Gun Control - Persuasive Speech

Statistics

Source : cnbc.com

1.

Numbers on school shootings in America - the only place where this regularly happens.

- Within the first 45 days of 2018 there have been 17 school shootings. This is twice as many as this time last year.

Source : nytimes.com

2.

- After Sandy Hook, more than 400 people have been shot in over 200 schools.

Source : theguardian.com

3.

Statistics

- The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics estimated that during the 2016 election, the NRA and its affiliates spent a record $54m to secure Republican control of the White House and Congress, including at least $30.3m to help elect Donald Trump.

March for Our Lives

Started on March 24, 2018 - source : usatoday.com

March for Our Lives - a student-led movement in support for tighter gun control and took place in Washington D.C. on Mar. 24, 2018.

Organizers of the event estimated that 800,000 protestors attended the event. If correct, this could mark the largest single-day protest in the history of the nation's capital.

March for Our Lives

Interview

Josh Verne & Ryan Barnhart

• On March 14th, 2018, Middle Creek High School organized a walk-out in the middle of class. The reasons behind their actions were to show our leaders that they demand change and want a decrease in gun violence in America.
• Both were angered by the fact that the NRA has given massive donations to politicians that are capable of making such great changes.
• Both are tried of being afraid that they will get shot at the one place they are supposed to be learning and taking huge steps in their lives towards college.

Interview

Solutions

James M. La Valle - Associate Professor of Criminology at Coker College in Hartsville, SC.

Solutions

• Metal detectors could be placed in schools so that students carrying weapons illegally into schools are unable to make it past that point, preventing any incidents.
• Acknowledgement of domestic terrorism committed by white males, as they should not be humanised after massacring innocent people.
• Review and changes to the 2nd amendment. The right to own a gun is not infringed upon, but the amendment was created when black Americans were counted as 3/5s of a person.

• Extensive background checks need to be done, such as psychiatric histories along with existing criminal background checks.
• Prevent secondary access to legally owned firearms to legally disqualifying individuals.
• A government approved locking container should be required for all gun purchases and secondary access by those under the age of 21 or with disqualifying mental illnesses.

Arming Teachers

Philip J. Cook - Duke University, School of Public Policy

An introduction to a potentially dangerous idea.

• Consider that 10 teachers in every school volunteer to carry a concealed handgun. This makes 1.3 million more guns in the nation's schools.
• The risk of kids and students managing to take these guns and cause even more incidents is too great of a risk.
• Having a concealed weapon is proven to make the carrier more hyper-vigilant and constantly scanning to prepare for the worst.

Arming Teachers

• The budget proposed by President Trump for giving teachers basic handgun training is $71.8 million. This money could go to an option way safer, or even just towards helping schools get the supplies they need like binders, projectors, laptions, etc.
• A budget this size could actually fix the entire water crisis that's been going on for years in Flint, Michigan.