Is Gun Violence Due To Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?
Jonathan Drew/AP
The killings of two journalists in Virginia last week have reignited a national conversation on mass shootings and gun control.
No one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns, but different parties point in different directions when it comes to laying the blame for gun violence or proposing appropriate policies moving forward.
Some point to dangerous people. In an interview with CNN, the father of one of the journalists who was murdered last week called for "sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns." In a radio interview after the shooting, Sen. John McCain argued that the government needs to identify people who are mentally ill and more effectively keep them from obtaining guns.
Others point to dangerous guns. In an interview in the wake of last week's shootings, a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre highlighted America's unusually easy access to hazardous firearms: "We don't have a monopoly on people disgruntled at work or people suffering from mental illness. What we do have is unique accessibility to dangerous firearms that we allow in this country to exist."
Last year, President Obama suggested that the U.S. follow Australia's example by adopting a strict ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons. Australia hasn't had a mass shooting since it enacted the legislation in 1996. Meanwhile, by some counts, America has had a mass shooting approximately every two weeks, with 2015 being the most deadly year yet.
Framing the debate in terms of people versus guns isn't just a matter of emphasis. The National Rifle Association, for example, has typically gone for the former approach, which cuts against the idea that ownership of dangerous guns should be restricted for all people. Instead, the group calls for a national database to better track "lunatics" who shouldn't buy guns.
On the other hand, mental health professionals worry about the impact of emphasizing mental illness as a causal factor in mass shootings, which could — to quote an article by David Crary — lead to "setbacks to their efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness."
In fact, epidemiological evidence suggests that people with serious mental illness are somewhat more likely than the general population to commit violent acts toward others. Yet the vast majority do not do so. And when they do, other factors are often involved, such as substance abuse and violent victimization in their own lives. If the comparison between the U.S. and Australia is an apt one, there's good reason to think that policies targeting dangerous guns will be more effective than those targeting the mentally ill, who are not — for the most part — dangerous people. (At least, not dangerous to others. Suicide is much more common among those with serious mental illness.)
Putting issues of effective prevention aside, emphasizing dangerous people versusguns could have a real impact on people's attitudes toward gun control and toward the mentally ill. A nationally representative survey with 1,797 respondents, conducted in 2012 and reported in a 2013 paper published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, set out to investigate precisely this issue.
In the study, respondents answered a series of questions after hearing one of three news stories (or, in the control condition, after no story at all). The three news stories reported a mass shooting perpetrated by a man with a history of serious mental illness. However, two of the stories went on to provide additional information, emphasizing either dangerous people or dangerous guns. For instance, the news story emphasizing dangerous people included the following:
The news story about dangerous guns instead included the text below, with the key differences indicated (here) in bold:
The researchers were interested not only in whether reading these different news stories would influence people's views about appropriate gun legislation, but also whether they would have different implications for people's attitudes toward the mentally ill.
Overall, they found that hearing any of the news stories about the mass shooting increased support for a ban on the sale of high-capacity gun magazines and had a negative impact in respondents' attitudes toward the mentally ill: They were less willing to have a person with serious mental illness start working closely with them on a job, and they were less willing to have a person with serious mental illness as a neighbor.
But the news stories with different emphases weren't equivalent in their effects: Those who read the news story that emphasized dangerous guns supported a ban on high-capacity gun magazines more strongly. The two texts did not, however, have significantly different effects when it came to attitudes toward the mentally ill or gun restrictions for people with serious mental illness. This could be because the baseline levels of support for gun restrictions for people with serious mental illness were already high across the board: More than 70 percent of the respondents who didn't read any of the news stories supported increasing federal funding to enable such restrictions.
The researchers also suggested more subtle ways in which an emphasis on dangerous people over dangerous guns could alter attitudes toward policy. Previous research has found, for example, that people are more likely to support policy efforts when they hold society — not isolated individuals — responsible for the issue the policy aims to address. "By focusing respondents' attention on serious mental illness as a causal factor," the authors write, "messages about gun restrictions for persons with serious mental illness may lead the public to see mass shootings as isolated events, perpetrated by a small group of individuals, which gun control policy cannot prevent."
In fact, Pew polling data collected shortly after the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 found that Americans are split when it comes to their beliefs concerning the root causes of mass shootings: 44 percent said they are "just the isolated acts of troubled individuals"; 47 percent indicated that they "reflect broader problems in society."
Whether those broader problems concern gun regulation, our mental health system, or both, these findings suggest we might do well to shift our focus entirely. If it isn't just a matter of dangerous people or dangerous guns, but of dangerous structural problems at the level of society, that makes all of us responsible.
Tania Lombrozo is a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She writes about psychology, cognitive science and philosophy, with occasional forays into parenting and veganism. You can keep up with more of what she is thinking on Twitter: @TaniaLombrozo
I am so excited to discuss this topic because I have a lot of opinions on this particular subject. Going off the saying, 'Guns don't shoot people, People shoot people' I completely disagree when the article says something about how the murder points to dangerous guns. Yes, I agree on the fact that we have such close accessibility to these weapons. However, all of that is due to the laws that allow us to obtain these guns. In the article, one of the victim's father called for, " 'sensible laws so that crazy people don't get guns' " (Lombrozo). I agree with Sen. John McCain that the government needs to do a more effective job to keep guns away from mentally ill people. Also, I feel that the government needs to hospitalize, and take care of mentally ill people. Withholding guns from them is one thing, but what happens if they get hold of a knife or a baseball bat? Those items are just as dangerous as a gun. In conclusion, I think that the government needs to do a better job of taking care of all mentally ill people, because people kill people. "No one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns" (Lombrozo).
ReplyDeleteI believe that gun violence is due to dangerous people. I'm not saying that guns are not violent, I am just saying that guns should be in responsible hands. If the dangerous gun is in safe and responsible hands, than there wouldn't be any violence in the first place. It can also be the buyer of the gun, who can be physco. On the news, it is usually a mentally ill person going on these killing sprees. So in the end, I believe it is dangerous people who kill.
ReplyDeleteCameron Stone P6 --
ReplyDeleteGun violence is due to dangerous people that have access to guns. Guns are dangerous, but systems are in place to make them as safe as possible. The independent variable is the person who owns the gun. 44 percent of shootings have been "just the acts of troubled individuals". A person can choose what they do with a gun. The gun does not choose to pull the trigger.
I love how they have come up with the idea to talk about gun safety. This is an important matter where accidents happen all over the world that deal with guns, but are they really just "accidents". I totally believe that guns can be dangerous if left in the wrong hands, but I don't believe this is the guns fault. I agree with the statement that John McCain argued on the radio stating that the "government needs to identify people who are mentally ill, or who have had a prior accident with a gun before"(Drew paragraph 3). I feel like this would make us more safer around the world if guns we put away when not needed, and never left in the wrong hands.
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
People who use guns in the wrong way shouldn't be able to carry guns. "In an interview with CNN, the father of one of the journalists who was murdered last week called for 'sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns.'" I agree with this statement because it is not the guns fault, it is the person's fault. People who are mentally unstable should not be able to carry weapons, it could be in the wrong hands. Most shootings are caused by mentally unstable people. It is not the gun's fault, it's the person's fault. It's what they choose to do with the weapon.
ReplyDeleteI am on the side of dangerous people are the problem because guns can't pull the trigger themselves, even with our technology now. Sure, there are dangerous guns out there that can shoot 100 bullets automatically, but there is still a dangerous person behind that gun pulling the trigger. Now the question is whether these dangerous people are mentally-ill, may be abusing alcohol or drugs, or if they just need to get some anger out (in a very aggressive and uneccessary way). "...mental health professionals worry about the impact of emphasizing mental illness as a causal factor in mass shootings" as stated in one of the paragraphs above. We can't balme it on the mentally-ill all the time because now a days anybody an easily get to a dangerous weapon without questioning. Once again, someone has to be behind that gun pulling the trigger before anyone can blame it on the gun for a disaster.
ReplyDeleteEmily Bobrowsky, Period 1
I am a strong believer in people behind the gun kill others not the gun itself. Some people definetly should not own firearms. As John McCain says,"The government needs to identify people who are mentally ill and more effectively keep them from obtaining guns." I one hundred percent support this statement. The reason for 65,000 Americans being shot was mainly because of people who should have never owned a gun in the first place. These people who shot the victims were most likely either mentally unstable, or involved with drugs or other illegal trade. Again I want to emphasize that guns don't kill people, people kill people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that gun violence is due to dangerous people. People who are mentally ill should not be allowed to have guns, because you never know what they're going to do. The reason why that so many people are getting killed due to gun violence is because the person who had the gun was dangerous. If dangerous people stop owning guns, then there will be less gun violence.
ReplyDelete- Sheila Ordukhani per2
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ReplyDeleteGuns themselves are not the ones pulling the trigger; the people behind them are. Just as Kim Jones says, "we have to do something to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people." Even if there are laws that restrict who can own guns, they can still get into the hands of anyone. Whether it be the mentally ill, drug and alcohol abusers, or just the sick-minded, people can not be trusted with guns. Unstable people should not have guns. Maybe the real question is "How do we know who is safe and who is dangerous?" People choose their actions; It is not the guns' fault.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Lasecke Per. 2
I feel that gun violence is due to violent people, not dangerous guns. The gun itself cannot kill a person unless it is controlled by anther person. Sure, all guns are dangerous, some more than others, but they are sold, bought, and used by the real dangerous element.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGun violence is because of people. People are the ones that make the choices to buy the gun, to arm it, and to do terrible things with it. The gun itself is not making the decision to mass kill hundreds of thousands of people; the person processing the gun is. Owning a dangerous gun is not the problem; it is the kind of people that own the dangerous guns. A parent could own a dangerous gun, only for safety reasons, and keep it out of sight and out of reach of children. Everyone that buys a gun, should have a background check. It does not matter if he or she is mentally ill or not. Gun sales should be dealt with care, and the customers buying the guns should be checked. People, unfortunately, are capable of making awful and terrible decisions when owning guns.
ReplyDeleteGun violence is most likely a combination of both dangerous guns and dangerous people. I do not know much about guns, but a more strict background check when buying a gun would probably be smart, and the more deadly ones (like automatic ones that can get off like 30 bullets without reloading) should have a separate permit to own ( i'm kind of guessing they do, but i don't know). If you really think about this though, it is not so much the guns themselves that are dangerous (they are still dangerous in general), but the people that are dangerous. At least in the way this article talks about it. It is the people who own the guns and decide to do these horrible things with them that are the problem. Maybe someone should try to find factors in common between the people who committed the shootings to perhaps find the real cause of the danger.
ReplyDeleteMadelyn Daynes per.6
Cam Allie Period 1
ReplyDeleteI believe it is the person behind the gun that kills people. Pulling a trigger is a choice, and this is why gun violence is due to dangerous people. I personally think (based on statistics) that too many mentally unstable individuals are getting too easy of access on guns. Whether they stole it out of their parents' safe or not, there is not enough of a close eye on these kind of people. Strict background checks must be present when an individual purchases a gun, and even further than that. If they have any problems or face any personal difficulties, they should not even be able to touch a gun. I agree when the father of one of the journalists stated "Sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns." I also agree with the dangerous guns aspect because our country does allow easy access the owning a gun without completely knowing how the person will respond with this weapon. Overall, usually if a crazy person is desperate for a gun, he will find a way to get one. However, there are better ways to prevent this in America.
I agree that it is dangerous people, not dangerous guns. I believe that yes there should a restriction on who can buy a gun, they should need to take a sanity test, or something along those lines. But I also agree with the fact that there should also be a restriction on which guns can be available for purchase by the general public. Like other people have stated, it does not matter if the gun is dangerous if it is in the correct hands! So in the end i believe that it is the person that is dangerous, not always the gun.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really smart to talk about the safety of guns. I think that everything that happens with guns can be called an "accident" but it really isn't. I agree with John McCain when he says "government needs to identify people who are mentally ill" (Drew Paragraph 3). I think guns are only dangerous if left in the wrong hands. I also think that banding guns isn't going to fix the problem its the person holding the gun.
ReplyDeleteKaci Pebley
2
I believe that people are dangerous and that guns become dangerous when put in dangerous hands. And as the article says, “no one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns.” But, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. When put in irresponsible hands, they become very threatening. I also agree with the idea that they should, “enter people with serious mental illness into the background check system used by gun dealers to identify people prohibited from buying guns.” This will result in lowering the risk of a gun landing in the hands of someone with a serious mental illness.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Willis- Period 5
I think that gun violence is caused mostly by the person wielding it. Of course the gun causes harm, that is what the gun is made to do, so you cannot really blame an object that can't think or do anything on it's own. Putting a gun into a person with a serious mental illness or an agrressive nature is dangerous. I think people with a history should not be able to carry lethal firearms.
ReplyDelete-Muzamil Ahmad p.6
I believe that gun violence is caused by the person handling the gun, not the gun. It's not fair to blame an object instead of the person themselves for doing the crime. The government should definitely do a better job at background checks when guns are being sold to people. It's not necessarily hard to get a gun, so that's why it should be taken very seriously. "No one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns" (Lombrozo). Putting a deadly weapon into dangerous hands can be extremely costly and dangerous to people around them.
ReplyDeleteRachael Badgley, Period 6
Michelle Koopman, per. 1
ReplyDeleteGuns are not the dangerous part about shootings. A gun can not just decide to pick it's self up and walk into a public place and start shooting people. The person who owns the gun does that. They are many people who own guns and just about never use them and there are more still who own a gun and just have it sitting in a safe for self protection. Many people like John McCain "argued that the government needs to identify people who are mentally ill and more effectively keep them from obtaining guns" however this does not fix the problem. Plenty of shootings are done by people who are not mentally ill. So even if we have a better way of screening for mental illnesses then we would still have several shootings. The most effective way to stop the shooting all together would be to do what Austrelia has done and ban guns all together. However then what happens to them, and their owners who spent a fair amount of money of the guns?
I feel that the problem of the mass shootings is more of a combination between dangerous guns and dangerous people rather than an individual idea. While guns are becoming increasingly easier and easier to handle, and even easier to mishandle, dangerous people seem to be increasing in excess. It seems to me that the problem isn't really mental instabilities or gun law, but more that people seem to have an even lower respect for life than they did a couple hundred years ago.
ReplyDeleteI am strongly convinced that massive gun shootings are caused mainly by dangerous people who should not be allowed to have posession over an armed weapon. If someone is mentally ill, it is uncertain of the kinds of things that the person will do which is why they should not be allowed to own something that could harm themselves or someone else. In this article entitled "Is Gun Violence Due to Dangerous People or Dangerous Guns," Tonia Lombrozo argues "Last year, President Obama suggested that the U.S. follow Australia's example by adopting a strict ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons" (Lombrozo). This ban is not unecessary because it is the people who have power of the guns that are the problem. The guns don't magically shoot at people by themselves.
ReplyDeleteFaith Rosenberry :)
Paragraph 5 states "2015 being the most deadly year yet (Drew 5)" because of this I believe it is a topic we should definitely talk about. Guns are a very dangerous weapon, but the people with the guns should be the concern. People with mental illnesses or a criminal background should not be about to get a hold of guns. But people who are responsible should be able to own guns. Guns are dangerous, but the one behind the trigger is the real danger.
ReplyDeleteZayne Beckman
Per. 5
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ReplyDeleteIt is between which one is more dangerous, the guns or the ones who are using them? It is certainly the person because the gun can not just go off on its own. The gun gets filled with bullets, has a trigger which only goes off if someone presses it. The gun goes off by the command of the trigger being pulled which leads to the one who controls it, which they decide what they want to do with it. Just remember the gun is the follower but the one behind it is the leader.
ReplyDeleteAlayna Texley
Per. 2
I believe that gun violence is caused by the people that are behind the gun. I don't think that dangerous guns are the problem because the person behind the gun has control over what is going on. In this article it says, "What we do have is unique accessibility to dangerous firearms that we allow in this country to exist" (Drew). I think that this statement is true and that people are obtaining guns too easily.
ReplyDeleteGun violence is a big problem but it is not the gun itself that is causing the violence. The people who decide to buy and register for a gun just to kill people are the ones causing a problem. If the president decides to restrict gun privileges he's denying citizens of the second amendment, which is immoral of a person to do no matter how much power they have. It's the human behind the gun that pulls the trigger, the gun doesn't pull the trigger itself. Drew stated, "...people with serious mental illness are somewhat more likely than the general population to commit violent acts toward others." Instead of limiting gun privileges, as a community we should help these people who have mental illnesses, and not blame guns.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Hum per. 1
Gun violence is a very prevalent issue in today world. But guns aren't the problem, the people with their hands on them are. Guns can be dangerous but they can only be dangerous if the person using it wants it to be. "America has had a mass shooting approximately every two weeks, with 2015 being the most deadly", Lambozo states. The only reason America hss had mass shootings is because of the people who own the guns. Most of the shooters in the recent shootings, have been found to have some type mental illness. If the U.S can find a way to stop people with metal illness's from getting guns, then there won't be a problem.
ReplyDeleteAs we have seen in the news in the past few days, weeks, and months we are beginning to realize how big of a problem gun control really is. Now that people and experts have started to understand the root or cause of mass shootings, we have learned that the "mentally ill" are one of the main contributors to deadly gun use. Increasing background and health record checks for people who purchase guns would help immensely. I also believe adopting Australia's law that strictly bans semi-automatic and automatic weapons would increase national security. The following quote proves how this law has been successful: "Australia hasn't had a mass shooting since it enacted the legislation in 1996". In conclusion, increasing background and health record checks, and adopting Australia's gun law would make this country safer for ourselves and our posterity.
ReplyDeleteJonPaul Lambert Period 1
Before I started reading, the tile of the article " Is Gun Violence Due to Dangerous People or Dangerous guns?". This title made me think about the use of guns. This invention's purpose was to either wound or kill. The reason why I say this is because guns are dangerous, but in my opinion the person who holds the gun and shoots at innocent lives are more dangerous. When I started reading the article, the topic about "gun control" came up, due to "The killing of two journalist in Virginia last week have reignited a national conversation on mass shooting and gun control.".(Is Gun Violence Due to Dangerous People or Dangerous guns)
ReplyDeleteI'd find it a bit silly, that they finally talk about the restriction of guns just because two journalist died yet in the article says " America has had a mass shooting approximately every two weeks, with 2015 being the most deadly year yet." although I'm glad they want to talk about it a bit more. The article talks about how people with serious mental issues shouldn't obtain a gun. In the article Epidemiological evidence say people with serious mental illness are more likely to do violent acts towards other individuals. There were two stories in the article, one talked about a spokesperson from a group, her name is " Kim Jones". She talks about Congress, that it is considering the legislation to have states enter serious mentally ill people to a system that gun dealers point out who bought purchased a gun. The other story was basically an alteration of the first, but it talks about banning guns that has huge ammunition. My overall thoughts of this article still makes me believe, that some people who holds guns, and uses it the wrong are very dangerous.
- Tyra Cardenas, 5th Period.
Jacob Walter - Per. 2
ReplyDeleteGun violence is not the problem in the world today. It is the people with the guns that are the real problem. Gun licencing should be more specific as in asking if the person has any mental health problems and follow their answer up with a background check. Guns are a very serious thing in the world and we need to start taking them more seriously. People with guns were guilty for over "65,000 Americans shot" and they have to "do something to keep the dangerous guns off of our streets" (Jones). If this is such a big problem why is it not one of the main focal points in the governments eyes?
I think that gun violence is caused by dangerous people. A gun cannot possibly fire by itself, and nothing else is to blame except the person holding it. Obtaining a gun is not extremely difficult these days, so more restrictions should be put in place of who can have one. People who are mentally ill or have criminal backgrounds should not be able to possess a gun because they're likely to be irresponsible with it. Not everyone can be trusted with a gun.
ReplyDeleteHannah Miller, per. 2
I feel that dangerous people should be the main focus for gun safety rather than dangerous weapons. The truth is, a dangerous person doesn't need an AK in order to kill people. That person can do the job with the cheapest pistol on the market. What we need is background checks and high-tech systems to keep the crazies out. I call for " a national database to better track lunatics who shouldn't be buying guns" (National Rifle Association). With this idea we could have a safer world.
ReplyDeleteA gun isn't able to pull its own trigger. A gun doesn't become dangerous until it's in the wrong hands. If there are reasonable restrictions on guns then the country would be a safer place. As far as worrying about de-stigmatizing mental illness that shouldn't be a priority over public safety. It's safe to say a mentally ill person shouldn't under any circumstances have a gun. There's no reason to have a gun when you can't even take care of yourself and make logical choices on a day to day basis. A person should be allowed to own a gun after a thorough background check. A responsible citizen should have the right to carry a gun if it makes them feel more at ease. - Sabrina Shaw Per. 4
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen choosing which is more dangerous in gun violence; the people or the guns, I believe it is a combination of both. I think the key to solving this problem is to find a balance of restricting people and guns, but a perfect balance will never be achieved. The people behind the mass shootings are definitely part of the problem. Lots of these people have some sort of mental illness. There should definitely be some kind of screening or test everyone has to take before they are able to own a gun. This will not weed out all of the people capable of mass shootings. Many people seem sane and normal, but are capable of great evil. I think another big part of the problem is the guns we are allowed to own. There is no reason why anyone should own a semi-automatic or automatic weapon. There is no use for them in a “normal” life what so ever, besides war. I agree with the suggestion Obama made about automatic weapons when he:" suggested that the U.S. follow Australia's example by adopting a strict ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons"(Lombrozo).
ReplyDeleteRenee Gibson, period 2
After reading this article i honestly think that guns themselves aren't dangerous. but the people behind them are. A gun cant pull its own trigger, that choice is made by the person holding the gun. I believe it should be harder to get a gun than it already is. They should make the gun laws more strict so not just everyone can get one.
ReplyDeleteKatrina Ayala Per. 1
I say nix 'em both. Alright now a serious answer it is my personal belief that both guns and people need to be managed better. Someone with a history of mental instability should not be able to buy a gun. Additionally there is no reason to own some of the larger available guns in the U.S. Now as to who is more dangerous I say both are equal parts of a catastrophic reaction. Without guns dangerous people would be less dangerous, but without people the guns are useless. I think the best solution for this problem is to place stronger restrictions on guns, more intensive and thorough background checks on buyers, and to make therapy more socially acceptable.
ReplyDeleteBen Weaver
Period 6
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ReplyDeleteGun violence is caused by dangerous people, not dangerous weapons. People with serious mental illnesses should not be allowed to have a gun because they could be unstable and hurt other people or themselves. " In an interview with CNN, the father of one of the journalists who was murdered last week called for ' sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns'" (Lombrazo). I agree with what the father is saying because it makes sense that people who can handle themselves can handle guns. If someone can't take care of them self then they shouldn't be allowed to have a gun. This would help to keep everyone safer.
ReplyDeleteAlena Romero Period 5
Gun violence is an important issue in today's society. There has been an increase in mass/random shootings in our nation. This has posed the question; are guns the problem or is it people who have serious issues? I say that guns are not the problem. Guns have been around since the birth of our country, and only lately have they been called into question. Is it the media who is focusing on it more that is adding to the problem? Maybe by focusing on it so much it is put into the heads of damaged people who see it as a way out. We cannot place blame on an inanimate object. Instead we should focus on better mental health care in our country. One in ten Americans is on anti-depressants, and that is only accounting for the people who have sought help. I am guessing there are many more untreated people who need help. We need to figure out a way to spot a person who may need help earlier. I am sure there were many warning signs prior to any of the mass shootings.
ReplyDeleteHaley Esquibel Per: 1
It's very obvious that guns are extremely dangerous weapons, but, as cheesy as it sounds, humans are the most dangerous weapons we have. Guns obviously don't just get up and start shooting people, people shoot people. There's a saying that guns don't kill people, people kill people, and I completely agree with that. If someone shoots someone you would say "He/she killed them" not "The gun killed them". Guns are definitely needed for some things, but we shouldn't let them get into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, it's quite near impossible to keep track of every single gun made so we can't really do anything about that. In the perfect world though, only certain people who would be allowed to have them.
ReplyDeleteSandra Bedolla Per. 2
Guns are violent becasuse of the certain people that use them improper and make horrible decisions. guns can be used in a great way but only by those permited to do so. The only people that should have guns are the law enforcement.
ReplyDeleteThe gun itself isn't the dangerous part. It is the person behind it. Of course, guns are deadly weapons... if put in the hands of the wrong people. If everyone is educated on gun safety and caution at a young age, we can avoid accidents. However when it comes to "sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns", this task is a lot easier said than done. There will always somehow be anyone to get ahold of a gun. It is impossible to run a background check and a mental health check on every single person who purchases a gun. However I do believe there should be some sort of way to avoid giving them to the wrong people, which could potentially lead to a fatal disaster.
ReplyDeleteGina Tarry Period 4
The problem is not the guns. Having people that are incapable of using them appropriately is the PROBLEM. As is says in the article "65,000 Americans have been shot due to gun violence" (Jones). This is evidence that shows that people are responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. The guns are not the problem they don't shoot themselves. Clearly its the humans using them
ReplyDelete-Brady Rodriguez
The people pulling the trigger are the real problem. It is their decision to shoot, not the gun's. People's mental state/health needs to be checked before purchasing a gun. When you hear about people that commit mass shootings, you can easily tell that they're not in their right mind. Although guns are dangerous weapons, the real problem is the dangerous people owning and shooting these guns.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is the people who are dangerous because they are the ones making the decision whether to pull the trigger or not. Of course guns are dangerous but the guns aren't the ones doing the killing. one of the experiment articles for people to read whether that people or guns are more dangerous explains, "With more than 65,000 Americans shot in an attack last year, we have to do something to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, said Kim Jones" (Jones). This shows that the people are the danger and not the gun. A gun doesn't have a mind of its own, it can't just get up walk outside and start shooting, the holder of the gun makes the decisions whether the gun is to be fired or not.
ReplyDeleteGuns are very dangerous. People can hurt themselves and others on accident. They also can hurt other people on purpose or to get something that they want from them. Guns should be used at shooting ranges for young people. Younger people owning guns is a risky situation. Richard Hull period 2
ReplyDeleteIn the article, "Is Gun Violence Due To Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?" there is talk about whether guns kill people, or people kill people. Guns have the bad reputation of being dangerous and violent. But guns are not the problem. It is the people shooting them. Having gun control or not is a bit of a double edged sword. If gun control is in place, the people that own guns in their homes for protection against intruders will not be allowed to use them, and the people that would misuse guns to harm people would get them illegally through the black market, or elsewhere. Leaving homes unprotected and dangerous people in possession of illegal firearms. But if gun control is not in place, and anyone could purchase a gun at their local convenient store, people with good intentions and people with bad intention would both have access to guns.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that guns are dangerous. Guns are only dangerous in the hands that they are put into. It is not just the weapon itself that creates these mass shootings and what not, it is the people behind it. I understand that guns are not a child's toy but I do not think they should ban guns from being seized from the public. Blaming guns for shootings is like blaming spoons and forks for making people fat. Ryan Brown Period 2
ReplyDeleteOver the past few years gun violence has become an unfortunate trend. "With more than 65,000 Americans shot in an attack last year, we have to do something to keep dangerous guns off our streets"(Kim Jones). When guns get in the hands of the wrong people bad things can clearly happen. It is not the gun that pulls the trigger it is the person behind it. There needs to be a system implanted that determines if a person is mentally stable enough to possess a gun. Gabi LaBeaux p.6
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, personally I don't think guns are dangerous. Guns themselves can be used for many great purposes, but just like some other comments said, "guns are only dangerous in the hands they are put into". Guns can be used for defense mechanisms. While guns are not for everybody, I don't think they should be banned. That is unfair to everyone else who would never abuse the power of having a gun.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn Guevarra Per. 1
I would have to disagree with Kaitlyn because guns are dangerous, they where made to kill, and there is no way in telling truly if someone is dangerous or not. A lot of the time when shootings happen its from normal people who suddenly had a change of heart. The article reads that "In fact, epidemiological evidence suggests that people with serious mental illness are somewhat more likely than the general population to commit violent acts toward others" (Lembrozo). So if we can not blame the mentally ill, we can't blame "dangerous people", we can only blame ourselves as a whole. By completely banning guns it would solve this problem. Although, I know a lot of people would be outraged and don't want to realize that they are apart of the problem.
DeleteBrooke Martinez p5
A gun by itself is not dangerous. It is the responsibility of the gun owner to use it properly. The vast majority of gun owners in the United States are responsible and well-trained in gun ownership. Unfortunately a large majority of mass killings have been committed by mentally ill individuals. Although David Cray's article says that putting the blame on mentally unstable people could — lead to "setbacks to their efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness," you cannot deny the facts that most of the serious mass gun violence incidences have been committed by unstable individuals. There needs to be much stricter guidelines in place for people wanting to own a gun, including a mental evaluation. Yes, it will be expensive, but can we afford not to do it?
ReplyDeleteRhys Kennedy Per. 6
In the article, "Is Gun Violence Due To Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?" many shocking facts are presented about gun violence. We as a society need to make rules about who and who can not purchase guns. The types of guns available to the public should be restricted to non-automatic guns. Furthermore, to buy a gun an individual should have to go through a series of tests and have an assessment done by a doctor. Data has shown that most people who commit gun violence are mentally unstable. The guns are not the only problem, the ease to obtain them is a big factor. If we want to stop gun violence society needs to increase the difficulty of acquiring a gun, and limit the more dangerous guns from the public.
ReplyDeleteAmar Dhillon Period 2
Jaden Zalkind
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Is Gun Violence Due to Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?", there are many facts that support that it is dangerous guns that are the issue, and there is evidence that there is dangerous people. There are dangerous guns that are available to the public and those guns usually can't be handled by regular citizens. But overall, the person has to be dangerous for there to be gun violence, someone has to pull the trigger.
I believe that guns should not be accessible to the general public but, a gun by itself is not dangerous. It is the responsibility of the gun owner to be responsible with the weapon and use it correctly. The vast majority of gun owners in the United States are responsible and well-trained in gun ownership, unfortunatley it only takes one mentally ill gun owner to kill a lot of people. . Although David Cray's article says that putting the blame on mentally unstable people could — lead to "setbacks to their efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness," you cannot deny the facts that many of the most serious mass gun violence incidences have been committed by people with a form of mental illness. There needs to be much stricter guidelines in terms of who is able to buy and own a gun. Some are concerned about the price of evaluating everybody who wants to own a gun, but the cost of losing lifes to a mass shooting is much greater.
ReplyDeleteSarah Moghaddam period 1
I believe the American people should not have relatively easy access to semiautomatic or automatic fire arms. With 65,000 Americans shot this year, it is not wise to allow dangerous weapons to fall in the hands of dangerous people. I personally do not see any reason to have a weapon like this in the first place. Weapons themselves are dangerous, but people are the ones killing people. People should not have access to the semiautomatic or automatic firearms because they are not necessary.
ReplyDeleteBailey Smith Period 1
I believe that it is dangerous people not weapons because there are many people that don't harm anyone and use it just for protection. yes it might be a good idea to not allow people to have dangerous guns but how would people protect themselves if they need. But the people who do harm people its not because they just bout a weapon and they want to use it it's because they are messed up in the head and want to harm other people. I do believe that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take away weapons from people but i believe that the problem is dangerous people not dangerous weapons.
ReplyDeleteGun control is a huge issue in the United states. The chance of a gun going to the wrong person is very high and should be more closely monitored. Although on the contrary, people who use guns correctly can provide protection for themselves and their families without endangering others. The statement "We don't have a monopoly on people disgruntled at work or people suffering from mental illness. What we do have is unique accessibility to dangerous firearms that we allow in this country to exist." (Lombozo) shows how we need to more closely monitor the guns we give out. If we can properly chose the people who receive them, such as people who have a locked safe and don't do concealed or open carry, they will be available when necessary.
ReplyDeleteLasse Nordahl Period 6
Recently, gun violence has become an all too popular topic in the U.S. I believe that people cannot blame guns for these violent acts, but the person behind the it. I believe that the government needs to pass "sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns." And that "the government needs to identify people who are mentally ill and more effectively keep them from obtaining guns." Guns are inanimate objects and they do what ever the beholder demands. So it is not right to restrict gun use from the public. Guns should be limited, and not issued to anyone with any history of a mental disability.
ReplyDelete-Sydney period 2
Guns do kill people, but guns don't just come alive, load themselves, aim and fire at people by themselves. I do believe that they should just make it harder to get a gun, instead of banning them. People still need self defense and hunters need to hunt. Maybe a background check or something, so you don't give a crazy person a gun, or someone with a mental 'problem'.
ReplyDelete-Chaz Breshears period 5
There has been a lot of talk of gun violence. Should we ban guns? Should we decide who gets guns? People who have been proven responsible to handle a firearm should get one. The public should also not have access to automatic weapons. Automatic weapons are far more deadly and kill people more than non automatic guns. There should also be more strict laws on concealed weapons.
ReplyDeleteParker Blomquist P.5
The problem is not the guns it is the people using them. If a person is not able to keep a gun responsibly then they should not be able to have a gun. If the person shows they can be responsible with a gun they should be allowed to have a gun. Guns don't shoot themselves it's the people who use them.
ReplyDelete-John Fortino per. 5
After reading this article it is heartbreaking to hear that two people have fallen victim to this shooting. I feel gun violence is primarily due to dangerous people with intentions to kill. I find it puzzling though because how can you tell if a person is dangerous? To answer that you cant... That is why so many people are murdered in shooting each year. Anyone is allowed to purchase a weapon. Since you cant regulate who buy weapons I feel as if it would be easy to just not allow the public to own them unless for a specific reason. This relates to what Australia did "Last year, President Obama suggested that the U.S. follow Australia's example by adopting a strict ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons. Australia hasn't had a mass shooting since it enacted the legislation in 1996 (Lombrozo). If you can regulate the amount of guns in a country it will eventually help lower the rate of shootings. I think the United States should adopt a policy like this
ReplyDelete- Zach Potter Per. 5
Gun control should be regulated and enforced because of certain people using guns. The only reason why shootings breakout is because of mental health. If they are mentally healthy there would be peace and not violence. 44 percent said they are "just the isolated acts of troubled individuals"; 47 percent indicated that they "reflect broader problems in society"(Lomborozo). If people do shootings because of problems in society then that means the thought of society is crazy enough to shoot which means they are not in a healthy state of mind since shootings will cause more chaos and hurt society. The more regulations we put on guns will cause conflict and if somebody is going to shoot up a place they will not buy it legally so making more laws against guns will make conflict instead of fixing the bigger problem, illegal distribution of fire arms.
ReplyDeletei agree with Sen. John McCain we need to not allow crazy people that have a type of disorder or some thing wrong with them than they cant buy a gun." In a radio interview after the shooting, Sen. John McCain argued that the government needs to identify people who are mentally ill and more effectively keep them from obtaining guns." All crazy people with something wrong with them and they have to have papers or something to prove that they are able to buy a gun and will not injure any one.
ReplyDeleteI think that guns are alright, but we must regulate one time from American Dad Hayley (Stan's daughter) told his dad that guns kill people. So Stan put his gun on the table and said "go ahead gun kill someone" and than he goes on in saying "exactly your point is invalid". So it is completely up too the person if he wants to kill somebody or not. Which means that the government needs to decide who does and doesn't have the privilege to hold a gun. - Anthony Cosentino per 5
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. Guns are not the problem. The dangerous people behind the gun is the problem. "No one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns, but different parties point in different directions when it comes to laying the blame for gun violence or proposing appropriate policies moving forward (Is Gun Violence Due To Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?)." This quote says that both guns and people are dangerous. If a gun was left alone or with a responsible person then there would not be any problems.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. Guns are not the problem. The dangerous people behind the gun is the problem. "No one wants dangerous people with dangerous guns, but different parties point in different directions when it comes to laying the blame for gun violence or proposing appropriate policies moving forward (Is Gun Violence Due To Dangerous People Or Dangerous Guns?)." This quote says that both guns and people are dangerous. If a gun was left alone or with a responsible person then there would not be any problems.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the guns laws are fine as it is. We just need to make sure that crazy people don't end up with a gun in their hands. We should be able to regulate who and who cant have a weapon. Guns are being blamed for the violence, even though people could cause similar destruction or kill someone without a weapon. The only reason these shootings happen are because the wrong people end up with weapons.
ReplyDeletePeriod. 5
People in the Unites States have taken owing a gun legally way to out of hand. There have been many shootings recently for no apparent reason. I believe you can not just have people walk in and buy a gun if they have there license to. I feel there has to be a reason to purchase a gun. Many people just buy guns for there own protection but guns are a very dangerous weapon. People who aren't familiar with how to handle a gun could do something they will regret. Same thing with all these shootings. The men/woman have possession of a gun because they legally can and have taken advantage of the use of it. I think there should be a limit on who and why to own a gun. When watching the news and not seeing "recent shooting" pop up on there TV would make people feel safer and less on edge.
ReplyDelete"With more than 65,000 Americans shot in an attack last year, we have to do something to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people." I 100% agree with this. The people are what is dangerous. To get a gun, people should have to go through a vigorous testing system, both mentally and professionally. Guns are able to protect us when needed and its even in the constitution that says we have "the right to bear arms". We shouldn't be giving out guns to just about anyone, there should be a strict system that decides who and what a person can get. I also believe that having an automatic gun should be illegal, it's just too dangerous and there is no use for it, (Unlike shotguns or sniper rifles for hunting).
ReplyDelete-Becky Carmickle (period 4)
Yes it is true that guns can be and are dangerous weapons, but I believe it is the person behind the gun that makes them dangerous. Alot of people own guns and most of them have the reason that I want or need it for protection of my self or my family. I understand why they would say that, but in many cases things like that are taken out of hand. There has been an unbelivable number of shooting that have taken the lives of mamy many innocent people. I believe people should have a reasonable reason to purchase and own and gun not only with a lisence but with the training and knowledge of owning a gun. If people were responsible with guns we wouldnt even have to discussif guns or the people are dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI believe that people are dangerous, not guns. Guns help protect oneself and their loved ones if need be, therefore the option of citizens bearing arms should not be taken away. There should be a stricter system to determine whether a citizen has earned the right to bear arms. The right to bear arms is a privilege not a right, therefore it could be revoked from those who prove they can not handle this responsibility. This could potentially reduce the amount of shootings occurring across the nation. People should not have to be concerned about their safety while going to the movies or school. It is disgusting that this has to be a general concern across the nation.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Miller Period 6
People in America do have an incredibly easy time getting dangerous guns. We really should not allow semi-automatic weapons to be available to the public. Although the gun alone won't do anything, people just should not be trusted to have that kind of firearm. Screening for mental illnesses before issuing guns is vital, but some people may seem perfectly stable one moment and then launch a violent attack the next. A combination of limiting the type of guns the common public can own as well as screening for mental illnesses is the only way that we can significantly reduce the number of deaths due to gun violence.
ReplyDeleteIn America we have the right to bare arms, as long as guns are stored away, and cared for properly there shall be no issues. People themselves are more deadly than guns. Guns are meant to safety and/or hunting. In order to become a liscened gun owner you have to take courses and go through a background check, to become a hunter it requires the same thing. Guns are a safe thing, unless they get in the hand or the wrong people, which does happen, guns are completely safe and should not be banned or given a bad message about. People need to be informed more about the people and what they're capable of rather than a gun. -Rhiannon Gotcher (2)
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is the people behind the guns that are making the dangerous and bad decisions. Even though guns have a bad rep of being really dangerous if they are not used right. Guns are used as defense mechanisms and people keep them in their house incase of intruders. So i do not think that guns are necessarily dangerous it is just the people behind them using them making the wrong decisions. Adrianne Mahlman Period 6
ReplyDeleteGun's are dangerous when you give them to the wrong people. If you give a terrorist a gun, he is going to do bad things with it. If you give a police officer a gun, he will be trained to use it the proper way. In other words: gun's aren't dangerous, people are. I believe that guns should be seen as something useful and not something that should be frowned upon.
ReplyDeleteAnnalise Hite per. 6
Every gun is dangerous so the obvious problem are the people. The man that killed both the reporter and camera man had recently been forced out of the building because he had been so upset. The man obviously had some mental issues to go kill two people that had never done anything to hurt him and then to commit suicide. There is no reason why he should be allowed to have a gun don't have to be dangerous they are only dangerous in certain hands. Stephen Bernard Per 4
ReplyDeleteI believe that guns themselves are not inherently dangerous, but rather the people who use them are. The reason I say this is because we don't treat any other tool like this. Obesity kills thousands every year, but we don't blame the eating utensils, we know that more times then not, people are obese because of their eating habits, and not because of the spoon. If guns didn't exist, these dangerous people would find other ways to kill. The people are dangerous, not the gun. -Truman Andrus
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this passage i think Gun violence should not be aloud in this country
ReplyDeleteGun violence is due to the people, not the guns. By taking away guns you may be taking away some peoples safety. Because of the few are we really going to punish the many? The answer should be no. The only practical way to limit the amount of gun violence in our country is to complete thorough background checks on those decide to purchase a gun. It may take a long time but there is no price for someone's life.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I believe gun violence is due to dangerous people. There are lots of people with guns and many of these people are not dangerous and only own the guns for protection. Guns are dangerous, but so are people. People can control themselves, guns cannot, which means that gun violence is due to dangerous people.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it lead me to believe that the problem is not the guns, but the people using the guns. I modern day america, it is very easy to get a hold of guns, this can also contribute to the many shootings, but in the end I feel it is the people using the gun that kill, not the guns. -Tobias Creed
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe that gun violence is due to dangerous people rather than dangerous guns. Regardless of the danger of guns, it is the responsibility of the owner of the gun to use it safely. Also it is not a good idea for a person who is mentally ill to have possession of a gun or any weapon."In fact, epidemiological evidence suggests that people with serious mental illness are somewhat more likely than the general population to commit violent acts toward others." (Lombrozo) I think that gun violence could decrease by performing back round checks on people who are buying the guns.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Siegel P.2
I believe that gun violence is cause by dangerous people because the gun isn't dangerous unless someone is behind the gun shooting it. I mean guns are dangerous but without the help of a person they can't do anything to you. So I think that gun laws should stay as they are and not change. What should change is who is able to get guns.
ReplyDelete-Taylor ales
Gun control has been a hot topic in todays society, and the school shootings and other associated violence isn't helping. The problem is that people now have the belief that because guns are everywhere, that guns are the reason behind the growing rates of fatal shootings. As if guns are somehow rising up against the human race to enslave them. If you believe that guns kill people, they don't. People kill people. Guns are an instrument for that purpose. Guns are just in the situation of being the most effective way, which gives them a bad rep. Trying to limit killings by limiting guns is like trying to limit house fires by not building houses. Because in the end, theres always a PERSON pulling the trigger
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement, but the mentally ill might hurt people even though they cant get a hold on guns. They could use a baseball bat or a knife, etc but if our government can help take better care of them everyone would be as safe as possible. Just taking guns away isn't going to solve the problem completely it might reduce it but not eliminate it.
ReplyDeleteA gun isn't able to pull its own trigger. A gun doesn't become dangerous until it's in the wrong hands. If there are reasonable restrictions on guns then the country would be a safer place. As far as worrying about de-stigmatizing mental illness that shouldn't be a priority over public safety. It's safe to say a mentally ill person shouldn't under any circumstances have a gun. There's no reason to have a gun when you can't even take care of yourself and make logical choices on a day to day basis. A person should be allowed to own a gun after a thorough background check. A responsible citizen should have the right to carry a gun if it makes them feel more at ease
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