Writing a persuasive speech on gun control issues, need better sources

[JupiterJones]

I need sources, preferably reputable such as cnn or abc or msnbc, something like that, relating to gun control issues that are "hot" right now.

Gun control is not that much of a HOT issue right now. By and large the NRA has won the argument for at least a while. They hammered Liberals on the lack of enforcement of existing laws so much that many people now realize that gun control has more to do with power than crime control. Gun control advocates do not trust the people with guns, and in fact a case has been made for "hoplophobia" (irrational fear of firearms). Those who favor gun rights believe than an empowered population is our greatest guarantee of liberty.

As far as "reputable" sources, you need to realize that none exist. By and large, the sources you mentioned fall on the Gun Control side of the fence.

Personally, I see the issue as one of Personal Liberty and empowerment.

Guns, Crime, and Freedom by Wayne Lapierre is a very good read on this subject.

 

[tcsenter]

guns + dangerous minorities = dangerous

just ask heston of the nra

And judging by the racial breakdown of the FBI/UCR violent index crimes, I'd say old Heston nails it rather accurately.

Remove from our national firearm homicide statistics the contribution made by blacks and hispanics, the numbers plummet to lilly white European levels.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: HokieESM
Like many others have said, gun control is incredibly incredibly complex. I personally have enjoyed target shooting for several years--but paper is it for me (I personally have no interest in hunting--in fact, i have serious problems with people hunting and not eating what they shoot). Its an engineering "game" for me, its science--seeing how accurate I can make my rifle and ammunition and then how well I can shoot it. My dad has competitively shot pistols for 20+ years--its a hobby/interest to him. But unfortunately, some people ruin the fun for the rest of us.

Gun control, in my opinion, is a cultural issue. Much like drinking and driving, to a degree. Its all about social responsibility. Switzerland (which I had the pleasure of visiting not too long ago) is the home to "every man is in the militia" slogan--so virtually every home has a fully automatic rifle (which, despite what a lot of people say, is VERY difficult to legally obtain in the US--semi-auto is easy, fully auto is horribly difficult) and a semi-automatic handgun. Yet virtually no violent crime. They also are a notorious "drinking" country like their neighbor Germany, but no drinking and driving. It basically boils down to this: the citizens TRULY feel that using a gun for harmful purposes is WRONG (just like drinking and driving is WRONG). Its social responsibility. Just like I tell many people out there: every gun-control advocate in the country could probably be introduced to shooting (competitively) the RIGHT way and truly enjoy it--and their families and the world would be perfectly safe with a gun in their home. Mainly because gun control advocates have the RIGHT idea--it IS wrong to use a gun for nefarious purposes.... they ARE the socially responsible ones. Its a shame that everyone isn't that way......

When it comes down to it, a VERY small percentage are causing ALL the problems. Billy Joe Bobb who goes deer hunting two weeks out of the year isn't causing the problem... neither is John Doe who goes target shooting every Saturday. While there are some dangers with using one for 'home protection', that's not usually the problem either--its a criminal element who is intent on wielding a form of "lethal power".

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Good luck on your fact-finding!

Full Auto, drinking and driving man I'm moving to Switerland

Good post BTW

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: Zakath15
Does it interest you to know that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world? America is second.

Look up crime statistics on Japan, England, and Switzerland. Both Japan and England have strict gun-control, in Switzerland, almost every household has an automatic weapon.

Like the suicide rate in Japan has anything to do with the absence of guns...

Work pressure is a few million times higher than in the USA. If you don't agree on working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day (overtime excluded) you basically cannot find a job there.

 

Are you at college? Most college libraries have a subscription to the legal research database Lexis-Nexis. GREAT stuff there.

Also, GO TO YOUR B&M LIBRARY. For academic papers, online resources are teh suck. Go to the library now.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: Zakath15
Does it interest you to know that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world? America is second.

Look up crime statistics on Japan, England, and Switzerland. Both Japan and England have strict gun-control, in Switzerland, almost every household has an automatic weapon.

Like the suicide rate in Japan has anything to do with the absence of guns...

Work pressure is a few million times higher than in the USA. If you don't agree on working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day (overtime excluded) you basically cannot find a job there.

America doesn't have the second highest suicide rate. I thought that honor went to the Netherlands?

At any rate, gun control activists try to tie suicide rates with the availibility of guns, Sky. I think that was his point, and your counterpoint really only supports his point. Which was the fact that murder rates and suicide rates have nothing to do with the supposed "availablity of guns," and more to do with culture.

 

[Amused]

Wait, I found some info on suicide rates.

According to the International Journal of Epidemiology (1998), here's the breakdown:

(suicide rate per 100,000 people years 1993/94)

Estonia 40.95

Hungary 35.38

Slovenia 31.16

Finland 27.26

Denmark 22.13

Austria 22.12

Switzerland 21.28

France 20.79

Belgium 19.04

Japan 16.72

Sweden 15.75

Germany 15.64

Singapore 14.06

Norway 13.64

Mauritius 12.98

New Zealand 12.81

Australia 12.65

Scotland 12.16

United States 12.06

OK, I got tired of copying, but as you see... the US far far from the number 2 spot.

 

[LAUST]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Jittles

Originally posted by: her209
guns == bad
gun control == bad
no guns == good

Specifically not what I was looking for.

I did ask for your views, but not like that. Please explain if you care.

guns == America == bad
no guns == Japan == good

LOL, some people's kids I swear

 

[wolf papa]

I'm not sure that CNN, MSNBC, etc. are good sorces, the news media seems to be more about playing emotions than really presenting unbiased information.

As YellowFiero pointed out, the 2nd amendment came about from the understanding that each individual had a right to be able to protect and defend themselves, and their nation against enemies. That could include wild animals, human criminals, military invasion or even a domestic dictator. The writers THOUGHT that this democracy could work, but it was unproven and had the potential to become a tyranny. The second amendment is our protection against that. When Hitler rose to power, one of the first things he did was to disarm private citizens, so there was no effective opposition. The registration of gun owners simplified that. A dictator cannot maintain his rule without an imbalance of power in his favor.

The old cliche "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns" is SO simple, but true. Regulations and legalities don't hinder the criminals. If firearms WERE to be removed from all legal gun owners, the criminal element would still be armed. If all of the firearm makers in this country were to stop manufacturing, illegal demand would still exist, and a new industry of smuggling, or clandestine factories would arise to supply it. A violent person, in the absence of a gun, would find another way to commit mayhem - arson, firebombs, poisoning, even a slashing spree with a machete.

I consider myself a liberal in a lot of issues, but gun control is not one of them.

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: Amused

At any rate, gun control activists try to tie suicide rates with the availibility of guns, Sky. I think that was his point, and your counterpoint really only supports his point. Which was the fact that murder rates and suicide rates have nothing to do with the supposed "availablity of guns," and more to do with culture.

Thank you...

It was actually humorous, lowering the suicide rate actually is one of the arguments used by gun control advocates... but in Japan, people just find other means of committing suicide (by jumping in front of a subway was en vogue the last time I researched the topic).

My stats were off, I'm going off of the memory of a paper I wrote about five years ago, my apologies.