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Lana WestMs. ValentinoMechanics of Writing1 July 2010

Banning the Private Ownership of Handguns

Resolved: That the private ownership of handguns should be banned in the United States.

The National Rifle Association of America has stated that as of the year 2010, there are forty

Right-to-Carry states; legally allowing handguns to be carried on ones person at all times. Of

these forty states; thirty-seven require handgun ownership to be established by the state

legislature, two rely on a permit for personal ownership, and one allows the possession of

handguns without a permit completely. Of the ten remaining states that do not practice the Right-

to-Carry act; eight have restrictively-administered discretionary-issue systems, and two, Illinois

and Wisconsin, prohibit the carrying of handguns entirely. For the following three contentions:

the private ownership of handguns are used for harmful and immoral use, the private ownership

of handguns promote episodes of further crime, and the private ownership of handguns increase

the likelihood of devastating domestic accidents, you must vote in the affirmation of banning

handguns in the United States of America.

The most common usage of handguns are for harmful and immoral purposes.

Dictionary.com defines a handgun as “any firearm that can be held and fired with one hand; a

revolver or a pistol.” Chuck Hawks, in the article Handgun Types, breaks them down into four

common categories; revolving pistols (revolvers), semi-automatic pistols (automatics), single

shot pistols, and derringers. These are the weapons that must be eliminated from our society.

Guns have become such a common element of today’s culture that our children are growing up

with the idea that shooting is okay; the most popular video game is World of Warcraft! Such

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violent influences can blur the lines of play time and reality for both children and adults alike.

Consequentially, because vicious games are ‘acceptable’, our children will grow up without

understanding the truths and dangers surrounding handguns. And, without our children

understanding what a handgun can do, there will never be an end to the violence associated with

them, because the person who is pointing the gun is the one who will cause the damage. Ted

Farner, President of Brothers in Arms U.S.A., confirms this: “Take the letter I got from a

California woman whose 15-year-old son was "killed by a gun" while walking to his after-school

job. Now, come on… The only thing the gun was guilty of was functioning properly.” It is not

the sixth Commandment that “Thou shall not kill”? How can one support handguns, which are

designed for killing, and yet call themselves a religious individual? As said by Dr. Vincent J. M.

DiMaio, former chief medical examiner in Bexar County, Tex., “One shot can kill you…

Anybody who survives [being shot] is lucky to be alive.”

Allowing the private ownership of handguns promotes episodes of further crime. This

cannot be argued with, because as long as guns are available and for sale to the general public,

they will end up in the hands of criminals. According to GunSAFE, “Criminals want the same

guns as law-abiding people—handguns that are small, concealable, reliable, and affordable.”

This goes to show that although handguns may be regulated, as long as they are out there, people

who only want them for harm can have access to the weapons. In 1993, about 1.3 million violent

assault and robbery crimes were committed with some type of firearm. 86 percent of the time,

that firearm was a handgun. In that same year, there were only 65,000 cases in which any type of

firearm was used in self-defense. Private ownership of handguns could be banned off of this

statistic alone, because it highlights the frightening reality of what they are used for: crime, not

self-defense. As soon as one is involved with handguns and criminal activity, there are very few

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ways to escape it. One offense leads to another, and then another; and before you know it,

criminals are relying on handguns in their day to day lives. Handguns are a poison for the body,

mind, and spirit. And like any other type of poison, the only way to stop their effects is to get rid

of them.

Allowing handguns to circulate in our society is how domestic accidents involving

firearms occur. Weapons that are not properly stored and put away can be accessible to children,

who do not yet have an understanding of what they are dealing with. What might start out as an

innocent experiment with a handgun can turn into an extremely serious incident in a dreadfully

short period of time. When you support banning the private ownership of handguns in the U. S.,

you support you child’s safety. In Targeting Guns, Dr. Kleck states that, "Most gun accidents

occur in the home, many (perhaps most) of them involving guns kept for defense. However, very

few accidents occur in connection with actual defensive uses of guns. Gun accidents are

generally committed by…reckless people with records of heavy drinking…many traffic

citations, or prior arrests for assault.” This statement verifies that children are not completely

safe from the risks guns possess; almost especially in their own homes. Children should not have

to grow up in a world filled with blood and bullets; particularly their own.

According to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Some have suggested that

homeowners and citizens should arm themselves to protect their families from…assault or

robbery. The sad fact is that a handgun purchased for protection is often used in a moment of

rage or fear against a relative or acquaintance. A burglar might steal the gun and use it to commit

a crime, or a child might find the gun and shoot himself or another child while playing with it.

The risk of domestic homicides is three times greater in homes with guns. Suicide is five times

greater.” Until the U.S. effectively banns the private ownership of handguns, they will continue

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to be used for harmful and immoral purposes, lead to incidents of further crime, and increase the

likelihood of shocking domestic accidents. It is for this reason that you must vote in the

affirmation of banning handguns in the United States of America.