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Debate Score:8
Arguments:5
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Should Americans Be Allowed Guns?

This is a perspective debate. I have provided four categories for responses, but if you don't feel your argument fits you can create your own.

In this case, 'Americans' refers to citizens of the USA.

The default categories are: Unconditionally, With Certain Regulations, In Special Circumstances, and Never.


Have fun :)

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3 points

A little bit ago I wanted to compare all states that had Right-to-Carry laws to all states that didn't, year by year. I define a Right-to-Carry state as a state with 'shall issue' or open laws.

So, I gathered the statistical murder rates for each state(number of murders per 100,000 people) for each year from 1980 to 2009. I then sorted each statistic, year by year, into each category(RTC or non-RTC). I also totaled the populations of all RTC and non-RTC states each year, and got the murder rate per 100,000 people as an aggregate. I didn't simply average the murder rates.

I also decided to delay switching a state from non-RTC to RTC until 3 years after the law changed, to allow a significant portion of citizens to start carrying guns. I have attached a link to the chart I got(Chart is smoothed).

A very stark contrast shows in the early years, as many states with very high averages kept the non-RTC line way above the RTC line. When all of these high-murder-rate states switched to RTC, the RTC line was still able to decline each year, and those high rate states dropped 20%-60% with the new laws.

As with any statistics, this isn't perfect, but it's a strong argument for allowing citizens to carry guns.

Supporting Evidence: Murder Rates (15minutememory.com)
Side: With Certain Regulations
2 points

I believe that every American has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Inherent in those rights are the rights to self-defense, and defense of family, friends, and property.

I don't support the idea of banning guns in America in any way, shape, or form. The fact is that the US shares a 2,000 mile border with Mexico, and large amounts of drugs and weapons are able to be smuggled in over that border. Any banning of guns would only serve to take away guns from law abiding citizens, leaving us unarmed against criminals.

Criminologists Kleck and Gertz did a survey[1] and found that Americans use guns in self-defense approximately 1.5 million times a year. 15% of those events, the person believed a life was critically in danger. Only 8% of those times was a bullet ever fired. 92% of the time, guns deter crime without escalating a situation.

A study by the Department of Justice[2] found similar statistics, between 1 million and 4.7 million defensive gun uses each year. Law-abiding citizens stop crimes and save lives more than we hear about. Unfortunately, someone stopping a crime isn't as newsworthy as the occasional crazed gunman.

My stance is that reasonable regulations, such as background checks to look for criminal activity or mental instability, don't infringe on a person's right to self-defense, and protect the rights of all citizens against those who could do us harm.

[1] http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/KleckAndGertz1.htm

[2] http://www.tscm.com/165476.pdf

Side: With Certain Regulations
1 point

Absolutely!!! If somebody breaks in and they have a gun, do you bring a knife to a gun fight and get shot before you can get to them? Or do you grab a pistol, rifle, shotgun and blow their f*ing heads off? I myself will not allow somebody to hurt my family so I dont care weather I may go to jail or not, youre not gonna touch my family or I will kill you on sight.

Side: Protection for Home

No. There is too much gun violence in America. Guns should be banned.

Side: Protection for Home

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a startling revelation for 2015. It is projected that deaths from guns will surpass deaths from car fatalities in 2015. An estimated 33,000 Americans will lose their lives from guns as opposed to an estimated 32,000 Americans who will die in car accidents.

The gun violence in America is an American Shame!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-12-19/american-gun-deaths-to-exceed-traffic-fatalities-by-2015

Side: Protection for Home