Public Speaking TY Joshua Dargan Hayes

Imagine enjoying a movie at the cinema, eating out, or even sitting in a history class while
people all around you are carrying loaded guns. Although this may seem unbelievable, it is
possible because of the second amendment in the United States and similar laws worldwide,
which give citizens the right to possess and carry guns. It is understandable that individuals
would want to possess guns such as shotguns and rifles for the popular sport of hunting.
However, it is ridiculous that governments would allow people to carry handguns on a
regular basis. Handgun possession should be strictly limited, because they are made solely to
kill people, they have increased the murder rate in the U.S., and they have even allowed
children to easily kill other children.
Before I go any further Id like to provide a bit of context relating to the United States:

310

million guns in USA - 37% own guns - 118m own 310m

The first reason gun control should be outlawed, for ordinary citizens, is because their
purpose is quite simply to kill things, not injure individuals or animals like tasers, bats and
about every household item out there, but kill things. Why would our country allow us to
have the right to own an object that is deadly? Our government seems to want to protect
us. For example, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet laws were created to protect our lives.
We have environmental departments that enforce pollution laws to keep us safe and
healthy. Food and Drug Agencies inspect our food and test drugs to make sure we are not
harmed by improperly prepared food and dangerous drugs. Yet some governments allow
just about anybody to own and walk around with guns. It does not appear to me
governments really care about our safety. If it did, it would introduce common-sense
restrictions on weapons for the general public, because their purpose is to destroy objects
whether that means humans, animals or targets, guns dont discriminate.
Second. We should limit the possession of firearms, because the homicide and robbery rate
in the U.S., for example, is much greater than in Canada where there are stricter handgun
laws. From 1987 to 1996, 52% of all homicides in the U.S. involved handguns while only 14% of
all homicides in Canada involved handguns. Handgun homicide rates in the U.S. are 15.3
times higher than in Canada whilst firearm robbery rates in the U.S. are 3.5 times higher than
in Canada. We can clearly see from this and the graphs in front of you, homicide rates
involving handguns are higher in the U.S. where handgun laws are not as strict as in Canada
and other countries. Their contribution to a high crime rate is yet another reason why serious

restrictions should be put on both how these weapons are purchased and their permitted
functions.
The third and maybe biggest reason that citizens should not possess handguns and other
major weapons is because these can easily get into the hands of little children. For example,
only a few weeks ago, three days after Christmas, the four-year-old son of an Alaska state
trooper was playing by himself in the living room. Somehow the boy, William Anderson, found
a gun belonging to his father. The gun went off and killed William.
These types of incidents happen considerably more than they should. At least 265 children
under the age of 18 picked up a firearm and accidentally shot themselves or someone else
in the United States in 2015 alone, according to numbers compiled by Everytown for Gun
Safety.
That works out to about five accidental shootings by children every week this year. Of those,
83 ended in death: The underage shooters killed themselves 41 times and other people 42
times. It's important to mention that this tally only includes accidental shootings. It doesn't
include homicides by teens and suicides, which are also disturbingly large numbers. It is sad
that this happens, but we shouldn't be shocked. After all, the law in the USA allows almost
any person to own guns, even, quite unbelievably, individuals on the terrorist watch list, guns
made simply to kill.
In conclusion, these weapons create an unsafe environment and should be restricted to
very specific uses, locations and people.
Some may argue they are needed for self-defense, but if no one except police officials, if
even, had them, there would be minimal need for this kind of defense.
If handgun use was restricted or even outlawed, homicides would decrease, children could
not so easily obtain guns, and at least parts of our world would be less violent.
Ladies and Gentlemen, not only do we have a gun problem; we have a math problem:
zero guns = zero gun-related deaths!
People have always killed people and people will continue to do so until the end of time.
All I suggest is that we dont make it as easy as argumentback pocketfuneral.
Thank You.