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Gun Control
Gun ControlRichard MooreEnglish Composition IIJudi Reed13 April 1995 Thesis Statement: Society benefits from firearms in the hands of responsible citizens. Attempts to keep firearms away from these citizens do more harm than good. Outline I. Introduction II. Political   A. Legislation   1. Rights 2. Restrictions 3. Prejudice B. Crime prevention   1. Effects on criminals 2. Effects on crime victims III. Practical   A. Hunting B. Competition IV. Personal   A. Recreation   1. Family activity 2. Teaches responsibility B. Self-defense V. Conclusion   A. Negatives B. Positives C. Personal Opinion Gun control is not one issue, but many. To some people gun control is a crime issue, to others it is a rights issue. Gun control is a safety issue, an education issue, a racial issue, and a political issue, among others. Within each of these issues there are those who want more gun control legislation and those who want less. On both sides of this issue opinions range from moderate to extreme. Guns are not for everyone. Certain individuals cannot handle a firearm safely, and some individuals choose to use firearms inappropriately. Our society has passed laws regulating the ownership and use of firearms, and more legislation is being considered. Most of this legislation restricts, to some degree, the rights of individuals to possess or use firearms. Some restrictions may be necessary, but some recent legislation has gone too far. Society benefits from firearms in the hands of responsible citizens. Attempts to keep firearms away from these citizens do more harm than good. To begin with, a definition of a "responsible citizen" is in order. The definition used in this paper was provided by Steve Rusiecki, a local police officer. When asked what makes someone a responsible citizen in regard to firearms ownership, Mr. Rusiecki replied, "The citizen must be law-abiding, with no felony record, must not abuse alcohol or drugs, must not be mentally ill,


Cited: Arizona Hunter Education Manual. Seattle: Outdoor Empire Publishing, Inc., 1993. "Armed Citizen." American Rifleman October 1993: 8. Francis, Samuel. "The Truth and Tripe About Concealed Weapon Carry Laws." The Mohave Valley Daily News. 16 March 1995: A4. "Guns, Bias and the Evening News." American Rifleman January/February 1995: 50-51. Halbrook, Stephen. That Every Man be Armed. Albuquerque: University Of New Mexico Press, 1984. Korwin, Alan. The Arizona Gun Owner 's Guide. Phoenix: Bloomfield Press, 1994. Lester, David. Gun Control Issues and Answers. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1984. NRA Institute for Legislative Action. "NRA Firearms Fact Card - 1995." Computer file downloaded from GUN-TALK BBS. ---. "NRA Grassfire!." Vol. 1, No. 4. April 1995: Computer file downloaded from GUN-TALK BBS . "Pentathlon." Microsoft Bookshelf '94. Computer Software. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1994. IBM PC. Quigley, Paxton. Armed & Female. New York: St. Martins, 1989. Rusiecki, Steve. Personal interview conducted 4 March 1995. 26 questions. "Survival of the Armed: Hearing Reviews Gun Laws." The Arizona Republic April 1, 1995: A4. Thomas, Andrew Peyton. Crime and the Sacking of America: The Roots of Chaos. Washington: Brassey 's, 1994. [ Up ] [ Gun Control Essay ] [ Handgun Ballistics Table ] [ Reloading Data ] [ The Brady Bill of Rights ] |   |

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