Guns: A Necessary Evil

A detailed Summary of Guns: A Necessary Evil

Few issues have inflamed American public debate more than gun control. From coast to coast, channel to channel, the nation is engaged in a deafening argument over guns. Guns are getting into the hands of people who should not have them and are being used in ways they should not be. However, that is where the agreement ends. From there, the issue explodes into a range of opposed views, posing questions with no easy answers. Using real-life surveys and criminal data obtained from the National Institute of Justice, Don B. Kates in his article, "Shot Down" states that " widespread gun ownership is a net benefit for society" (711). In "A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun" Linda M. Hasselstrom speaks about how different events in her life over the years have forced her to carry a pistol (handgun) in an effort to protect herself. Even though Kates and Hasselstrom write from different perspectives, their articles share a common message: guns shift the balance of power!

Although Kates does not draw from personal experience in "Shot Down," he does use credible research findings to support his conclusions about gun ownership and the use of guns. One of the researche

iminals. Indeed, Kleck asserts that widespread ownership of guns can actually discourage criminals from committing crimes. "Convicted robbers and burglars report that they are deterred when they think their potential targets are armed" (713). The National Institute of Justice substantiated Kleck's claim when they conducted a survey of two thousand felons in state prisons across the US. Fifty eight per cent of the criminals surveyed stated that a storeowner who keeps a gun on the premises is not going to be robbed very often.

are not broken into is because the criminals are afraid of being shot by the homeowner. Hasselstrom agrees with Kates when it comes to the use of handguns to deter crime. Hasselstrom in her essay says that she used to carry her handgun in her purse when she traveled alone. She talks about the time when a man played cat and mouse with her while she was driving through a scarcely populated part of Wyoming. The man in the other vehicle followed Hasselstrom for thirty miles at which point he tried to run her off the road. When Hasselstrom showed the man her handgun as he passed her vehicle, the man became frightened and drove off. Hasselstrom's experiences have convinced her that in order for her to be safe she must have a handgun immediately available in case she gets into a dangerous situation.

Hasselstrom, Linda M. "A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun". "The little Brown Reader. Eighth ed. Ed. Marcia Stubbs and Sylvan Barnet. New York: Longman. 2000. 692-696

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Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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