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Gun Control

Decent Essays

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

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