The Issue Of Gun Control

Writing this paper gave me a really thorough understanding of the issue of gun control. Prior to beginning research on the topic, my knowledge of it was limited to what I had heard and seen through the media. Only after I had to gather more extensive information and find out things that weren’t necessarily common knowledge did I truly begin to see the effects of gun control in the country. Before we started the project, my opinion on gun control was that it is necessary to supervise the possession and use of firearms because they are weapons, and as such, they will rarely be used for anything other than violence. So in my opinion the best thing to do is keep control over the use of firearms for the sake of all citizens who have innocently fallen
to the pull of a trigger. This viewpoint was a major reason for why I voted for my group and I to take on this topic, because I wanted to argue for gun control through the project.
Throughout the research process, my views were only reinforced as I read about the many lives lost to the misuse of firearms, or the random outrages of few people which lead to the deaths of many people who, in some situations, were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I also learned about the current legislation regarding guns in America, and how insufficient and ineffective it really is. There are many loopholes which allow violent situations to be created, and I couldn’t understand how the government has not yet taken stronger measures to improve legislation and increase safety and security in the country. Thus, by the end of our project, I was an even stronger believer that the United States must improve and strengthen its gun policy to create better safety in its communities and provide more protection for the
people. Once we had decided on our topic, we had to begin conducting research. Having chosen to focus on the political and historical lense, I first decided to find any information I could on the current legislation in the United States. Therefore, I researched laws pertaining to guns and gun use. I used the internet search engines, the AP Seminar research website EBSCOhost, as well as any books and other print sources that I could find. I tried to keep a neutral position during the research process, knowing that taking a biased approach wouldn’t allow me to effectively find information from both sides of the argument which could prove useful not only to me in writing my individual report and my portion of the group paper, but also to the other group members and the project overall. Whenever I came upon a problem during my research as well as at other times during the project, my primary way to deal with it was to attempt to solve it on my own. Otherwise, I turned to the rest of my group members and sought out their help. If it was an issue of not finding enough information or the right kind, I checked through different sources and looked for a way that what it provided could help me with the project. If it was an issue involving the group paper or its bibliography, I consulted my group in hopes that they could help, and in most cases, they could. Working with my group was a lot different than working on my own usually is for me.
When I work alone, I rely on myself to keep track of all parts of the task I’m working on, which can at times prove stressful. However, working with my group on this project meant that I wasn’t required to take care of everything, and that I could depend on the other members to complete their parts of the project, which brought a little peace to my mind and allowed me to work somewhat more effectively as I researched and wrote the paper. My group members also influenced me in that they offered different approaches to research and were able to show me methods and interpretations that I myself had not thought of. These different perspectives brought together allowed me to become more efficient and successful at using resources and thinking through problems I encountered during the project. Also, during the writing process, my group members gave me their opinions and input regarding my work, and in some cases they pointed out mistakes and inconsistencies which I had not recognized in my own work. This not only improved my writing and the paper overall, it allowed me to recognize those mistakes in the future and become a stronger writer and better member of the group. Overall, working with my group for this project proved beneficial in creating better conditions for research and writing, as our unique standpoints brought together shaped the paper and the project
overall.