Last Name 1
Student Name
Mr. Holt
ENG 100-#
27 April 2014
Outline
Thesis: Making guns harder to obtain for the average citizen would only cause an increase in
crime because it leaves that person without a substantial amount of protection against someone
with an illegally acquired firearms.
I. Legally obtained weapons are not purchased for crimes.
A. People go hunting
B. People love to showcase firearms
C. People want protection
II. Illegal firearms are the weapons used in violent crimes
A. Stolen gun in Sandy Hook massacre
B. Illegal arms shipped across the world
C. Guns stolen from weapon stores and home
III. The solution lies in people’s awareness and a shift in focus.
A. Shift argument towards illegal firearms instead of legal ones
B. Realize that no solution will ultimately eliminate anything
Last Name 2
Student Name
Mr. Holt
ENG 100-#
27 April 2014
Arms and Legality
The recent outburst of random acts of violence has caused an uproar and a knee-jerk
reaction by society influencing those in charge to act for tighter gun laws in a hope to prevent
future school shootings, crime sprees, and other violent crimes from continuing on. Ironically,
this very course of action would ultimately result in an increase in crime because legally
obtained guns are not the issue at hand. Illegal firearms are almost unanimously the weapons
being used during violent crimes such as armed robbery, murder, and aggravated sexual assault.
Making firearms more difficult to obtain for the average American citizen would only cause an
increase in crime because it leaves that person without a substantial amount of protection against
someone with an illegally obtained firearm.
People who legally purchase firearms almost always do so for the purpose of hunting,
protection, showcasing, or any combination of the three. Crimes do not get committed with these
weapons mostly because purchasers know that the weapons can be traced and it will not be hard
for police to pinpoint the gun back to them. An increase in crime would occur with stricter gun
laws because many people would be left vulnerable to being victimized by those who have
illegally acquired a firearm. Criminals would be more likely to attack a person simply because
the probability of a person having a weapon to defend themselves would decrease dramatically.
Illegal guns are the issue behind violent crimes and crime sprees. There are two types of
illegal weapons. Some guns are shipped over from other countries on private and commercial
Last Name 3
boats to be dispersed throughout the country to be purchased on the black market on the streets
of America. This is a problem that is almost ignored by those who participate in the movement to
make guns laws stricter. Other illegal firearms, however, may have been legal at one point in
time but were stolen and now is being used by a person who is not registered to have that
weapon. In the Sandy Hook massacre, a young man stole weapons from his mother’s gun safe
then went to a nearby elementary school and slaughtered about two dozen students and faculty
members. His mother legally attained her guns, but the moment the young man seized them, they
became illegal firearms in his hands. Many people believe that if the mother was not able to
purchase those guns then her son would not have had the means to commit such a violent crime.
No one resolution can be determined to remove crime from happening because crime is a
result of sin. No matter what there will be acts of severe, insurmountable violent because this is a
violent world in which people inhabit. No law or law change could completely resolve the issue
of crime in the streets of America, but a shift in the focus of the issues could definitely play a
part in the reduction of crime and crimes sprees. The effort should shift from making it harder to
legally obtain weapons to removing the illegal weapons off the streets. Also, people who have
legally obtained their guns should make sure that their weapons are safely kept and cannot be
stolen resulting in someone now having an illegal firearm. Taking weapons from those who wish
to protect themselves will do nothing for a gang member, mobster, or anyone else who wishes to
go to an illegal arms dealer and purchase weapons for their own wrongdoing. The illegal
weapons trade is the armory that supplies criminals on the streets of America and across the
world.
