Controversial Topic Essay - Gun Control
Jennifer G
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I. Introduction & Thesis Statements
"Guns don't kill, people do." (Slogan of the National Rifle Association)
"Guns don't die, people do." (Pete Shields and John Greenya, authors of the book with the same title). (Roleff) 
Thousands of people die every year in gun related deaths; therefore, guns should be banned. The above-mentioned quotes reflect both sides of the argument on gun control. People on both sides of the issue are very passionate in their stand.
II. Arguments
A. Arguments in support of thesis statement.
(In countries where it is illegal to own guns the crime rate is much lower than in the US.)
(Banning guns would make it harder for criminals to commit crimes using guns)
(Women should not own guns because the gun could be taken away from them and used on them there are other means of self defense - martial arts, pepper spray, car keys, etc)
B. Arguments against thesis statement.
(Gun ownership and high crime rates do not correlate)
Frequently, gun control advocates point to other countries to prove that gun control reduces crime. Take for example Great Britain. Great Britain is similar to the United States in demographics and culture, except Great Britain has extreme gun control laws. The rates of assault and robbery are twice what we have in the United States, and while homicide rates in the United States are declining, they are rapidly rising in Great Britain. (Torr 26)
In Great Britain in the 1950's there was almost no laws and almost no gun crime (Torr 30). In 1967 Parliament enacted the Criminal Justice Act, which made it illegal to use a firearm against someone breaking into your own home. In 2000 an elderly man shot and killed a career burglar who broke into his house with a partner. The elderly man was sentenced to life in prison. (Torr 32)
It seems as if the British government values the rights of criminals over law-abiding citizens. Between the years of 1981 through 1995 the rate of convictions fell 12% in England while rising 43% in the United States. England went from having lower crime rates in 1981 to having crime rates twice that of the United States in 1995.
"Guns don't kill, people do." (Slogan of the National Rifle Association)
"Guns don't die, people do." (Pete Shields and John Greenya, authors of the book with the same title). (Roleff)
Thousands of people die every year in gun related deaths; therefore, guns should be banned. The above-mentioned quotes reflect both sides of the argument on gun control. People on both sides of the issue are very passionate in their stand.
II. Arguments
A. Arguments in support of thesis statement.
(In countries where it is illegal to own guns the crime rate is much lower than in the US.)
(Banning guns would make it harder for criminals to commit crimes using guns)
(Women should not own guns because the gun could be taken away from them and used on them there are other means of self defense - martial arts, pepper spray, car keys, etc)
B. Arguments against thesis statement.
(Gun ownership and high crime rates do not correlate)
Frequently, gun control advocates point to other countries to prove that gun control reduces crime. Take for example Great Britain. Great Britain is similar to the United States in demographics and culture, except Great Britain has extreme gun control laws. The rates of assault and robbery are twice what we have in the United States, and while homicide rates in the United States are declining, they are rapidly rising in Great Britain. (Torr 26)
In Great Britain in the 1950's there was almost no laws and almost no gun crime (Torr 30). In 1967 Parliament enacted the Criminal Justice Act, which made it illegal to use a firearm against someone breaking into your own home. In 2000 an elderly man shot and killed a career burglar who broke into his house with a partner. The elderly man was sentenced to life in prison. (Torr 32)
It seems as if the British government values the rights of criminals over law-abiding citizens. Between the years of 1981 through 1995 the rate of convictions fell 12% in England while rising 43% in the United States. England went from having lower crime rates in 1981 to having crime rates twice that of the United States in 1995.