Argumentative Essay: Can Guns Save Lives?

I remember walking into a Dick’s sporting goods store in Ohio during a lacrosse tournament, looking for some athletic tape. I took the wrong turn at the basketball shoes and found myself at a wall littered in rifles and various hunting weapons. I didn’t think much of it – until I saw someone walk out of the store into the mall with a crossbow. I was definitely a bit unsettled by the fact that anyone could just walk into a store and buy a crossbow. Obviously the sporting goods store wouldn’t have sold him any arrows, but what if he had some with him, say in his car? I thought it was ridiculous. I’m not saying that the public can’t own firearms – whether it is for hunting, sport, or legitimate self defense- however, there shouldn’t be so much
“ I need it for protection” or “cars crash and people die! So should we ban cars?” These cheeky and futile attempts to rationalize many Americans fascination with guns collapse on themselves. In an article called “guns save lives” by NRA board of director’s member Scott L. Bach, fruitful language is used to show how the freedom of gun ownership can be a positive: “Every private citizen who has ever faced a violent crime alone, and knows the feeling of an impending, untimely death at the hands of a merciless savage, understands the importance of being able to own and carry a firearm.” America is a country with the most influential people, businesses and economy, and has one of the highest standards of living in the world. It is hard to imagine that there are countless ‘merciless savages’ bringing people to the brink of death. However there are a few. They are the ones who shoot up schools, theatres and communities. And in no case have people who were related or had known the victims said that more guns would solve the problem, or keep anyone safe. The father of the shooter in the recent Oregon massacre said it “would not