SYNTHESIS WRITING SAMPLE

Topic: Should more gun control laws be introduced in the USA?

Authors For Against

There were 464,033 gun deaths between
1999 and 2013. Guns were the leading
cause of death by homicide (66.6% of all
Walcott homicides) and by suicide (52.2% of all
(2014) suicides). Implementing laws such as
mandatory background checks on gun
buyers could reduce the firearm deaths by
a projected 56.9%.
Between 1980 and 2009, gun bans did not
significantly affect murder rates at the state
level and states with restrictions on the
Wilshere carrying of concealed weapons had higher
(2013) gun-related murders. On the contrary,
states with the largest increases in gun
ownership have the largest drops in violent
crimes.
More gun control laws are needed to
protect women from domestic abusers
and stalkers. During the Iraq and
Gibbs Afghanistan wars, 5,364 US soldiers were
(2012) killed in action between Oct. 7, 2001 and
Jan. 28, 2015; between 2001 and 2012
6,410 women were killed with a gun by an
intimate partner in the US.
Gun control laws infringe upon the right to
self-defense and deny people a sense of
safety. 79% of male gun owners and 80% of
Adams
female gun owners said owning a gun made
(2011)
them feel safer and 64% of people living in
a home in which someone else owns a gun
felt safer.
Guns are rarely used in self-defense. In
2010 there were 230 ‘justifiable
homicides’ in which a private citizen used
Dixon
a firearm to kill a criminal that attacked
(2010)
them, compared to 8,275 incidents were
criminals themselves used guns to kill
others.
Gun education, not gun control laws, is the
best way to save young lives. Children
Wright taught about firearms and their legitimate
(2009) uses by family members have much lower
rates of delinquency than children in
households without guns.
 To begin with, there are several arguments which support the violation of the gun control laws

in the USA. First of all, in the period from 1999 to 2013 overall 463,033 deaths were counted as the

results of gun shots. 66,6% of all homicides and 52,2% of all suicides were the cause of guns. There

would be death reduction up to 56,9% if laws like strict checks on gun purchasing individuals would

be implemented (Walcott, 2014). In addition, women can be protected from home abuses and killers

by violating more laws related to gun control. From Oct 7 2001 to Jan 28, 2015 there were 5364 US

soldiers killed by gun and from 2001 to 2012 there were 6410 US women killed by gun as well during

the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (Gibbs, 2012). Overall, there are very few situations when guns are

used for self-defense. In 2010 the number of “justifiable homicides” when a person used a gun to

attack the criminal was 230, comparing with the 8275 number of deaths in which murderers shot the

guns to kill people (Dixon, 2010).

On the other hand, some people claim that there is no need to implement more gun control

laws in the USA. In the period from 1980 to 2009 at the state level there was not much significant

effect of gun buns on murder rate, murders related with guns were more spread in the states where

weapon carrying was restricted. In contrast, the largest drops in cruel crimes were noticed in states

where weapon ownership was increased (Wilshere, 2013). Secondly, human rights of self-defense are

violated by gun control laws, as people would feel less safe. 79% of men and 80% women owning a

gun said that such ownership led to better feeling of safe and 64% of individuals feel themselves safer

in the home where someone keeps a gun (Adams, 2011). Finally, the best way to save young

generation is not implementing gun control laws but gun education. Kids which are taught about

weapons and their right use by their parents would have less incidents of law infringe than kids in

families without weapons (Wright, 2009).

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