Main Point 1
Gun control through tighter and stricter universal background checks will help keep dangerous assault weapons out of the hands of criminals, drug addicts, terrorists and the mentally challenged.
Evidence 1
This is evidenced by the fact that most of the recent shootings and gun violence were committed by people who had taken advantages of the current loopholes in gun control laws. Moreover, as Karimu argues, the best ways to reduce gun-related crimes and deaths are to increase background checks for new firearms purchase, strengthen federal programs targeting trafficking in illegal guns and tighten the existing gun control laws (400). According to this author, the loopholes in the current gun American gun laws are partly to blame for the increase in mass shootings.
Evidence 2
According to a study by Kates and Mauser, though there is no direct correlation between gun ownership and violent crime, the availability of dangerous weapons in the hands of a majority of the population is responsible for high gun violence rates (672). Blocher argues that there is a need for the longstanding disparities between local and urban gun regulation and use to be incorporated into the state presumption laws and the Second Amendment doctrine (82). Through this, he argues, the US will able to preserve the historical American firearm localism and at the same time enable cities and states to find solutions to urban gun-related violence.
Main Point 2
The high mortality rates are attributed to lack of effective gun control laws, guidelines, and policies
Evidence 1
There is high mortality related to gun violence in the United States than any other country in the world currently. While the level of other crimes has gone down significantly over the last two decades or so since the 1990s, the new terror-fueled gun violence in the US are causing more deaths than any other crimes. According to Singal (4), sensible and non-partisan gun control laws have worked well in countries like Australia following the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre in which a mentally challenged man opened fire on people in Tasmania killing 35 and wounding 23 people. The Australian lawmakers came up with the National Firearms Agreement and Buyback Program that has significantly helped to reduce mortalities caused by gun violence. A similar approach to gun control in the US would contribute to some extent reduce the gun deaths by addressing mass shootings, suicides, and homicides.
Evidence 2
According to statistics from the Uniform Crime Reports by the FBI, gun violence and related crimes now claim more lives in America than any other time due to the easy availability of guns as there is no regulation on who can possess which type of weapon.
Potential Fallacy
An example of a logical flaw in reasoning regarding gun control that might apply to my argument in this speech is the non-sequitur fallacy meaning “does not follow.” It occurs when one fails to establish the relationship between the premises and the conclusions. In this speech, this may occur where my conclusion that increased gun violence and mass shootings are directly caused by the availability of particular types of weapons.
Borrowing from Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, this speech will target my audience’s needs such as safety (order, security, law, stability and limits) and love or belonging. Through these, I will be able to appeal to them on the need for us to have meaningful and effective gun control legislation to ensure our safety and prevent more deaths. I will motivate my audience by changing or varying the pitch or speed of my voice, using gestures and telling things that are real and affect their everyday lives.
Works Cited
Blocher, Joseph. "Firearm Localism." The Yale Law Journal 123.82 (2013): 84-140. Print.
Karimu, Olusola O. "The two sides of gun legislation and control debate in the United States of America." European Scientific Journal 11.7 (2015): 400-414. Print.
Kates, Don B and Gary Mauser. "Would banning firearms reduce murder and suicide: A review of international and some domestic evidence." Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy 30.2 (n.d.): 650-693. Print.
Singal, Jesse. “ What a new gun-control study can- and can’t-tell us about mass shootings.” The New York Magazine. 22 June 2016. Web. 11 July 2016. < http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/06/what-a-new-gun-control-study-can-and-cant-tell-us- about-mass-shootings.html.>
