Hiya, my names Charlene im 17 and am doing a dissertation on gun laws and gun crime in the US. Im interested to hear opinions of young people in America.
1. What are your thoughts on the assault weapon ban?
2. What do you think of the NRA?
3. Do you think that politicians are fair when saying rap music influences gun crime?
4. Do you know anyone that owns a gun or have one yourself?
5. Would you like your government to make tougher laws for all of America to prevent guns getting into dangerous hands?
I think alot of people (especially those in cities) own guns for the status and power that goes with it. Thats definately why people in the UK have guns. Obviously I realise that some people feel they need one for protection for themselves and of their family. However you hear in the news far more stories of innocent people being attacked with guns, than stories of people shooting others in self-defence.
Please leave any comments you have on my statement and answers to the questions. Whether you agree or disagree I'd like to read your opinions.
If anyone would be interested in helping me to gather public opinions about guns in the US id be really grateful. Download political_attitude_survey.doc
1. Assault Weapon Ban
I think it's a perfectly fine idea - after all, the term assault means "to attack". American's cannot justify the need to possess one of these weapons in any other way then to just admit that either:
A. They just want to blow up stuff, and indulge in boyish destructive behavior.
B. They have something harmful in mind.
2. What do u think of the NRA
I think the NRA has a good purpose, but i also think that they are too extreme to be taken seriously in their requests to get rid of gun laws. If the NRA acted more mature, and was willing to compromise so that everyone could agree... Then i would have some more respect for it.\
3. Do you think Rap Music influences crime?
I think that crime influences rap music. Where do these rappers come from? The pits of society, where murders occur day to day. The problem lies in the way they choose to sing about it, attempting to cover up how wrong and bad it is by trying to "make it cool". In doing this, music desensitizes kids to murder and crime, making it easier, when push comes to shove, to actually perform the act themselves. "After all - if all the other guys do it, why can't I?"
I agreee AND disagree on the statement about nobody having a gun. I think that it is a good ideal to have nobody having a gun and everyone happily living together, I can't ignore the reality that there are sick people out there, and if one of those people was to try and hurt me or my family, I want to have protection that I can be sure of, no matter what anyone else things. Whether that would be mace, a bat, a gun, or anything... If it makes me feel like my family is safe, I would want it to be OK to possess it. I think that anything more than handguns and shotguns are too much for the simple objective of protection.
That's about it! you can email me at [email protected]
Posted by: David | October 18, 2004 at 02:18 PM
Alright, I'm not really into the technical part of this peice of politics but I shall attempt to answer these in full.
1. What are your thoughts on the assault weapon ban?
That it is truly not needed, it is a status thing to have something like that but the thing is is goes against the whole 'freedom' views of america.
I beleive that if you are licenced to own it, your gun is licenced and your fingerprints, ect. are on file you should be able to own any gun you like. Owners should also be responsible for their guns though, and if somone is shot by your gun you are at fault just as much as the one who pulled the trigger because you allowed them to get you the weapon. Maybe not directly, but that's the risk you should have to take to own a gun.
3. Do you think that politicians are fair when saying rap music influences gun crime?
No, I don't beleive it's fair. They say the same thing about heavy metal music and the such.
It is not the music that influences the crime, at the base of it all is the child's upbringing. I listen to alot of hard rock and alternitive music, which has also been linked to gun crimes over here, I havn't seriously ever thought about picking up a weapon.
Why?
My parents brought me up to know right from wrong as well as to know what messages to take seriously and what messages not to take seriously. There are other kids out there that have parents who don't care, or are into the wrong kind of things themselves and thusly that goes to the child. Then the child listens to a song about violence, takes the wrong message from it and goes off and shoots somone.
So I don't think it's fair to blame the music, it's just a scapegoat to the deeper problem that the politicians don't want to deal with.
Posted by: Noel | October 18, 2004 at 02:25 PM
Hey guys, how is it going in Musselburgh.
Im answering this question for Charlene about the guns. Im hoping that I can answer some questions.
1.) The way I feel about assualt weapon bans is that a person that is registred to have one and needs one is okey with having one but nobody should have one for gang related, or just irresponsible reasons.
2.)I think in some ways its a good idea to teach people how to use guns proprely, but at another hand it basically saying that anybody is aloud to have a gun as long as you know how to use it. Which is true in some cases, but still its not for everyone.
3.)In my point of view rap music is great, its entertaining, yet it sometimes gives a positive message. Take it for example right before our 2004 election for the next president, the biggest rap star ever P.Diddy was sending messages to get young people to vote, and ofcourse all the young adults that love him ended up going and voting.But on another hand I can see why parents and adults would think it influences the usage of guns,but all that rapstar try to send trough their song is experience, and how they got to be the number 1, and in those experiences there was gun usage.So oviously kids do get the wrong message, and think they do need a gun to go to the top, and they get one. But honestly who is to say, because everyone has there opinions.
4.)I currently don't own a gun, and I have no idea if I ever will. But yes I do know a few people that do. And I don't get too caught up into it.
5.)It would be nice to see less crime but in another pointview there is much more worse stuff that needs to be prevented besides guns, but don't get me wrong guns are also on the top of the list. Because people do crazy, irresponsible things with or without a gun.
I hope that I cleared up some questions for you. But if you have more questions just e-mail me at [email protected]
Kisses and Hugs,
Mia
Posted by: Mia | October 31, 2004 at 02:26 AM
hey
ill get staight 2 the point
miss questions 1 + 2
3) Rap music definitly encourages
gun crime. For example this is some lyrics from a rap website
"Shells from the forty-four scaterred over their porch
Bustin pistols in your windows with intentions to destroy you"
"Vision 88 kilos of cocaine smack-dead in your face
The street value of that is what you dream to make
Run an illegal business,racketeerin
Smugglin,doin things from handin a gun,is what they fearin
Bodyguards and hitmen like some Al Capone shit
Heavy artillery got the cops on my di*k
Different locations,spots where it takes place
If you show them my money,your a*s is gettin f-laid
There's four major games that run the city of G's
The violators,the Gambinos and the Corleones and me
The violators and Gambinos they run uptown
Me and my cousin Corleone we run downtown
Murder's an everyday thang in the city
Where you gotta plot chips,jag robberies and do in its
Tanadian Nay,the charge of the weapons
Hit from verandahs and do a thing unexpected
So we plan a plot with an Uzi and 10 shot
Buck em till they all drop,circle round the block
Let em have it as soon as they come out
Unload on their ass,commence to takin them out! "
its not just rap music that influences gun(crime) Hood Films play a major role in it 2 for example films such as "boyz in da Hood", "Menace 2 sociaty" etc
I dont think they should ban guns evan if they did it would be most likely people would still own one.
some ppl jus use guns as a way to look "hood" (cool)this way someone else would want one and then someone else would want 1 and so on
there r gd sides 2 it and bad
Posted by: Ahmed | May 24, 2005 at 12:27 PM
Well there are over 11,000 gun related deaths in the USA a year, in the UK there are about 65! in France over 200, in Japan around 35.
I think it has something to do with the fact that americans are terified by things that appear in the media, and what the government say. Specially since 9/11. Gun sales increased by 40% at that point in time.
A friend of mine had a friend visit from the USA and she was terified because she could not carry a gun!
Oh and rock music is not to blame! Its a scapegoat used by the media!
Posted by: Alex | May 02, 2007 at 10:41 PM
I think you have a thorough understanding in this matter. You describe in detail all here.
Posted by: RamonGustav | August 24, 2010 at 06:37 PM
You write well will be waiting for your new publications.
Posted by: Antivirus_man | December 06, 2010 at 02:55 AM
You write well will be waiting for your new publications.
Posted by: JOBS_frend | December 26, 2010 at 02:56 AM