Jake+Struss

Jake Struss Persuasion Project

"Update: Gun Control." //Issues & Controversies On File:// n. pag. //Issues & Controversies//. Facts On File News Services, 8 Sept. 2006. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. .

1. Based off of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30,000 people are killed by guns in the U.S. every year because of suicide, homicide, or by accident. 2. Gun killings occur in the U.S. every year more than any other developed country, 3. The second amendment of the Constitution states the citizens have the right to bear arms. This means that citizens are allowed to have possession of guns. 4. The federal government has been more sympathetic to pro-gun supporters because they have been passing laws which are making it harder for gun manufacturers to be sued. 5. 8,299 homicides have been committed with handguns in 2004. 6. 2,132 homicides have been committed with knives in 2004. 7. 759 homicides have been committed with blunt objects in 2004. 8. 2,355 homicides have been committed with other guns in 2004. 9. 2,593 homicides have been committed with other weapons in 2004. 10. Critics of gun control believe that law-abiding citizens should have weapons in case they need to defend themselves. 11. Favorers of gun-control ignore the fact that people use guns for hunting and self defense. 12. Criminals are used to ignoring laws and gun laws won’t stop them from using guns for murder. 13. A ban in Chicago in 1982 of possession and sale of handguns is still in effect and the homicide rate used with hand guns has still stayed high. 14. 54% of the national public believes that we need stricter gun laws. 15. 11% of the national public believes that we need less strict gun laws. 16. 34% of the national public believes that we should keep it as it is and 1% of the national public doesn’t have an opinion. 17. A ban of handguns and automatic guns called Proposition H was discontinued in court by the NRA because it contradicted the gun laws of California. 18. More than 300 killings in New York City were used by illegal guns. 19. Gun control opponents contributed in the crime drop because they wanted to make harsher sentencing and improved policing. 20. The NRA stated that trigger locks do not make guns fool proof and are not substitutes for safe guns. Trigger locks make it harder for people to use self- defense.

"Gun Control Facts.” By James D. Agresti. // Just Facts //, June 10, 1999. Revised 6/27/08. []  1.  Americans used firearms 764,000 times last year for self-defense. 2.  The Dade County Police kept a record of all of the incidents used with firearms when the Right-to-Carry law went into effect. 3.  The program that the Dade County Police kept was abandoned because there were not enough incidents. 4.  Armor piercing bullets were banned from 1994 on and as of 1998 no police officer has ever been killed by a bullet that pierced the bullet proof vest.  5. Gun rights proponents have argued that the use of the word "Militia" in this Amendment, refers not to the State National Guard Units, but to the citizens of the United States. 6. 49% of households carry a gun. 7. 31% of adults carry a gun. 8. In 1982, a survey of imprisoned criminals found that 34% of them had been "scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim." 9. In about 5 years since enactment of the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban in 1993, there have been 9 "school massacres." 10. In 1995, 1.5% of fatal accidents have involved a gun. 11. In 1995, a little under 50% of fatal accidents have involved a motor vehicle. 12. "What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms." -Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.

13. “A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks." --Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1785.

14. “The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves in all cases to which they think themselves competent..., or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of the press." --Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.

15. The National Rifle Association is the largest gun rights lobbying organization in the United States. From 1997 through 1998, their political action committee gave $1,330,111 to Republicans and $285,700 to Democrats.

16. Handgun Control, Inc. is the largest gun control lobbying organization in the United States. From 1997 through 1998, their political action committee gave $136,892 to Democrats and $9,500 to Republicans. 17. There were 259 fatal firearm accidents for 15-19 year olds in 1995, mainly because they didn’t have enough education with guns. 18. As of 1998, 37,000 National Rifle Association (NRA) Instructors and Coaches are conducting firearm safety and proficiency programs that reach nearly 700,000 participants a year. 19. In 1988, The NRA developed a gun safety program for schoolchildren (pre-K through 6th grade). As of 1998, the program has reached about 10 million children. The goal of the program is to teach children what to do if they should encounter a firearm. Children are taught to "STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult." 20. In about 5 years since enactment of the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban in 1993, there have been 9 "school massacres."

Reynolds, Morgan. __Gun Facts__. August 1, 2009 TYSK. December 6, 2009 .  2. There were 300 other unarmed soldiers in cubicles who were defenseless because they didn’t have guns. 3. The death rate from firearms has dropped in the last 20 years even as gun ownership has more than doubled and 22 states have passed right-to-carry laws. 4. Civilians are even more careful with firearms than police officers are. There are only about 30 mistaken civilian shootings in the U.S. each year . 5. The police commit more than three times as many mistaken killings as civilians. 6. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Virginia issued more than 50,000 permits since it passed a right-to-carry law in '95. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">7. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">In that time, not one permit holder has been convicted of a crime, and violent crime has dropped. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">8. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Dade County, Florida, kept detailed records for six years. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">9. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Of 21,000 carry permit holders, there was no reported incident of a permit holder injuring an innocent person. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">10. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Criminals commit 10 million violent crimes a year. Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck found that victims use handguns about 1.9 million times in self-defense. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">11. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">A concealed handgun laws reduced murder by 8.5% and severe assault by 7% from 1977 to '92. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">12. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Had "right-to-carry" laws been in effect throughout the country, there would have been 1,600 fewer murders and 60,000 fewer assaults every year. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">13. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Vermont has long had the least restrictive firearms-carry laws. Citizens there can carry guns either openly or concealed without any permit. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">14. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Vermont has the lowest amount of violent crimes in the country. 15. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">In fact, concealed-weapon permit holders are involved in fewer incidents than off-duty police officers. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">16. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">In 1980, when murders and robberies in the U.S. had soared to 10 and 251 per 100,000 people, respectively. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">17. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Vermont's murder rate was 22% of the national average and its robbery rate was 15%. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">18. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">FBI data show that killings stemming from arguments are falling as a share of all homicides. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">19. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Thirty-one states now let citizens carry concealed weapons. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; msobidifontfamily: Verdana; msofareastfontfamily: Verdana; msolist: Ignore;">20. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Federal courts have ruled that police aren t obliged to protect individuals from crime. That means citizens are ultimately responsible for their own defense. ||
 * <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msolist: Ignore;"> 1.  <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">A 5’ 2’’ cop took out the shooter at the Fort Hood incident.