In Roxane Gay’s essay “Bad Feminist,” Gay discusses the idea of feminism and how people have different views on it. Feminism by definition is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (“Feminism”). Even with this simple definition, people still seem to be divided on what it really means to be a feminist. People are divided on many things: abortion, the death penalty, vaccinations, violence in video games, veganism, etc. Gun control is one of the most highly contested debates in our nation today and is currently relevant due to the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. The majority of those who are in favor of gun control believe regulation will lead to a safer society and they don’t want any more people to die …show more content…
Dade then goes on to explain that some regulations, such as requiring permits for ammunition, are too extreme and even unnecessary. Although he believes that basic regulations are indeed necessary, complete restriction or control is just ludicrous. This would be a good conversation starter, as compromise and a mutual understanding are key. The problem with the gun control dispute is that those who are in opposition of gun control have a misunderstanding of it. The idea of gun control has been warped, similarly to the way that Roxane Gay describes how the ideal of feminism has also been warped. Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo, was quoted as saying “I do think that feminism has become in many ways a more negative word” (qtd. in Gay 171). In this quote, Mayer states that she wants to avoid being labeled a feminist because the idea of feminism has been corrupted by misunderstandings and negative connotations, and the term “feminism” has become to sound like a vulgar word. The same could be said about the term “gun control” because many republicans fear that gun control would violate their Second Amendment rights by calling for complete disarmament. This misinterpretation causes the phrase “gun control” to spark controversy whenever it is used. Gun control isn’t asking for the complete termination of firearms, but rather a stricter watch on who is allowed to purchase or use one. Reasonable gun control measures, such as expanded background checks, are
Gun control in America is one of the most fiercely debated topics in today’s political sphere. Nearly everyone has an opinion and there is a mind-boggling amount of information typically discussed regarding the matter. Media hot takes and campaign talking points aside, far too many lives have been lost to gun violence. A total of 12,902 in 2016, to be exact. The fact that more lives have been lost to gun violence in the United States this year than the 5,000 lost in the almost 10-year war effort overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan is appalling. Is sensible and reasonable gun control progress attainable in our near future? That remains to be seen, however it is my intention to respectfully dissect an argument presented by none other than an essay
Amardeep Kaleka, who was affected by gun violence by losing his father at a church shooting made a statement at CNN,s Guns Under Fire: An AC360° Town Hall Special, “After meeting with so many senators, so many gun proponents and gun control advocates, it seems like they’re recycling the same jargon all the time. So I was just hoping, let’s get to the common ground” (quoted in Simon 46). The authors claim is that there are too many debates going on and that the people need to start coming up with solutions instead of just arguing. Solutions such as creating better background checks before one is able to purchase a
Taya Kyle, the author of the article “American Sniper Widow: Gun Control Won’t Protect Us”, believes that there are two sides of the argument on gun control. People can use statistics, facts, and real life examples to argue that there should be stricter control of guns in the US, but they cannot eliminate the emotional side of the story. While in the last two decades, violent crime rates have actually been reduced in the US, fears have gone up. Anyone can be a victim of a violent crime because if another person decides to do harm, they will do it under any circumstances.
Throughout the history of the United States of America there has been debate on gun control. The debate has become even more relevant as more semi-automatic assault rifles are being sold and the amount of shootings we have been having, especially in this last month. There are a variety of views one can take on this argument. Many conservatives have been saying that more gun control is not necessary as it’s not the guns killing the people, it’s the people pulling the trigger that are killing innocent lives. On the other hand, people who are more liberal would like to see legislation passed that would put control on the sale of firearms as keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous people who will willingly pull the
As it is well known gun violence is a major problem in today’s society, places like Chicago and New York City have a serious epidemic on their hands. It is not uncommon to hear about an incident where a gun was involved in these big cities on a day to day basis, but it’s not just the big cities, these type of things are happening nationwide. There has been an argument for many decades whether the cause of such violence is due to the lack of gun control laws or the restrictions put on firearms. Both sides of the isle will argue, the more liberal individual will tell you there is not enough while the conservative individual will tell you the laws put in place are too strict.
The rise in cases of gun violence and related incidences of assault has drawn the public to the issue of guns and gun control. Such has been evident within the spheres of politics especially with the last election period seeing the incumbent president Donald Trump suggesting on stringent gun control laws. However, despite the acknowledgment of the need to have better gun laws, much ground and consensus has never reached. Such, to an extent, contributed to the current lack of political goodwill within the country to have the necessary legislations enacted to facilitate the same on the controls (Grandy 23). Of the guns under question are the assault rifles. Like the military weapons, assault rifles have a destructive potential to causing
The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total and per capita number across the globe. The current public gun control debate in the United States seems to be placed on standby until it is sparked up by a major mass shooting. There were at least 126 mass shootings between January 2000 and July 2014.(pro). Opponents of more gun laws accuse supporters of using a horrific event to further a lost cause, saying that more laws would not have prevented the shootings. Advocates of more gun control often want more laws to try to prevent the mass shootings and call for smart gun laws and background checks . Pew Research Center did
The gun control issue has recently created a massive uproar throughout the U.S. due to some major horrific events such as the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, where 32 people were killed, the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 where 27 people were killed, mostly children, and the Columbine shooting in 1999 where 13 people were killed, (CNN) as well as many others. To some, it is a crime issue, to others it’s a right’s issue. It is, obviously, a safety issue, an education issue, a racial issue, and a political issue, among others, and within each of these issues there are those who want more gun control, the Democrats, and those who
The matter of gun control has become an increasingly controversial issue. Whenever, a nationalized tragedy ensues that involves gun violence, the question on what to accomplish regarding America’s gun control takes center stage. While exploring this topic, this essay will attempt to discuss the circumstances that prohibit a person from possessing firearms, also regulations to prevent these persons from possessing firearms. Upon reflecting on the personal side of the gun control debate, stricter gun control begins to infringe upon our rights, as citizens and they should concentrate on enforcing the current laws in the books, instead of making additional laws.
Kevin McCullough’s article, “When Women Shoot Up Planned Parenthood“ (2015) argues in defense of gun ownership when it is allegedly assaulted by the president and the media. McCullough supports his belief his personal feelings and background as a conservative Republican who supports gun ownership. He hopes to berate his opponents in order to reaffirm the belief that gun ownership must be more commonly accepted and that mentally unstable individuals should not have access to them. The columnist speaks in a sarcastic, condescending tone, which supports that he is ideally speaking to people with similar conservative beliefs that wish to push their gun ownership agenda. In this article, McCullough takes a tragic incidence in the history of Planned
On April 20th of the year 1999, two high school students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went armed into Columbine High School with guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs. The result was the slaughter of twelve students and one teacher. The gunners also turned the guns
In America there are about 200,000 women that use guns every year to protect themselves against sexual crime (Snyder). Gun control is where the government puts laws on someones ownership of a firearm. Gun control is a tricky topic and has the nation somewhat split both ways on it. 62% think that there is little concern for firearm restriction, while 33% say there is a need to worry about it, and the other 5% are indifferent (Ekins). There are two main groups that are feuding on this topic. Group one is the gun activist, leading the pack for them is the National Rifle Association. This group is for guns and limited laws and regulations on them. Their opposition is the President, liberals and many left wing politicians. This group wants to have strict gun laws and allow nobody to own a gun. Although some people believe guns are wrong they need to become educated in the importance of guns: they can provide a way of life, they are a means of protection, and Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms.
Gun Control has been an issue that has been brought to the public’s eyes in recent years. This main issue has been going on for many years, for example when John F. Kennedy was assassinated; it raised public awareness to the lack of control on sales and also possession of guns in America. Until 1968 guns were available over the counter in stores and through mail catalogs to just about any adult in America. This was an example of how loosely guns were regulated which bring us back to the issue of guns. The constitution tells us in the second amendment that we, as American Citizens, have the right to bear arms. But the government is trying to change that by regulating everything to do with owning a gun. My stance: Gun
Scholarly Essay: Gun Control There has been considerable debate recently in Canada over the issue of gun control. The Canadian parliament enacted the Firearms Act to enforce gun control by requiring gun owners to register their firearms. Just recently, the government of Alberta lead in a charge, including five other provinces and numerous pro-gun groups, complaining that the law is unconst...
I have always viewed gun control as a universal issue. Valenti’s interpretation of gun policy as a gendered issue made me consider the issue with a different perspective. Her argument was effective because after reading the article I understood the connection between gender and gun policy. I found her use of statistics describing the proportion of female victims and the connection of gun violence to reproductive justice especially compelling. Another aspect of the article that stood out to me was that it included an acknowledgement of male perspective. The other articles by Valenti that I read lacked an explanation for how men fit into the issue. The inclusion of the story about the wrestler and the impact of masculinity standards on his mentality