Nolo
Member
I was encouraged by a friend of mine to post an essay I did recently on these boards, so I am. This is a paper I did for my AP English 11 class, it helped cause a bit of grief for me, I hope you all enjoy it. Comments and critique are encouraged greatly. Remember, this is a paper for English, a.k.a. "The Brainwashing Course", so it have a bunch of formatting and hoop-jumps to comply with the stupid MLA rules. Also be reminded that this is an essay directed at people in favor of gun-control, so all of this will be nothing new to most (if not all) of you.
Anyway, here it is:
When the United States was founded on July 2nd, 1776 the founding fathers began to set into place certain provisions to ensure the safety and freedom of the fledgling nation. One of these provisions was that the common man would be armed and ready to defend his American rights and values. Private firearm ownership was widespread in colonial America and has come down to us as one of the cornerstones of our nation and the primary underlying defender of its security and lawfulness. Aside from being originally conceived as a defender of democracy and popular power, private firearm ownership today also protects against small-scale threats to the individual such as robbery, murder and rape. When one closely considers the facts and analysis, one conclusion is clear: firearms in the hands of responsible individuals create the backbone for the principles the free world is built upon.
Since its invention in the fourteenth century, the handheld firearm has enabled the common man to defend both himself and his household from larger tyranny and oppression. It is no coincidence that the end of the feudal era parallels chronologically with the proliferation of firearms. When it was introduced the “hand gonne” quickly dominated battlefields as it allowed the populous militias to defeat the well-trained and expensive knights. Suddenly, the whole medieval order was overturned, as the peasants now wielded as much actual battlefield power as their own lords. It was the original intent of the founders of this country that the common man would be able to resist and potentially overthrow his government, should it become oppressive and tyrannical. James Madison writes:
“Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” (Federalist Papers 298)
Many governments of the world, both then and now, do not trust their citizens with arms, because their people know that their government is corrupt and is not working for them but against them. Governments that institute gun control are the same governments that brainwash their people, oppress any opposition, and even commit genocide. Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, Maoist China, Ottoman Turkey and several more despotic nations all had strict gun control laws, and all committed massive genocides; 170 million dead all told. (Zelman, Stevens 3) When armed, the people can resist such tyranny, checking their governments to ensure that it is the will of the people, not the will of a madman that is made law.
In our society, there are people who do not think as we do. These people are our murderers, our rapists and our thieves. They do not listen to reason. They do not negotiate or discuss. They do not allow for the rights of others. These people pose an imminent threat to our security and our safety. They attack the weak and helpless, striking at the vulnerable areas of society: our schools, our elderly, and our women. Yet there is something that can be done to stop these people. The citizens of our nation, the weak and the unendowed, can find safety and freedom in arms. When the would-be victims of psychopaths and madmen employ effective defense against their attackers, the predators quickly back down. A study funded by the Department of Justice showed that prison inmates were more afraid of armed citizens than they were of police. One inmate said “When you gonna rob somebody you don’t know, it makes it harder because you don’t know what to expect out of them.” (Stossel 1) Like in the wild, it is not in the interest of the hunter to face a prey that will likely injure or kill him (or her). In short, guns protect those who need it most. Guns are there all the time and require no special training to use. Guns are a simple, effective means of protection.
The firearm today helps to empower those who would be weaker without it. The elderly, the young, and the mothers-to-be all benefit from its equalizing qualities due to the game of “russian roulette” that it forces stronger predators to play. Rapists, murderers and robbers are forced to roll the dice every time they choose a victim, because—especially with concealed firearms—they are not able to distinguish between an unarmed citizen and an armed one. The more that concealed weapons are spread throughout the populace, the less favorable the odds are for the perpetrator. When a country enacts a near total or total gun ban, it effectively abandons its people to the whims of maniacs and criminals. Criminals have no care for the law, thus they are willing and able to purchase and possess firearms with absolutely no regard to whatever regulations may be in place. When a ban is imposed, it effectively puts the power in the hands of the wrong people. The risk level for offenders is effectively zero, as none of the law-abiding citizens will have any means of protection. In a July 2002 United Nations study of crime in developed nations, England and Wales, states with an almost complete gun ban, had the highest crime rate in the Western world, an appalling 55 crimes per 100 people. (Malcolm 2) The firearm is a weapon with no regard for physique, muscle, or serious training. Anyone, from the elderly to the crippled, can use a firearm to its fullest potential. No other weapon is as effective of an equalizer as the firearm. With firearms, the toned, muscled bodyguard now is an equal to the elderly grandmother. With firearms, the Davids of the world can slay the Goliaths.
Some proponents of an all-out gun ban claim that with too much personal power the people would fall into chaos. This argument is the cornerstone of the ideals of those around the world who would establish an authoritarian government. With the idea that the people are overly fallacious and incapable, the government would (some might argue that it already does) be able to convince the people that it knows best, a recipe for autocracy. One gun-control advocate, Reverend Al Sharpton, when asked by ABC’s John Stossel what would happen if it were legal in America for adults to carry concealed weapons, replied “We’d be living in a state of terror!” (Stossel 1) In reality, most states already have “right to carry” laws that allow that very freedom. America is a relatively gun-filled country, and it is not constantly wracked by chaos. The idea that guns inherently create chaos and turmoil is not only incorrect, it can also be highly dangerous.
Finally, the great fallacy of gun control is that it fails to control crime, instead regulating only those who choose to obey it. Criminals are such because they don’t obey the law. Laws, essentially, are ineffective at controlling criminals; instead, they are there to regulate the law-abiding populace, with the police forces to round up any dissidents or outlaws. Thus, banning firearms does nothing but create crime and divert the attention of the law enforcement from helping the populace to hunting down illegal—but otherwise innocent—gun owners. However, with little or no gun legislation, the police forces’ workload is actually alleviated, due to the fact that citizens are better able to fend for themselves and are less in need of law enforcement assistance. Not only that, but banning guns does little to stem the flow of firearms into criminal hands. Marijuana is an illegal drug, yet it is highly proliferated through the black market, and at far higher and more lucrative prices (making criminal activity even more attractive) than its actual production value. So, too would it be with guns. In a study involving more than eighteen thousand inmates, it was found that nearly eighty percent of those interviewed had obtained their arms from family or friends or from the black market. (WorldNet 2) The black market would become a bloated pseudo-society that would erupt into the lives of normal, law-abiding civilians who might come into contact with it. Murders and deaths would skyrocket due, in part, to a lack of personal defense, but also to increased gang activity. And, most importantly, the government would grow to an even more enormous size to cope with the new organized criminal threat, further endangering the people’s liberties.
All things considered, gun ownership discourages crime, deflates government, and protects the common man. With guns, the elderly can defeat the young, the female topple the male, and the weak reign in the strong. Guns are not just a relic from the days of the Revolution, they are powerful, important forcing functions for democracy in this country and others. However, a world without firearms is one that would resemble a feudal society. The rich would rule over the poor with absolute power, the strong would abuse and oppress the weak, and the man would dominate the woman. A world without guns is a world where freedom and democracy cannot prevail. A world without guns is a world of slaves.
Anyway, here it is:
When the United States was founded on July 2nd, 1776 the founding fathers began to set into place certain provisions to ensure the safety and freedom of the fledgling nation. One of these provisions was that the common man would be armed and ready to defend his American rights and values. Private firearm ownership was widespread in colonial America and has come down to us as one of the cornerstones of our nation and the primary underlying defender of its security and lawfulness. Aside from being originally conceived as a defender of democracy and popular power, private firearm ownership today also protects against small-scale threats to the individual such as robbery, murder and rape. When one closely considers the facts and analysis, one conclusion is clear: firearms in the hands of responsible individuals create the backbone for the principles the free world is built upon.
Since its invention in the fourteenth century, the handheld firearm has enabled the common man to defend both himself and his household from larger tyranny and oppression. It is no coincidence that the end of the feudal era parallels chronologically with the proliferation of firearms. When it was introduced the “hand gonne” quickly dominated battlefields as it allowed the populous militias to defeat the well-trained and expensive knights. Suddenly, the whole medieval order was overturned, as the peasants now wielded as much actual battlefield power as their own lords. It was the original intent of the founders of this country that the common man would be able to resist and potentially overthrow his government, should it become oppressive and tyrannical. James Madison writes:
“Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” (Federalist Papers 298)
Many governments of the world, both then and now, do not trust their citizens with arms, because their people know that their government is corrupt and is not working for them but against them. Governments that institute gun control are the same governments that brainwash their people, oppress any opposition, and even commit genocide. Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, Maoist China, Ottoman Turkey and several more despotic nations all had strict gun control laws, and all committed massive genocides; 170 million dead all told. (Zelman, Stevens 3) When armed, the people can resist such tyranny, checking their governments to ensure that it is the will of the people, not the will of a madman that is made law.
In our society, there are people who do not think as we do. These people are our murderers, our rapists and our thieves. They do not listen to reason. They do not negotiate or discuss. They do not allow for the rights of others. These people pose an imminent threat to our security and our safety. They attack the weak and helpless, striking at the vulnerable areas of society: our schools, our elderly, and our women. Yet there is something that can be done to stop these people. The citizens of our nation, the weak and the unendowed, can find safety and freedom in arms. When the would-be victims of psychopaths and madmen employ effective defense against their attackers, the predators quickly back down. A study funded by the Department of Justice showed that prison inmates were more afraid of armed citizens than they were of police. One inmate said “When you gonna rob somebody you don’t know, it makes it harder because you don’t know what to expect out of them.” (Stossel 1) Like in the wild, it is not in the interest of the hunter to face a prey that will likely injure or kill him (or her). In short, guns protect those who need it most. Guns are there all the time and require no special training to use. Guns are a simple, effective means of protection.
The firearm today helps to empower those who would be weaker without it. The elderly, the young, and the mothers-to-be all benefit from its equalizing qualities due to the game of “russian roulette” that it forces stronger predators to play. Rapists, murderers and robbers are forced to roll the dice every time they choose a victim, because—especially with concealed firearms—they are not able to distinguish between an unarmed citizen and an armed one. The more that concealed weapons are spread throughout the populace, the less favorable the odds are for the perpetrator. When a country enacts a near total or total gun ban, it effectively abandons its people to the whims of maniacs and criminals. Criminals have no care for the law, thus they are willing and able to purchase and possess firearms with absolutely no regard to whatever regulations may be in place. When a ban is imposed, it effectively puts the power in the hands of the wrong people. The risk level for offenders is effectively zero, as none of the law-abiding citizens will have any means of protection. In a July 2002 United Nations study of crime in developed nations, England and Wales, states with an almost complete gun ban, had the highest crime rate in the Western world, an appalling 55 crimes per 100 people. (Malcolm 2) The firearm is a weapon with no regard for physique, muscle, or serious training. Anyone, from the elderly to the crippled, can use a firearm to its fullest potential. No other weapon is as effective of an equalizer as the firearm. With firearms, the toned, muscled bodyguard now is an equal to the elderly grandmother. With firearms, the Davids of the world can slay the Goliaths.
Some proponents of an all-out gun ban claim that with too much personal power the people would fall into chaos. This argument is the cornerstone of the ideals of those around the world who would establish an authoritarian government. With the idea that the people are overly fallacious and incapable, the government would (some might argue that it already does) be able to convince the people that it knows best, a recipe for autocracy. One gun-control advocate, Reverend Al Sharpton, when asked by ABC’s John Stossel what would happen if it were legal in America for adults to carry concealed weapons, replied “We’d be living in a state of terror!” (Stossel 1) In reality, most states already have “right to carry” laws that allow that very freedom. America is a relatively gun-filled country, and it is not constantly wracked by chaos. The idea that guns inherently create chaos and turmoil is not only incorrect, it can also be highly dangerous.
Finally, the great fallacy of gun control is that it fails to control crime, instead regulating only those who choose to obey it. Criminals are such because they don’t obey the law. Laws, essentially, are ineffective at controlling criminals; instead, they are there to regulate the law-abiding populace, with the police forces to round up any dissidents or outlaws. Thus, banning firearms does nothing but create crime and divert the attention of the law enforcement from helping the populace to hunting down illegal—but otherwise innocent—gun owners. However, with little or no gun legislation, the police forces’ workload is actually alleviated, due to the fact that citizens are better able to fend for themselves and are less in need of law enforcement assistance. Not only that, but banning guns does little to stem the flow of firearms into criminal hands. Marijuana is an illegal drug, yet it is highly proliferated through the black market, and at far higher and more lucrative prices (making criminal activity even more attractive) than its actual production value. So, too would it be with guns. In a study involving more than eighteen thousand inmates, it was found that nearly eighty percent of those interviewed had obtained their arms from family or friends or from the black market. (WorldNet 2) The black market would become a bloated pseudo-society that would erupt into the lives of normal, law-abiding civilians who might come into contact with it. Murders and deaths would skyrocket due, in part, to a lack of personal defense, but also to increased gang activity. And, most importantly, the government would grow to an even more enormous size to cope with the new organized criminal threat, further endangering the people’s liberties.
All things considered, gun ownership discourages crime, deflates government, and protects the common man. With guns, the elderly can defeat the young, the female topple the male, and the weak reign in the strong. Guns are not just a relic from the days of the Revolution, they are powerful, important forcing functions for democracy in this country and others. However, a world without firearms is one that would resemble a feudal society. The rich would rule over the poor with absolute power, the strong would abuse and oppress the weak, and the man would dominate the woman. A world without guns is a world where freedom and democracy cannot prevail. A world without guns is a world of slaves.
