General Purpose: To persuade.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that we need stricter enforcement of current gun laws, as well as new, stricter, gun control laws.
Central Idea: Gun Control is a hotly debated issue within the United States, and today I want you to know that the number of deaths due to firearms is an alarming problem, which can be brought under control if we strictly enforce existing gun laws as well as introduce new laws since more deaths will occur as more firearms enter the marketplace; therefore we need to act now.
Introduction
(ATTENTION) Every 21 seconds, a violent crime is committed in the United States, and one out of every three of these violent crimes involves the use of a gun (FBI 1). Worldwide, the number of deaths caused by guns is 60 million, which means one person is killed by a gun every minute of every day. By the time I finish speaking with you today, fifteen people will be dead, their lives snuffed out, by a gun. As I am sure you know, gun control is a contentious issue, with both sides vehemently believing that their side is correct. I am sure, like me, you have heard the saying, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people, yet a close inspection of the statistics surrounding violent crimes and homicides, not to mention accidental shootings, make it inarguable that guns in the hands of people do indeed kill people. I am interested in Gun Control and have done research on the topic so that I can share what I believe is vitally important information with you today. Gun Control is a hotly debated issue within the United States, and today I want you to know that the number of deaths due to firearms is an alarming problem, which can be brought under control if we strictly enforce existing gun laws as well as introduce new laws since more deaths will occur as more firearms enter the marketplace; therefore we need to act now. Let 's begin by looking at the problem of deaths from
Cited: Krouse, William. Gun Control. 3 Oct. 2002. Alamanc of Policy Issues. 4 Nov 2008. . Rosen, Gary. "Yes and No to Gun Control." Commentary Sept. 2000: 47. Stell, Lance K. "The Production of Criminal Violence in America: Is Strict Gun Control the Solution?." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 32.1 (2004): 38+.