Avenly Millar
Burgoyne
Ann. Bib
4/1/15
Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People
(Annotated Bibliography: Gun Control)
Is gun control really necessary? Does it have more negative effects than positive ones?
Guns have been a major debate among the U.S and the world for a very long time. In my opinion
I think guns are the answer to the problems that are brought about by guns. Guns don’t kill
people, people kill people and it is as simple as that. The reason I chose to write about gun
control is because I believe the government is going about the issues with guns the wrong way. I
have always been intrigued by guns and aware of the danger involved with them; but I see them
more as a protection than a threat. In my bibliography I have included articles that are both for
and against gun control. This will help me, along with my readers to understand and see the full
picture surrounding gun control. I have included on the naysayer side two articles “Pro/Con Gun
Legislation” and "Sandy Hook Panel's Report Urges Change." And on the agreeing side, “Europe
Confronts New Gun Control”, “Pro/Con Gun Legislation”, and “Gun Control Isn’t the Answer”
Bitto, Dana, and Elisa Juliano. "Pro/Con: Gun Legislation." University Wire (2015 Jan 16): N.P.
DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Dana Bitto a phonathon caller at the Dominican University wrote the pro-gun control part
of this article. Bitto talks about the issues that are brought about by guns, and the concerns the
public has for people carrying them around. She talks about how higher restriction on guns will
prevent the tragedies that have taken place around the U.S. Along with the restrictions she talks
to us about the thousands of gun related accidents that take place each year. Bitto tells us that
there have been many studies that show the high percent of people scared of the guns people
carry around. She tells us that it is the government’s job to make these restrictions so that the
public feels safe to go out in public, and safe in their own homes.
Although Bitto uses Ethos in her article by giving us the facts about how many people die
from gun related accidents, and shootings, her article wasn’t very persuasive. She covered a lot
of topics, and all the topics were very vague. She used several sources one of which was from
about.com, making her seem uneducated, and not a very good source for information. Although
her writing was very good, because she jumped around point of view to point of view it seemed
like she had lots of ideas but wasn’t able to figure out how to make them all fit together as one
article. In short with her credentials being a phonathon caller, Bitto isn’t a very great source.
This article has given me facts that are important in understanding the viewpoint of my
opposing view. This article is important to include in my paper because it will show the other
side of what I am saying, giving my readers the understanding of the whole topic and not just my
point of view. The article has given me research that I can use in my final paper to contradict
and use to prove my point.
Bitto, Dana, and Elisa Juliano. "Pro/Con: Gun Legislation." University Wire(2015 Jan 16): N.p.
DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Elisa Juliano student from the Dominican University wrote the con gun control section of
the article. Juliano discusses that citizens are against gun control because it is their right to bear
arms, and without it the United States wouldn’t be a free country. Along with the right to own
guns she talks about how the majority of the places that are attacked by shooters, are places that
are deemed gun-free zones. She says guns are here to protect us, and if people have guns, and
concealed weapons the chances of shooting will be less; and if there are shootings less people are
likely to get killed because of a person with a concealed weapon able to stop the shooter. She
mentions a teacher who said that if they were allowed to have guns, they would be able to stop
an intruder much faster than if they did not. In closing she said the gun control will end up
hurting us more than it would help us.
Although Juliano is only a student, the way that the article was written and organized was
very clear and well put together. She used a lot of logos in this article by really keying into our
logic and explaining to us how guns can help our society rather than hurt it. Juliano gives sources
that are reliable making her argument even stranger and more persuasive. This article is more
like a conversation, she is explaining to us why this is a good thing, and giving us reliable
information to work with. Overall this article was very persuasive.
This source is very important to my article because it hits all of the key point in my
argument. This article affects me by reiterating why I am on the side I am on. This article
connects with the other articles I have by stating guns save lives, and that gun control does more
harm than good. This article adds facts and opinions that some of my other articles don’t have
making it a key part of my essay.
Susman, Tina. "Sandy Hook Panel's Report Urges Change." Los Angeles Times 2015 mar 08:
A.20 DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Tina Susman a writer for the Los Angeles Times writes about the tragity that struc Sandy
Hook Elementray school two year ago. She overview the event telling us that the shooter had had
a history with mental illness, and what event took place that day. Those events included him
shooting his mother, then proceeding to the school killing 20 small children before committing
suicide in the hallway of the school. She tells us that even though this event was horrific gun
control isn’t any easier to get. She tells us that because of gun-right activists belief of the write to
bear arms it make it almost impossible to change the laws. She discusses that gun control is
common sence and that better background checks, and restrictions on ammo and guns will
prevent things like this from happening in the future.
This article is very persuasive. The emotion that is in this article could make almost
anybody change their mind about guns for at least a short period of time. Along with the ethos
used she also put into the article common sense making it more persuasive by telling the reader if
you don’t think this way then you don’t have common sense. Susman is very persuasive with her
word choice, and how she organized her article. She brought you in with your emotion and then
hit you hard with logic at the end. The article was very persuasive and written very well, pulling
anybody that read it closer to her point of view.
This article is very important to my paper because it gives me exactly what I need to
contradict it. Although this article is very persuasive and emotional, the points that she makes at
the end can easily be turned against what she wanted it to be. This is a very important naysayer
for my essay because what she said is the complete opposite of what I am saying. This article
connects very well with my other naysayer giving me a strong naysayer to go up against, which
in the end will make my paper stronger in the end. How I see it is, the stronger the naysayer
argument it, the stronger yours is, and the stronger your paper will be in the end.
Wilson, James Q. "Gun Control Isn't the Answer." Www.latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 20
Apr. 2007. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
James Q. Wilson a teacher of public policy at Pepperdine University and previously
taught at Harvard wrote an article against gun control. Throughout the article Wilson hit on
several major topics. He starts out by debunking claims made by other countries about guns in
America, one of which being that homicide has in fact gone down and not gone up in the past
several years. He tells us that yes is there iolence with guns that can only guns can be used. He
then goes on to tell us that even if a place is gun-free guns will still be brought in, and not by the
people who are using them for good. Along with gun-free zones he says that won’t stop guns
from being stolen and obtained illegally. The main point of his article is if someone wants a gun,
and no gun law is going to stop them. He states that there is, and never will be a simple solution
to guns, and gun control.
Wilson is a very persuasive writer. Although he doesn’t use ethos to catch his readers, he
uses their logic to do so. Wilson is very strait forward with what he is saying. You can tell
through his writing that he is very educated, but in a way that is easy to follow and understand.
He makes his points stronger by giving an opposing view to what he is going to say, so when you
read it you lean towards his side because he dismissed the opposition with what he said. This
article is very educational; it isn’t boring bringing the reader deeper into the text making them
agree with what he has to say.
This article is the most important one to my essay. Wilson is an incredible source, and
what he has to say is exactly what my paper needs to be able to overcome the naysayers that will
be in it. His points are very well researched, and will add support where I need it in my essay. He
also has sources and naysayers in his article that I could further research to add to my paper to
make it stronger. All in all this article is key, because it gives me a great example of how to put
naysayers into my paper without them ruining what I am trying to say; and in fact making my
paper stronger because of the naysayers in it.
Witte, Griff, And Karla Adam. "Europe Confronts New Gun Culture."Washington Post 2015 feb
20: A.1 DB - SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Griff Witte and Karla Adam Writers from the Washington Post wrote an article about the
gun culture in Europe. They start out their article is about the gun violence that had gone on in
Europe. How even though they have very strict gun laws in Europe it doesn’t stop serious
shootings from happening. The say that if somebody want a gun, they are many ways to get one
if you know the right people and you have the money to buy it. Adam and Witte tell us that even
though there is tight control on gun trafficking shooting still occur, and they aren’t rare when
they happen. They go on to say that even though there have been several attacks with the use of
guns, Europe refuses to loosen gun laws giving people the ability to use guns in self-defense, and
other protection.
What makes this article persuasive is the amount of information that it contains. After
reading this article you have enough information to know what is going on, what the point of
view is, and then makes a decision based on the information in front of you. This article appeals
to multiple parts of your brain, it appeals to both your logic and your emotion. The way that it
gets you emotionally is by talking about the tragedies that take place, and how less gun control
would help defeat some of the terrible things that are happening. On the other hand the article
gives you so much information appealing to your logic by logically explaining how looser gun
laws would help prevent event like this in the future. The way this article is written is done very
well, using information that is relevant. This article is very persuasive and proves a very good
point.
This article is important because it connects to the previous article. In the previous article
it talked about how Europe was spreading rumors about what is happening with guns in
American. This article bring the gun issues that are happening in Europe which helps support the
previous article making what it has to say stronger. This will be a strong part in my essay
because I have multiple sources backing up similar things. This article has brought a new point
of view. This article proves my theory that gun control will only harm our country even more. So
with this article my paper can become that much stronger.
Conclusion:
Throughout my research I have discovered that even though a large portion of the
population wants to have stricter gun control, the information that they have to back up their
point of view is very week, and mostly based on emotion. I have seen more fact about the
negative effects of gun control, and how it isn’t good for our country. Gun control I have learned
isn’t necessary, and the negative effects of it outweigh the positive by a lot. Throughout my
research I have come across view that I ever thought of before, but I could look into further to
strengthen my paper in the end. Gun control in the end is a bad thing, that will lead to more harm
then good.