The document discusses arguments around gun control legislation. Issues debated include the appropriate level of gun regulation and the effectiveness of laws in reducing crime. Supporters argue stricter laws could lower violence and accidental shootings. Opponents counter that statistics don't prove regulation reduces crime, and guns are simply tools, not the root cause of violence. Alternative policies proposed include increasing background checks and restricting certain firearms. The author ultimately believes stricter legislation is needed to reduce gun deaths and incidents.
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Chelsey Stanley
12 February 2014
FYS: Critical Thinking
What are the underlying issues that are being debated within the readings?
Appropriate amount of gun control.
Efficacy of gun control laws in relation to reducing violent crime rate.
Is more legislation actually needed; and is better enforcement of current
legislation necessary?
What are some possible advantages in favor of supporting stricter gun control?
Reduce the amount of violent crime.
Reduction of specific guns allowed in homes in order to reduce the number
of accidental gun incidents such as shootings, suicides, and self-defense
situations.
According to those in opposition, what are some possible disadvantages to stricter
gun control laws?
Statistics alone cannot determine the government’s regulations against the
use of guns are indeed reducing the amount of crime on the streets.
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Guns are not technically the source of the violence, but simply a tool used to
carry out a violent intention. Incidents by fire arms are caused merely by the
gun owner’s irresponsibility and inability to use a gun accordingly.
What fallacies of reasoning emerge from the debate?
The article continues to reiterate that it is not the guns themselves that kill
people, but that the irresponsibility of those people with guns are what in
fact kill people.
Completely doing away with the guns and adding even stricter regulation on
gun control will not stop the amount of violent crime around the world. It
will be ineffective against crime reduction.
What alternative programs and policies have been proposed or might be
developed?
To put an end to the violence, some believe that increasing the scrutiny on
gun sales would lower the crime levels globally.
Also, deciding which guns should actually be allowed to be sold would help
reduce crime.
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I believe that there should be more legislation and regulations placed on the use
of firearms. More control on guns would undeniably lower the amount of violent
crime and gun shootings around the world. Take the infamous Sandy Hook
shooting for example. The Sandy Hook Elementary School, found in Newtown,
Connecticut, lost six adults and twenty first-grade children. Adam Lanza allegedly
murdered the twenty-six people before committing suicide soon afterward. If
stricter gun regulations could be generated, then the government would have the
opportunity to prevent another incident, like the Sandy Hook school shooting, from
reoccurring in the future. (Mantle)
Nearly one-third of every home in America contains at least one firearm, and of
these, about a third of those are handguns (Ballaro). An estimation of about thirtythousand gun related deaths occur every year within America (Ballaro). In order to
lower the amount of gun crime, it has indeed become necessary for the government
to place stricter regulations on the purchase process and the overall use of firearms.
With more regulation on guns, the amount of gun-related deaths and incidents
would be severely reduced (Lee 2013). By adding more regulations, such as further
reducing the list of guns still permitted within households, accidental gun incidents
such as shootings, suicides, and even self-defensive situations would be reduced as
well (Lee 2013).
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Works Cited
Mantel, Barbara. “Gun Control.” CQ Researcher 8 Mar. 2013: 233-56. Web. 11
Feb. 2014.
Ballaro, B. Counterpoint: Gun Control Saves Lives. Points of View: Gun
Control. 2013. Jan. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Lee, M. Stingl, Alexander. “Gun Control: An Overview.” Points of View: Gun
Control. 11 Feb. 2014.
