Gun Control Essay Example for Free

Gun Control Essay Abstract Some reasons why colleges should look at the laws that they put in place and try to change them. Students should have the right to conceal weapons on college campuses. The guns provide the protection that may be necessary in certain situations. Like the Virginia Tech Shooting, many people could have been saved if only one person had a gun. Having a gun gives a sense of safety to many people on the campus, especially for women with a greater risk of intruders and rapists. For these women, knowing that they have a way to defend themselves can set their minds to ease. Though some believe that the allowance of guns would increase violence on campus, no other college that has allowed concealed firearms has had an issue. Another concerning issue would be that having guns on campus would be easier for students to commit suicide; there are just some things in life that authorities cannot control, and that is one of them. The right to have a concealed weapon on campus should be conveyed freely. Position Paper Legalize Concealed Weapons on College Campuses Liberty senior, Craig Storrs, says, â€Å"It makes me feel secure knowing I would be able to defend myself if something does happen, like Virginia Tech or if I get stopped on the street for a mugging or something like that† (Barry, 2011). The topic of legalizing concealed weapons on college campuses has been argued for many years. Some colleges have legalized concealed weapons on campus and have not had problems, but many will not even think about legalizing concealed weapons. Carrying a concealed weapon at the age of 21 is a right including a college campus, because it offers protection and safety to students (Students for concealed, 2008). Background of Concealed Weapons on College Campuses Since the Virginia Tech shooting, many colleges have changed their on-campus laws concerning firearms. In eight states, the legislation is considering if students and staff would be able to carry a concealed weapon into college buildings. Many officials did not want to have another repeat the Virginia Tech shooting. Two years before the Virginia Tech shooting, the lawmakers of Texas rejected a bill to allow concealed weapons onto college campuses. Since then, the bill has come back with better arguments for the right to have a concealed weapon on college campuses. Corey Zipper, a twenty-one year-old psychology major, went to the state capitol to talk to the officials to pass the bill. Corey Zipper stated, â€Å"We get the mature thing a lot – that college students aren’t mature enough. And the alcohol thing – that we’re all just boozed up all the time† (Burnett, 2011). He also states that the law states that â€Å"a person much be 21 years old, have a clean record and no psychiatric disorders, and take a 10-hour instruction course that includes time at a firing range† (Burnett, 2011). In 2009 Texas passed the bill to legalize having a concealed weapon on college campus (Burnett, 2011). It Gives Protection Allowing students to carry a gun could save their lives. Life can be unpredictable, so when something happens people should be prepared. If by being prepared means they need to carry a gun, then why would the state want to take that right from someone? A person has the right to protect his/herself and others, and a responsible firearm owner would do such. Many lives could be saved by the simple action of allowing concealed weapons on college campuses (Concealed Guns, 2011). Background of Virginia Tech Shooting On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, student at Virginia Tech, began his shooting around 7:15 A.M. in a co-ed dormitory. He first killed Emily Hilsher and Ryan Clark. The Virginia Tech Police Chief said, â€Å"We secured the building, we secured the crime scene† (Caruso, n.d.). The authorities did not put the college on lock down and had classes as schedualed. Seung-Hui Cho did not leave the campus; around 9:15 A.M. he started to kill again. He went into the engineering and science building and chained the doors so no one could escape. He then went into classroom after classroom; he killed 25 more students and five faculty members. Twenty-nine people were wounded. In the end Cho also took his life (Caruso, n.d.). It was reported that nineteen of the thirty-two victims that were killed were over the age of 21. The age of 21 is the legal age for the right to conceal a weapon in Virginia. If these students would have been able to carry a firearm onto campus, then perhaps these lives could have been saved. Instead of thirty-three lives taken that day, there should have been one. Innocent people would not have died (Students for concealed, 2008). Concealed Weapons Should not Depend on Location It is stated in the Constitution that a person has the right to bear arms at the age of 21. This law does not give specific places that are prohibited. People should not have to put their concealed weapon away because of where they are (The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 1982). Public Places People can Carry Weapons Though colleges are small, some places that allow concealed weapons are smaller. When a person goes to the movies, they are allowed to carry a concealed weapon. No one would ever know because the weapon is concealed. Other places would include a shopping mall. When people are shopping, the last thing they are thinking is that the people next to them might have a gun on them (Students for concealed, 2008). Make College Students Feel Safer The right to conceal a weapon could put some students at ease. Knowing that they have a way to save themselves in dangerous situations may make the students more relaxed. If a student comes across a dangerous situation, then they are prepared. These students do not have to worry about what to do (Marin, 2012). College Intruders and Rapists It is easy for intruders to get into dorms. In New York, two men got into a building by sneaking in behind another guy after he swiped his card. When the college police were called they came and took the men without calling the cops. If this were to happen again, these men would be taken to the authorities. Knowing that it is easy for strange people to get into housing, it not be a good idea to rob students the right to have a concealed weapon. This would give some students that okay to live life and other the need of protection that they might not be able to find anywhere else (Rearick, 2011). One in four women have the chance of being raped in college. Guns could help defend so many different women. They could have gotten out of the situation if they just had a way of defense. Sometimes women are physically too weak to run from situations like that and the allowance of a gun would provide that opportunity to them (College Crime Today, n.d.). Counterargument: Guns on Campus Would Promote Violence . â€Å"Some professors might be afraid to issue bad grades if they know that students could be carrying guns† (Students for concealed, 2008). Some people believe that allowing student to carry firearms would push them to be violent. If the students are allowed to carry firearms, then they will not be afraid to use them. If there was an argument with another student, then these students would be tempted to use the gun to scare or even harm the other student (Students for concealed, 2008). Logical Response: Guns on Campus Would not Promote Violence There has been over thirty colleges campuses that have allowed concealed weapons on their campuses. These campuses have had no issues with gun violence, and there has not been a gun theft or accident in all these years. This shows that it is a possibility to carry conceal weapons and still get a great education with no distraction with no violence. Studies show, â€Å"concealed handgun license holders are five times less likely than non-license holders to commit violent crimes† (Students for concealed, 2008). Counterargument: Guns on Campus Would Encourage Suicide Some believe that allowing students to obtain firearms would increase the likelihood suicide. They would have all the resources they need now that they are able to carry concealed firearms. This would make it easier for these students to commit suicide without anyone knowing until after the fact. This would then increase the suicide numbers dramatically. Allowing a student to carry a firearm that could potentially use to kill themselves is not the way to help (Students for concealed, 2008). Logical Response: Guns on Campus Would not Encourage Suicide According to detectives, â€Å"Studies show that 90% of suicides are committed in the home† (Students for concealed, 2008). Since the legal age to own a concealed weapon is 21, most students at this age live off campus. This would not affect the numbers as much as the colleges think it would. If people really wanted to commit suicide, then nothing would stand in their way. Allowing them to conceal a gun will just give them an easier way out (Students for concealed, 2008). Conclusion During the Virginia Tech Shooting many lives could have been saved. Students could also feel safer knowing that they have something there to protect themselves and others if needed. Though students could turn to violence many are very responsible to be carrying this gun in the first place. They just cannot get a gun; they have to go through the process. Another concern would be suicide, but since most of the students live off campus anyway nothing would stop that. It would be a lost cause to put a ban on concealed weapons when there is nothing to prevent suicide in the first place. Once the right training classes are taken, it should not be a problem for a person to be able to carry his/her gun that he/she worked hard to get and paid for. The right to have a concealed weapon on campus should be expressed freely. References Barry, L. (2011). Liberty university oks concealed guns on campus. Retrieved from http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2011/nov/16/5/liberty-university-oks-concealed-guns-campus-ar-1463719/. Burnett, J. (2011). Texas Lawmakers aim for guns on college campuses. Retreieved from http://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133466058/texas-lawmakers-aim-for-guns-on-college-campuses. Caruso, K. (n.d.). What Happened: The Virginia Tech Massacure. Retrieved from http://www.virginiatechmassacre.com/what-happened-virginia-tech-massacre.html. College Crime Today. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.womens-self-defense-instruction-online.com/college-crime.html. Concealed guns. (2011). Retrieved from http://concealedguns.procon.org/. Frantz, A. (2011). Texas considering concealed handguns on campus. Retrieved from http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/22/texas-weighing-concealed-handguns-on-campus/. Marin, J. (2012). Guns on college campuses. Retrieved from http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/03/guns-on-college -campuses/. Rearick, J. (2011). Intruders spark safety concerns. Retrieved from http://www.miscellanynews.com/2.1576/intruders-spark-safety-concerns-1.2660011#.TxkPxJit-fQ. Students for concealed carry on campus. (2008). Retrieved

Liberals and Conservatives in Post Revolutionary Latin America Essay

Liberals and Conservatives in Post Revolutionary Latin America Models for post-revolutionary Latin American government are born of the complex economic and social realities of 17th and 18th century Europe. From the momentum of the Enlightenment came major political rebellions of the elite class against entrenched national monarchies and systems of power. Within this time period of elitist revolt and intensive political restructuring, the fundamental basis for both liberal and conservative ideology was driven deep into Latin American soil. However, as neither ideology sought to fulfill or even recognize the needs or rights of mestizo people under government rule, the initial liberal doctrine pervading Latin American nations perpetuated racism and economic exploitation, and paved the way for all-consuming, cultural wars in the centuries to come. Throughout the Iberian Peninsula and Colonial Europe, the sweeping philosophical shift from religious and spiritual pursuits to a greater emphasis on logic and reason foreshadowed remarkable social reformation. In Latin America, the Ibero...

Trust Issues Found on Family Trip

My parents and I had been looking forward to our trip for seeks and everything Just seemed precisely planned and made us all excited as the days got closer. That to me was what it meant when you had a family trip, to me It was a time where you get excited to be together and work on building this bond that you all have and just enjoy each other's company. You start counting days down and get hyped up wanting adjust be at that one place where you know a new level of family love can be found.You realize that in this place is where any problems can be forgotten even If Just for a temporary time and that you can find new adventure amongst the simplest spot with the most beloved people in your life. However sometimes moments can change and become ones that will affect you for possibly the rest of your life, this is unknowingly what was in store for my family and l. Hernandez 2 Wanting to stay with my Aunt and uncle who live in Arizona, my parents and I went for New Years expecting a fun fa mily time.Unexpectedly my father's grandmother ended up passing away so amongst our trip he decided to stay back for her funeral. Arguing back and forth about what to do occurred with the end result being that my father would stay behind to later come up to Arizona and take us back home at the end of the stay. Unfortunately as time went on through the week my parents continuously fought over the phone to the point where my father told my mother he no longer wanted to be with her. This shocked me as I wanted my parents to be together forever, I did not want them to end and I definitely did not want my family to split up.My mother certainly did not want that so she got my father to be calm enough to agree that when he came down to Arizona they should in person actually talk things through. The day had later finally come where my father was now with us and my mother wanted to have a thorough conversation with him. Being only 13 at the time I was still young and thought well they can wo rk it out I know they can, they always work their problems out, so there is no way they will break up. However I was so wrong, hearing the words that my father spoke to my mother truly broke my heart.Saying he no longer loved her and he couldn't be with her honestly shook me to my core, I Just could not believe that right before my eyes I was seeing my parent's 1 OFF and that I knew he loved my mother. Being young I could not have imagined the real reason behind his words that ended up feeling like a knife in our family back. Believing my father's words I simply believed that he had fallen out of love with my mother. I did not like it but no matter how much I tried to change my father's mind he would not budge. Therefore, I saw that I had no say in the matter at all that really what I wanted did not nor Hernandez 3 would it ever matter.In having no choice in the matter I felt heart broken, my family was simply slipping through my fingers. Being only 13, still so young I would have n ever imagined that behind my father's words were lies and the fact that he had cheated on my mother. Honestly he became someone different to me at this moment, e was like a stranger, definitely not the father I once was close with. Within finding out this information I lost all respect for my father and faith that relationships last, even in the belief that families can really always remain together.Saying that my trust in people had changed was an understatement, I had went from trusting my father was a great guy to not being able to believe a word he said. In seeing how easily my father could hurt my mother and Just leave his family made me think if he could do that then why wouldn't someone else I love do that. I began to think that all people especially men were liars and cheaters. I felt that I wouldn't be able to trust again and I wouldn't be able to fall in love or have a family of my own.My thoughts were that two people making promises to love one another for the rest of the ir lives was Just nothing but a lie. My ability to trust had been completely broken, but within this I also felt abandoned by the one man who had said he would always be there. My father had lied and in thinking he was Just leaving my mother had left me too, so I believed that was what all men were capable of. I felt that if I gave anyone the lightest ounce of my trust that I would Just get hurt again and being heartbroken was not a feeling I wanted to go through yet again in my life.An apology was never even heard through any of it by my father so I Just assumed he didn't care at all. It wasn't until going to a therapist and actually talking my feelings out happened that I heard an apology. In hearing that years later at the age of 17 was when I began to realize that no matter what I wish would have happened or wished I could have changed, it Hernandez 4 would never be different. My parents would never be together again and my father loud never undo the hurt he had caused and the a nger I had felt towards him.No matter how much I wanted my father to be the same guy I had always looked up to he wouldn't because I had lost my respect for him and my trust in him. Losing my trust in him was one of the hardest things to deal with, but I knew I still loved my father and over time I wanted to be able to have a relationship with him again. In realizing this I saw that I had to move forward in my life and forget the past in order to work at rebuilding my trust not Just within my father but in people in general. That I had to let go of my hurt and anger towards my father in order to have the chance at that new relationship.In simply wanting this I knew that looking to the future was the only option no matter how much my past had changed me, therefore the past had to remain in the past. I had to mature and be happy moving on and enjoying my life, There you have it a family trip turned into a moment that split a family a part and caused trust issues along with so much hur t and anger. It went from being about relaxation to uncovering lies and deceit in someone who was so beloved to me. Having my trust broken and questioning relationships made me believe I would never be happy.Over time however, I was able to realize that the past had to stay in the past, that I had to only look forward to the future. I knew I wanted to be happy and regain my sense of trust, so slowly piece by piece that has been able to begin to be rebuilt. I still do have issues that I know will take more time to fix, but at least now all I really look forward to is having a bright, happy future. One where hopefully my relationship with my father can change and be Just as good as it used to be before the New Year's trip we had went wrong.

Practice Using Commas, Quotes, Colons, and Dashes

This exercise offers practice in applying the basic guidelines for using punctuation marks.   In the following paragraph, insert commas, quotation marks, colons, and dashes wherever you think they belong. (Try reading the paragraph aloud: at least in some cases, you should be able to hear where punctuation is needed.) When youre done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated version of the paragraph at the bottom of the page. Lost in the Witchcrafted Woods Ill never forget summer camp two weeks of cramps and campfires and slugs in my underwear. One night I got lost in the woods the witchcrafted spine-tingling woods. I dont know how I managed to get lost one moment I was marching along with my fellow scouts and the next I was marching alone. When I realized what had happened I responded like a true Boy Scout of America I sat down on a toadstool and sobbed. Oh I knew I was going to die out there. I waited for the gnats that sew your lips shut the owls that peck out your eyes the spiders that drop eggs on your tongue and the wolves that drag your carcass to their dens. I knew that by the time they found me there would be nothing left of me but my neckerchief slide. I imagined them taping it to a postcard and mailing it home to my dad. When I ran out of tears I started singing Oh, they built the ship Titanic to sail the ocean blue. And just then a flashlight found me. My patrol leader asked what I was doing out here in the woods and I spit on my palms and said Dont worry about me. I can take care of myself. That night I dreamed of dragons in the pines and I woke up screaming. Lost in the Witchcrafted Woods: Punctuation Restored Ill never forget summer  camp:  two weeks of cramps and campfires and slugs in my underwear. One night I got lost in the  woods—the  witchcrafted,  spine-tingling woods. I dont know how I managed to get  lost:  one moment I was marching along with my fellow  scouts,  and the next I was marching alone. When I realized what had  happened,  I responded like a true Boy Scout of  America:  I sat down on a toadstool and sobbed.  Oh,  I knew I was going to die out there. I waited for the gnats that sew your lips  shut,  the owls that peck out your  eyes,  the spiders that drop eggs on your  tongue,  and the wolves that drag your carcass to their dens. I knew that by the time they found me there would be nothing left of me but my neckerchief slide. I imagined them taping it to a postcard and mailing it home to my dad. When I ran out of  tears,  I started  singing, Oh,  they built the ship  Titanic  to sail the ocean  blue.  And just then a flashlight found me. My patrol leader asked what I was doing out here in the  woods,  and I spit on my palms and  said, Dont  worry about me. I can take care of  myself.  That night I dreamed of dragons in the  pines,  and I woke up screaming.