...Today in America, gun control is a very serious issue. There are different opinions on this issue, the National Rifle Association (NRA), feels that guns are safe when used for protection by responsible citizens, others feel that guns are far to dangerous to be kept in homes, and that guns should not be owned by anyone, only used by the National Guard and law enforcement. These people think their opinions are correct according to the second amendment, the amendment that deals with the bearing of arms by citizens of America, but there have been different interpretations of it. The reason that people feel gun ownership is such a problem is that so many people lose their lives by them each year. Personally, I feel that guns lead to increases in crime, murder, and household accidents. By reducing availability of guns and providing education on gun safety, I think that these things will help make America safer. Before making up my mind on what I felt about the issue, I made sure to consider the opinions of others and to collect statistics. People from the (NRA), who are against gun control, feel that the people are responsible for the negative effects guns have on America. Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist who shares the ideas of the NRA, wrote an article titled “It’s Not The Guns”. In this article, she talks about the increase in school and youth violence, relating to guns. She blames the children and irresponsible parents. She denies that guns are easier for kids to get today...
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...Crime Trends Crime trends have changed drastically throughout the years. Criminal activity has always been a challenging task to evaluate and monitor. What is a crime trend? A crime trend is defined as a significant change in the nature of selected crime types within a defined geographical area and time period (U.S. Legal, 2001). Crime trends tend to increase and decrease for different reason throughout the years. The essay will discuss the crime trend in America and the reason for a decline in 1999. In 1999 there were several reasons that could be the cause for a decrease in crime trends. Unemployment rates were low in 1999, in fact at the time rates had not been seen as low since 1969. There was also an increase in new jobs; under President Clinton administration the economy added 245,000 jobs per month. When President Clinton took office in 1992 the unemployment rate was at 7.5%, by 1999 the rate had dropped to 4.0%. Employment showed a promising reason for a decrease in crime (The Clinton-Gore Economic Record, 2000). Throughout the years researchers have been noticing when the economy is good it seem to reduce the amount of crime that happens. In the article Crime and Unemployment, the author refers to a study conducted in the United States that showed unemployment as a reason behind higher homicide rates and suicides; the study was conducted from 1940-1984. The study included five socio economic variables unemployment rates, gross national product...
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...debate. This topic has ignited a dispute over gun violence, zero tolerance policies, and gun control. The Controversial topic has created a main attention grabber for satirists. A satirist is a writer who uses politics or everyday issues and writes about them in a jokingly way. There are two ways a Satirist can write, Horation and juvanalian. Horation is more humorous and juvanalian abrasive. In this essay, the examples I have provided are all Horation. Bolton, Reiss, And Schormal use the ample tools of exaggeration and mockery; However, Borowitz and Luckavich use more of the parody and pathos types of elements to address the problems of school shootings across America. First, Satirist Cole Bolton discusses the topic of school shootings using exaggeration. Exaggeration is an assertion that makes something...
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...where is the limit of how and with what we protect and defend ourselves? In this essay I will account for the positive, negative sides of the increasing use of firearms and the consequences of the increasing use of weapons in private? How much does it really mean for society and the common security that children are now at are now introduced to firearms in an earlier age? In Denmark, we think that USA has an extreme form of defence in private homes and that is probably because we do not see the same kind of extreme violent crime at home. In 1999, figures showed how big the problem already was at that time. Many had either been injured, killed or committed suicide by a firearm. Because of the recent history of terrorism and the rise of crime and newer adopted laws in some states, we can now state that it has become even easier for an American to acquire a weapon. This is to a certain point worrying. A good initiative came from the organization Youth For Safety as they are trying to get people to wake up and see how bad it actually stands with all these weapons and they simultaneously try to prevent more school shootings. But when one of the major mistakes is completely legal, the so-called gun clubs in American schools, it seems like the Youth For Safety are on a “mission impossible”. Allan Gotlieb, a former Canadian ambassador for the United States, says that it is a good idea with the gun clubs, it keeps the children away from the street and keeps them in school and it...
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...Compare and Contrast Essay In today’s society the majority of the crimes are still being committed by people who have possessed a firearm that has been obtained illegally or without proper permits. That being said there has been a strong push for gun control because of the rise of shootings involving a large group of people such as the Columbine massacre, Virginia Tech shooting and latest Aurora movie theater shooting involving people who have purchased firearms legally. Gun control laws in the United States have been established for many years but to maintain a civilized society with limited crime stronger control laws need to be enforced in which will help reduce crime in our country. Establishing stronger gun control laws will educate society, reduce the amount of accidental deaths, and decrease the number of violent crimes committed in our communities. An upright definition of gun control is necessary to understand the sides and issues relating to firearms. Educating Society The first step that should be taken by state legislators is to provide classes for young adults on the dangers of firearms. “An American citizen's right to own guns is upheld by the Second Amendment to the Constitution; However, many people feel that the amendment is outdated, and that gun control is of utmost importance in an increasingly violent society” (Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2012 p 6). The organizations such as The National Rifle Association "Believe that every law-abiding citizen...
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...No debate! People kill people, not guns. Many people think that guns should be illegal in the United States, but that would infringe on our second amendment. There are three major reasons why guns should not be illegal. First, millions of Americans use guns for recreational purposes like hunting and target shooting. Second, millions of Americans also use guns for personal protection through conceal and carry or just home protection. Third, is just like themy statement above: guns do not kill people, people kill people. This first topic I have a lot of knowledge in because I am a hunter. I have hunted since I was ten. I have hunted everything from a big buck to a little dove. There are also 200 million gun owners that hunt in America who would...
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...“Our reality is never our own but is influenced by others.” FLAPC: In this expository essay, I aim to discuss how our reality can be our own although it’s often influenced by others. Our reality can be influenced by several external sources; the media, government, values, beliefs and perceptions. I’m aiming to connect to my audience of VCE students as they will have a better understanding of ‘Whose Reality?’ and the context, ‘Wag the Dog’ (a 1997 film directed by Barry Levinson). I aim to get my readers to recognise the large role that media play in influencing our realities along with how dangerous the collaboration of the media and the government truly is. In order to put forth my opinion I’ll write in a cynical tone to portray that the motives of particular people are bad, I’ll use factual (gun crimes in the US) and fictional (‘Wag the Dog’ and ‘Leaky Boat’) evidence and I’ll use proper terminology to add sophistication and credit to my piece. In this piece, I draw on examples from ‘Wag the Dog’ (1997 film directed by Barry Levinson), ‘Leaky Boat’ (2011 ABC documentary) and gun crimes in the US in order to illustrate the idea that people are easily influenced by external sources, especially when they have authority. ESSAY: Stephan Lewandowsky’s study shows that “weighing the plausibility of a message is cognitively more difficult than simply accepting that the message is true – it requires additional motivational and cognitive resources.” This shows why peoples realities...
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...101 2/05/2013 Essay The Right to Bear Arms Having the right to carry a gun is an opinion. Some Americans feel the need to be able to practice their rights and carry guns either on them or in their house for safety. To some being able to own a gun is more of a hobby but for most it is for security. With all the bad events going on in this country, we as Americans should ask ourselves; are guns more harmful or are they more helpful? Since the beginning of time, humans have always had weapons of some sort to protect themselves and their families and it should stay the same now of days. Taking gun rights away would put our country and the people in it in more danger than if we are to keep our rights. If gun rights are taken away, people with bad intentions will still find a way to either get guns and kill or find some kind of weapon and do it (Musgraves, 2012). Americans will be helpless in situations where a gun or weapon is being used. With nothing to defend ourselves, we take a chance on being killed. In other ways, not being able to have guns or weapons could put Americans in danger because some Americans will feel the need to make a riot and protest about this which can lead to mast destruction (Musgraves, 2012). Americans that are able to carry a gun or keep one with them or at their house is able to provide themselves and their family security that the government cannot. If someone decides to rob someone at their house, having a gun will help eliminate...
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...The Great Gun Debate Introduction Among the more diverse issues in an already polarized society is a national perspective of guns (Hargrove & Perdue, 2015). The gun debate in the U.S. dates back to the 18th century, when the nation’s founders were crafting the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the Constitution, adopted in 1791 (Smith & Ross, 2013). All gun control debates turn on interpretations of the Second Amendment, the worst written and most bizarre part of the constitution (Eichenwald, 2015). The Second Amendment gave Americans the right to “bear arms;” however, for more than 200 years, people have disagreed over how to interpret the amendment (Smith & Ross, 2013). Heated debates over guns have created division among “we the people.” On one end of the divide are pro-gun extremists. On the opposite end of the divide are anti-gun extremists. Then, there is the rational middle—the group that is often left out of the debate. This group typically consists of average law-abiding citizens who do not believe that Americans should be stripped of their rights to bear arms, but, rather, that some laws should be tightened up to ensure that guns and deadly accessories, such as high-capacity magazines, stay out of the wrong hands. Over the years, numerous mass shootings in schools have forced lawmakers to assess and tighten gun-control laws, which has also reignited the fiery gun debate. This assessment will attempt to uncover a proper course of action via a rigorous...
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...Gun Control Essay 1 Gun Control Essay 06/14/2015 The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the constitution by the Second Amendment. Many politicians are looking to amend the constitution any way they can to ban handguns or at least Gun Control Essay 2 restrict sales. The argument between pro and anti gun control has been debated for years, both with valid points. Many studies and factual data shows that strict gun control only removes guns from law-abiding citizens, but does not actually help reduce crime. Studies have shown that gun control cannot stop people from committing the crime because if a handgun ban were issued, there is evidence that citizens would not comply with the law, strict gun control does not reduce homicide rates, and studies have found that high crime rates have stimulated purchasing of guns rather than high gun ownership stimulating crime. While the Founding Fathers of this country were developing the system of government, as set forth in the Constitution, many feared that a standing army controlled by a strong central government would leave them helpless. The Federal Constitution contained no provisions to prohibit a standing army or allow states to create their own militias. The Constitution was signed by thirty-nine men from the twelve states represented at the Constitutional Convention on September 17 1787; three delegates refused to sign because of the absence of a bill of rights. Two years later, the First Congress agreed on...
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...The Gun Debacle, How to Reduce Gun Violence Without Losing Your Rights Gregory Guyer ITT Technical Institute. "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... only disarm those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one." Are Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson thoughts about gun control during his era who he quoted from an article written by Cesare Bonesana, Marchese Beccaria “essay on crimes and punishments”. (1764) Such remarks from a prominent member of our founding fathers suggest that not only has this debate been going on for a long time but also how important to Americans it is. The second amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America says, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This must have been thought important by our forefathers to have listed this one second, yet we are on the verge of losing yet another one of our rights as Americans in the name of safety. Will we really be safer, or is it simply a play of political control? According to the National Institute of Justice (2013), there are fewer gun related incidents nationwide than there were in the early 1990’s. Not only do we see fewer actual gun related...
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...The term gun control refers to any action taken by the federal government or by state or local governments to regulate, through legislation, the sale, purchase, safety, and use of handguns and other types of firearms by individual citizens. Gun Control is one of the most serious issue that America is facing today. It is very controversial and “polarizing issue”(Barrett, 2), which means it tends to divide people. There is very Mixed feeling about gun control. The question of whether gun control policies increase, decrease or have no effect on rates of gun violence turns out to be a difficult question. Gun Control is very complicated issue, it become more complicated as people try to discuss it. Some people have very strong opinions against guns,...
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...or place. According to Oxford Dictionary freedom means “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”. (Oxford Dictionaries) While this is true, someone can consider themselves free but still be contained by a higher power, and be obligated to obey the laws of human nature. Freedom is the power to do, say, and feel how you want as long as it doesn’t hinder someone else’s freedom. Most people believe that freedom is a right, but as we see in communist countries like North Korea and China, even your thoughts are controlled by the government. Some people believe that our freedoms are restricted by laws and other legal documents that on the down low affect our freedoms, but play it off like safety concerns. For instance if someone doesn’t like seat belts, they could argue that they are uncomfortable. They could add that they restrict movements when they are driving. Would they have the freedom to not wear a seatbelt? The answer is yes, they have that choice, but under penalty and fines from the government, if they get caught not wearing their seatbelt. So, the government is trying to limit their freedom of choice through fines. Another example would be do people have the freedom to smoke a cigarette? Yes, they do. As bad as it is to their health, they are given that right as long as they are 18 year of age or older....
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...------------------------------------------------- The School Of Freedom As the elections for presidency in the United States of America heats up and comes closer to an end, the two candidates for the office claim to be the one answer for a problem, a problem that all of the previous presidents and their rivals promised to solve, and yet it remains unsolved to the date, and that problem is the education, and as the education remains secondary in the politicians priorities the problem will remain existence, but why is the education a failure? Why aren’t our leaders doing anything? And what can be done? Benjamin R. Barber addressed the issues in the educational system in his essay “Why We Talk So Much About Education and Do So Little”, Benjamin R. Barber (born August 2, 1939) is an American political theorist and author he held the positions of Gershon and Carol Kekst Professor of Civil Society and Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy, and he is Walt Whitman Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University; he is the current president and founder of the Interdependence Movement and the NGO "CivWorld" at Demos, he wrote this essay for Harper’s Magazine in November 1993, nineteen years later we still face the same situation he wrote about. Barber –in the essay mentioned above- stats clearly why the schooling system is a failure. The poor salary of the teachers is one of the main reasons a teacher’s salary is nowhere to...
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...Public Policy and Guns Firearms have been apart of the American way of life since the day Joseph Smith first step foot in Virginia. If a person would take a look around social media, the news, or even on their community bulletin, they would see some sort of ad or display of a gun. It was found that in 2017, 42% of Americans live in a household with guns (Sarah, “A Timeline”). Recently, there has been a discussion on guns and what exactly the founding fathers had in mind when writing the Bill of Rights. This essay will be a study about gun control and the current state of the publics opinion on the topic. The best way to start this discussion is to analyze the history of firearms in America and how legislation dealing with them has changed...
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