The False Promise Of Gun Control Essay

, Research Paper

After the class debate, Tougher Gun Control on November 12, 1999: I gained a new understanding of the opposing sides views on the issue. They had some very strong arguments, including some very weak points. I’ll start with the stronger points and diminish to the weaker arguments throughout this paper.

I do believe that if gun control laws get even tougher ( to the point of imprisonment ) than they are at this present time in society, our jails, prisons and correctional facilities will soon be overcrowded and we will have a sentencing problem with any issue that arises in the state that assigns the rules on gun control. There are too many conflicts and crossroads that develop when a stand against one issue will cause debates in another subject, such as sentencing of “gun abusers” and the overcrowding of prisons.

The opposing side also mentioned how the “black market” (a name for an underground organization that is stolen, bought and sold, merchandise) would simply make firearms so much more expensive because they are now all illegal to citizens. Well, I don’t think that if their were to be tougher gun control laws, all of the firearms in the United States of America would be banned, tougher gun control is simply the monitoring of guns, making sure they are not as easy to get in the stores as well as on the street. I believe the opposing side was thinking in terms of NO GUNS IN THE COUNTRY…EVER! And that’s not at all what this issue is about.

The other sides weakest argument, in my opinion was how they are now making guns with sensors that will only fire with the owners fingerprints. Even though this may be a breakthrough in technology for some, there will always be others to break the system. What makes the average citizen feel that the suspect cannot get replicas of a fingerprint with all of the technology their is in this world? No matter what new devices are developed in today’s time, their is always somebody trying to break the system.

Did you successfully anticipate your opponents arguments?

I feel that our opponents had some very strong views, they had a well prepared speech and argument. In some cases I could anticipate what they were about to bring up and discuss, and then at times I had to think of a opposing point to argue what they were proving.

What feedback from the class did you find most helpful?

Some of the best comments came from the class, they had a lot of diverse opinions and they jumped right in on the topic as soon as the actual debaters time was up. I feel the most useful information was when one of the classmates talked about the whole reason for rules and laws was because of money. This is true, in my opinion. Another was when a classmate talked about the gun in the house used for protection. The whole family was aware their was a gun but the children were taught about the dangers of guns and weapons.

Why do you think your side was not favored by the class?

I feel the class favored the opposing sides opinion on gun control because in all reality, making gun control laws tougher is not going to reduce crimes and homicides. I feel that by making gun control laws more strict, society as a whole is going to want to rebel naturally and try to go against the government and the laws. Our side was not favored by the class because in my opinion, when you make something illegal, inflation takes place, therefore making the price of guns outrageous and causing a mild case of chaos. By punishing the guilty who use their guns negatively, we can diminish the problem of crime and homicides a lot more effectively than trying to deal with the results of banning all guns and then having to discipline the masses of citizens who are set on their ways of owning a gun. For instance, taking racism, back in the 1800’s it was considered “normal” to hate blacks ( In the 1900’s, it is “normal to own a firearm if you wish), Now in 1999, racism has diminished, becoming more diverse and united at the same time, but their are still people today that are set on their ways of being racist. You can’t change someone’s mindset if they feel a certain way. Comparing this theory with gun control, if you ban all guns in the year 2050, for instance, their are still going to be people set in their ways and you won’t be able to change their views.

Even though gun control is a very sensitive issue, I feel personally that their is no concrete answer to the situation and this topic will never rest. Their is to much controversy and personal opinions to deal with such an issue.