Argument Essay Against Large Capacity Magazines
English 102
MWA2
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” This is typically the rhetoric that is used by gun owners, and gun associations, to distinguish the danger of the weapon from the danger of the owner. One significant factor that plays into this discussion is the ownership and use of large-capacity magazines. Those who posses these high-volume magazines now have the ability to shoot large numbers of ammunition before having to stop and reload. Not only is the ownership of large capacity magazines unjustified for our modern society, but it also allows for tragic shootings and continued street crime to be much more severe.
Senator Ron Johnson, a republican from Wisconsin, made recent comments pertaining to the debate over gun control. Senator Johnson suggested that there is a constitutional right to buy high-capacity magazines for your guns. He also said that “30-round magazines are very common and we simply cannot keep weapons out of the hands of sick, demented individuals who want to do harm”. “If we attempt to do so then we are restricting our freedom,” says Johnson (Stein, 2012).
In Johnson’s defense the gunman in the recent Aurora shooting was by all accounts a law-abiding citizen who used legal means to arm himself. He was also protected by the same laws that the majority of gun owners use to shield themselves, as it is their constitutional right (Our View, 2012). Understandably we know that bad people will do bad things but we must take the necessary steps to deter criminals from having access to these weapons that have caused pain and suffering to so many families across the country. While it is clear that the U.S. Supreme Court gives Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense, the court has also provided laws prohibiting possession of guns by felons of the mentally ill (Nutter, 2011).
Opponents of restrictive gun laws argue that the incidents of violence involving high-capacity magazines are actually quite rare, and that it is more
MWA2
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” This is typically the rhetoric that is used by gun owners, and gun associations, to distinguish the danger of the weapon from the danger of the owner. One significant factor that plays into this discussion is the ownership and use of large-capacity magazines. Those who posses these high-volume magazines now have the ability to shoot large numbers of ammunition before having to stop and reload. Not only is the ownership of large capacity magazines unjustified for our modern society, but it also allows for tragic shootings and continued street crime to be much more severe.
Senator Ron Johnson, a republican from Wisconsin, made recent comments pertaining to the debate over gun control. Senator Johnson suggested that there is a constitutional right to buy high-capacity magazines for your guns. He also said that “30-round magazines are very common and we simply cannot keep weapons out of the hands of sick, demented individuals who want to do harm”. “If we attempt to do so then we are restricting our freedom,” says Johnson (Stein, 2012).
In Johnson’s defense the gunman in the recent Aurora shooting was by all accounts a law-abiding citizen who used legal means to arm himself. He was also protected by the same laws that the majority of gun owners use to shield themselves, as it is their constitutional right (Our View, 2012). Understandably we know that bad people will do bad things but we must take the necessary steps to deter criminals from having access to these weapons that have caused pain and suffering to so many families across the country. While it is clear that the U.S. Supreme Court gives Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense, the court has also provided laws prohibiting possession of guns by felons of the mentally ill (Nutter, 2011).
Opponents of restrictive gun laws argue that the incidents of violence involving high-capacity magazines are actually quite rare, and that it is more
Cited: Bendory, Dovid. "High Cap Freedom." Five Reasons Why You Should Want High Capacity Magazines. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http:/http://jpfo.org/rabbi/five-reasons.htm>. Gerson, Michael. "Gun Policy 's Slippery Slope." Real Clear Politics. Washington Post Writers Group, 27 July 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http:/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/07/27/gun_policys_slippery_slope_114928.html>. Jervis, Rick. "The Colorado theater shootings thrust assault weapons, such as the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle used in the rampage, into the national spotlight.." Gun control advocates target high capacity magazines. USA Today News, 31 July 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http:/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-31/gun-control-colorado-theater-shooting/56621536/1>. Nutter, Michael. "Why Congress Should Ban High-Volume Ammo Clips." www.usnews.com. 14 Feb. 2011.<http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/02/14/why-congress-should-ban-high-volume-ammo-clips>. "Our View: Shooting spree calls for serious discussion | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram ." Maine news, sports, weather & breaking news | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram . N.p., 24 July 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/shooting-spree-calls-for-serious-discussion_2012-07-24.html>. Stein, Sam. "High-Capacity magazines are a constitutional right." huffington post. 22 Jul. 2012. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/22/ron-johnson-high-capacity-magazines_n_1692810.html>.