For this assignment, we were asked to pick a topic from New York Times, Room for Debate section. Since, this post will be the initial ground work for my official Room for Debate Assignment, I chose to write about Gun Control. As a gun owner this is a topic that impacts me directly in my daily life. I read many articles and individual opinions on this topic before narrowing it down to a few, that I feel state a powerful argument.
Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a distinguished professor of law at the University Of Tennessee College Of Law. Glenn states on October 5, 2015, “according to a recent pew poll, more Americans support gun rights than gun control.” He talks about the reason being, people are unable to trust the government for protection. “If you want more gun control, you need more trust. And if you want more trust, police and politicians must be more trustworthy.”
Alec Macgillis is a political reporter for ProPublica. He believes the recent mass shooting and carnage would have zero political effect on the gun debate. “Gun control groups…. Have trouble getting voters to agitate and to prioritize the gun issue the way that gun rights defenders do.” Those in support of gun rights are backed by committed supporters. These individuals are willing to make calls, and put in the extra time.
Gerry Connolly , a Democrat, has represented the 11th District of Virginia since 2009. In 2010 he stood up against an opponent who supported the N.R.A.. This individual opposed closing the gun show loophole and suggested the Virginia Tech massacre would not have happened if the students were carrying guns. After all this, Gerry stuck to his position. He supports background checks for all firearm purchases, and would like to ban guns from schools as well as mental health centers. He also stated, there should be a ban on assault-style weapons because they are made to kill a large number of people rapidly. "Surely we, as a civilized society, can now move beyond the ridiculous argument that any restriction of any kind is an assault on individual liberty." "We have been lulled into a passivity and fatalism with the logical fallacies and thuggish tactics of the gun lobby at a terrible cost."
Lee Drutman , a senior fellow in the program on political reform at New America and the author of "The Business of America is Lobbying How Corporations Became Politicized and Politics Became More Corporate." “Until a pro-gun control group can match the organized people power of the N.R.A. and affiliated pro-gun groups in the rural and suburban districts and states that hold the balance of power in Congress, no mass shooting is capable of changing the politics of gun reform.” He feels that, Organizations/ people who support gun control have not proved gain enough votes to determine the outcome in a close election. These groups are growing. however they still have a long way to go in order to be successful in political matters. Lee also mentioned, location has everything to do with gun control or gun rights believes. Minimally populated states have a higher percentage of gun owners, these states have an unfair disadvantage in senate. "For even modest gun control legislation to pass, majorities in both chambers must be convinced that the political cost of opposing gun control is higher than the political cost of crossing the gun lobby."
Robyn Thomas is the executive director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.”
A poll taken in 2014 by Quinnipiac University, shows 92 percent of gun owners and 86 percent of Republicans support background checks for all gun sales. Even though the majority is in support of background checks, the N.R.A. are still in opposition. "It boggles the mind that a lobbying group could be so out of step with the American public and its own members and yet still thrive. Is the gun lobby a paper tiger that will soon be revealed for what it is, or is it an actual threat?”
I believe in the end it all comes down to trust, or the lack of trust. The government has become corrupt and the citizens of America do not trust the people who are supposed to lead and protect us. Politicians are abusing their power and changing their opinions based on popular vote in order to keep their position of authority. There are those who do not trust the government, and those ‘sheep’ who blindly follow orders for “authority or fame”. I fully agree that we need extensive background checks as well as mental illness screenings. In order to join the military you have to pass a psych evaluation. In order to purchase a gun, you should have to as well. But ultimately, I will not hand over my gun without a fight. No one not even the government has the right to dictate whether or not I can own a gun. Until the politicians can be trustworthy nothing will change.
Taking away guns is not the solution to control. All that will do is leave innocent people defenseless. The second they take away are guns, the criminals will still have them and even if they don’t these people will think of other ways to kill people, ie. knife, water, bombs, fists, poison…etc. Guns do not kill people, people kill people..
Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a distinguished professor of law at the University Of Tennessee College Of Law. Glenn states on October 5, 2015, “according to a recent pew poll, more Americans support gun rights than gun control.” He talks about the reason being, people are unable to trust the government for protection. “If you want more gun control, you need more trust. And if you want more trust, police and politicians must be more trustworthy.”
Alec Macgillis is a political reporter for ProPublica. He believes the recent mass shooting and carnage would have zero political effect on the gun debate. “Gun control groups…. Have trouble getting voters to agitate and to prioritize the gun issue the way that gun rights defenders do.” Those in support of gun rights are backed by committed supporters. These individuals are willing to make calls, and put in the extra time.
Gerry Connolly , a Democrat, has represented the 11th District of Virginia since 2009. In 2010 he stood up against an opponent who supported the N.R.A.. This individual opposed closing the gun show loophole and suggested the Virginia Tech massacre would not have happened if the students were carrying guns. After all this, Gerry stuck to his position. He supports background checks for all firearm purchases, and would like to ban guns from schools as well as mental health centers. He also stated, there should be a ban on assault-style weapons because they are made to kill a large number of people rapidly. "Surely we, as a civilized society, can now move beyond the ridiculous argument that any restriction of any kind is an assault on individual liberty." "We have been lulled into a passivity and fatalism with the logical fallacies and thuggish tactics of the gun lobby at a terrible cost."
Lee Drutman , a senior fellow in the program on political reform at New America and the author of "The Business of America is Lobbying How Corporations Became Politicized and Politics Became More Corporate." “Until a pro-gun control group can match the organized people power of the N.R.A. and affiliated pro-gun groups in the rural and suburban districts and states that hold the balance of power in Congress, no mass shooting is capable of changing the politics of gun reform.” He feels that, Organizations/ people who support gun control have not proved gain enough votes to determine the outcome in a close election. These groups are growing. however they still have a long way to go in order to be successful in political matters. Lee also mentioned, location has everything to do with gun control or gun rights believes. Minimally populated states have a higher percentage of gun owners, these states have an unfair disadvantage in senate. "For even modest gun control legislation to pass, majorities in both chambers must be convinced that the political cost of opposing gun control is higher than the political cost of crossing the gun lobby."
Robyn Thomas is the executive director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.”
A poll taken in 2014 by Quinnipiac University, shows 92 percent of gun owners and 86 percent of Republicans support background checks for all gun sales. Even though the majority is in support of background checks, the N.R.A. are still in opposition. "It boggles the mind that a lobbying group could be so out of step with the American public and its own members and yet still thrive. Is the gun lobby a paper tiger that will soon be revealed for what it is, or is it an actual threat?”
I believe in the end it all comes down to trust, or the lack of trust. The government has become corrupt and the citizens of America do not trust the people who are supposed to lead and protect us. Politicians are abusing their power and changing their opinions based on popular vote in order to keep their position of authority. There are those who do not trust the government, and those ‘sheep’ who blindly follow orders for “authority or fame”. I fully agree that we need extensive background checks as well as mental illness screenings. In order to join the military you have to pass a psych evaluation. In order to purchase a gun, you should have to as well. But ultimately, I will not hand over my gun without a fight. No one not even the government has the right to dictate whether or not I can own a gun. Until the politicians can be trustworthy nothing will change.
Taking away guns is not the solution to control. All that will do is leave innocent people defenseless. The second they take away are guns, the criminals will still have them and even if they don’t these people will think of other ways to kill people, ie. knife, water, bombs, fists, poison…etc. Guns do not kill people, people kill people..