that guns are the problem, but through research it is clear that guns are not the problem; it is the people wanting to kill. People rely on guns for self-defense, and without guns people are susceptible to being raped and murdered. Homes are an easy target, and children are at a greater risk of harm. We need to enforce our laws and focus on the criminals instead of thinking up a way to get rid of guns.

In conclusion, if people continue to ignore the benefits that guns give to society and instead focus on removing the weapons, we will never stop the growing violence in our country. Rather, we need to work on getting criminals off the street.