Gun Control, by (Student’s Name)
Specific Purpose: To convince my audience that it is high time Americans had effective gun control laws in place to help tame the series of gun violence in form of mass shootings by extremists
Attention Grabber: Recent statistics shows that more Americans now die from gun related violence and attacks than from any other crime
Thesis: The enactment of strong gun control laws with universal background checks will help to significantly reduce firearm mortalities
Source 1: News Article
Value: High
Credibility: High
Source 2: The Washington Post Newspaper Article
Value: High
Credibility: High
Source 3: Peer Reviewed Journal Article
Value: High
Credibility: High
Supporting Materials
For this speech, I will rely on statistical information, newspaper reports, and journal articles. Statistically, statistical data from the Mass Shooting Tracker, Gun Violence Archive and Everytown for Gun SafetyResearch shows that the number of people who have died from firearm-related violence in the past four years is higher than in any other period in the US history (BBC Online). Also, a study by the Harvard Injury Control Center shows that more guns mean more deaths (Ehrenfreund Online). There has also been increased the connection between gun ownership, gun violence and terrorism since most of the suspects involved in the shootings are believed to have been driven by religious extremism and hatred for America. As DeGrazia argues, every law abiding American has both legal and moral right to own privately or possess a gun. Premised on this assumption, this author’s proposition is that moderate gun control is the most logical approach to the problem of gun violence and mass shootings. According to him, the current federal gun control laws are lax, weak and very minimal thus enabling people with psychiatric and criminal histories to easily buy guns. He gives an example with the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which only mandates background checks for gun purchase from licensed firearms dealers.
However, the major flaw in this piece of legislation, and which has made it possible for otherwise disqualified people to obtain guns, is the fact that it exempts private gun sales online and at gun shows from background checks. As a recommendation, therefore, this author suggests stronger gun control legislation than mandates a ban on high capacity magazine clips and assault weapons, universal background checks and licensing of all gun owners but only after going through a gun safety course. There is also need to for there to be a requirement of security features on all firearms and safe storage of guns; a national database of firearms and their ownership. Also, there should be more funding for the CDC to carry out research on the link between gun regulations, gun ownership, and gun violence and make appropriate recommendations for adjustments (DeGrazia 3). Furthermore, a study by Lemieux reveals that the primary reason mass shootings and gun violence are prevalent in the US over the recent past is the lax gun regulations (74). Hence, according to this writer, more restrictive gun control laws would help save lives by restricting access to guns, imposing background checks ion firearms purchase and banning particular weapons with specific features that make their possession a danger to the American public (Lemieux 90).
Speech Context and How I will Convince y Audience
The context of my address is the United States of America; for, the US-together with Mexico- are the only countries in the world where the right to bear arms is has a Constitutional guarantee and protection. However, the US has in the recent past borne the brunt of gun violence than any other state.
I will convince my audience my appealing to their sense of safety and security and hence the need for gun control legislation that keeps dangerous weapons out of fanatics, extremists, criminals and the mentally challenged. To do this, I will advance strong arguments based on evidence and statistics relating to the nexus between increased gun violence and relaxed federal firearm laws.
Works Cited
BBC. “Guns in the US: The statistics behind the violence.” BBC News. 5 Jan. 2016. Web. 18 July 2016. < http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604 >
DeGrazia, David. "The case for moderate gun control." Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 24.1 (2014): 1-25. Print.
Ehrenfreund, Max. "Orlando shooting: The key things to know about guns and mass shootings in America." The Washington Post. 12 June 2016. Web. 18 July 2016. < https://www.washingtonpost.com//orlando-shooting- >
Lemieux, Frederic. "Effect of gun culture and firearm laws on gun violence and mass shootings in the United States: A multi-level quantitative analysis." International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences (IJCJS) – 9.1 (2014): 74-93. Print.
