1) Brady Center to Prevent Non-Violence-http://www.bradycenter.org/
2) Violence Policy Center-http://www.vpc.org/
3) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
4) National Riffle Association- www.nra.org
5) Gun Owners of America- http://www.gunowners.org/
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Timed Writing
Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces examines the steps that each hero goes through on their adventure. Campbell cites many different sources to back up his thesis, but throughout them all Campbell is able to make connections showing how all these stories throughout history follow a similar structure. His writing is very interesting to me because I would never have imagines that throughout all the different culture of the world there would something that tied all their mythological stories together and Campbell was able to show me this.
The first step in any hero’s adventure according to Campbell is what he calls the “call to adventure”. This is the first time the hero (or simply the main character) learns something about the adventure they are about to embark on. In many movies this is represented either by some wise person telling the hero what he must do, or the hero loses someone he or she loves and is forced to go on the adventure in hopes of rescuing their long lost love. In class we read sections from a piece by Carlos Zafon called “The Shadow of the Wind” which tells the story of a young boy and his first book and how much of an impact this book has on his life. This young hero gets his call to adventure when his father takes him to “the cemetery of forgotten books”, a building filled with books that no one else want. His father instructs him to choose one book from the thousands in the collection. Daniel, the young boy decides on a book called the shadow of the wind and with this selection his adventure begins.
Campbell goes on to say that in most cases the hero is not immediately willing to undertake this arduous and usually dangerous undertaking. Campbell calls this the refusal of the call. He says that it is natural in heroes, saying it is just a normal step along the story of the adventure. One clear example of the refusal of the call come from a story by Franz Kafka called The Metamorphosis. This is a twisted story in which the main character, a traveling salesman by the name is Gregor wakes up one morning to find that his has turned into a cockroach. Gregor’s immediate reaction to his new condition is utter disbelief and soon he goes into what Campbell call the refusal of the call. He starts denying what has happened to him and acting like he is going to be able to continue his normal life as if nothing has changed. This story follows the struggles Gregor faces with this new identity and eventually he can refuse the call no longer but instead of accepting the call he accepts the fact that he is unwanted and disgusting and this leads him to an early death.
I experienced both the call to adventure and the refusal of the call first hand this semester while working on project three. The call to adventure came during project two when we were giving the choice of any research topic that we were going to have to delve into and write a paper about. This was a call to adventure for me because it gave me the chance to become educated about something that I was passionate about. But, like any good hero does, (according to Campbell) I refused the call at first. I was not excited about writing a research paper because I knew it was going to take a lot of work. I stalled as much as I could, but eventually like any good hero’s does, I embraced the adventure (that is assuming you can find some creative way to call a research paper an adventure).
The first step in any hero’s adventure according to Campbell is what he calls the “call to adventure”. This is the first time the hero (or simply the main character) learns something about the adventure they are about to embark on. In many movies this is represented either by some wise person telling the hero what he must do, or the hero loses someone he or she loves and is forced to go on the adventure in hopes of rescuing their long lost love. In class we read sections from a piece by Carlos Zafon called “The Shadow of the Wind” which tells the story of a young boy and his first book and how much of an impact this book has on his life. This young hero gets his call to adventure when his father takes him to “the cemetery of forgotten books”, a building filled with books that no one else want. His father instructs him to choose one book from the thousands in the collection. Daniel, the young boy decides on a book called the shadow of the wind and with this selection his adventure begins.
Campbell goes on to say that in most cases the hero is not immediately willing to undertake this arduous and usually dangerous undertaking. Campbell calls this the refusal of the call. He says that it is natural in heroes, saying it is just a normal step along the story of the adventure. One clear example of the refusal of the call come from a story by Franz Kafka called The Metamorphosis. This is a twisted story in which the main character, a traveling salesman by the name is Gregor wakes up one morning to find that his has turned into a cockroach. Gregor’s immediate reaction to his new condition is utter disbelief and soon he goes into what Campbell call the refusal of the call. He starts denying what has happened to him and acting like he is going to be able to continue his normal life as if nothing has changed. This story follows the struggles Gregor faces with this new identity and eventually he can refuse the call no longer but instead of accepting the call he accepts the fact that he is unwanted and disgusting and this leads him to an early death.
I experienced both the call to adventure and the refusal of the call first hand this semester while working on project three. The call to adventure came during project two when we were giving the choice of any research topic that we were going to have to delve into and write a paper about. This was a call to adventure for me because it gave me the chance to become educated about something that I was passionate about. But, like any good hero does, (according to Campbell) I refused the call at first. I was not excited about writing a research paper because I knew it was going to take a lot of work. I stalled as much as I could, but eventually like any good hero’s does, I embraced the adventure (that is assuming you can find some creative way to call a research paper an adventure).
Monday, May 5, 2008
Lesson Plan on Gun Control
1) As a lead in to this activity you should ask the students what impact the music they listen to has on the way they view the world.
2) Play the song "My Buddy"
3) List in the blackboard the pros and cons that the song portrays about guns.
4) Make another list of the pros and cons that the students are aware of from the media on gun.
5)List how many deaths there were from gun in 2007
6) The second amendment right allows every american to own a gun. ask the students if this law is one that is outdated and needs updating.
The Standard I am addressing with this presentation is cultural and historical connections, standard 1: the student understands the music in relation to cultural and history . (MU.C.1.2)
2) Play the song "My Buddy"
3) List in the blackboard the pros and cons that the song portrays about guns.
4) Make another list of the pros and cons that the students are aware of from the media on gun.
5)List how many deaths there were from gun in 2007
6) The second amendment right allows every american to own a gun. ask the students if this law is one that is outdated and needs updating.
The Standard I am addressing with this presentation is cultural and historical connections, standard 1: the student understands the music in relation to cultural and history . (MU.C.1.2)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Letter to The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
To whom it may concern, I am writing in support of your organization. i recently wrote a paper on gun control and learned a lot about the devastation that gun causing this country. I think it was very noble of you to honor those lost in the tragedy of Virginia Tech. People need to reminded what can happen when guns get into the wrong hands. If people were aware of how many people died every year from guns I think they would be more willing to give up their second amendment right in order to make the city or town they live in a safer place. I am interested spreading the word about gun control laws and how important it is that they are changed. What are you guys doing to get the word out and what can i do to help? Thanks for all you are doing to make this country a safer place.
Stephen Fega
Stephen Fega
Letter to the NRA
To whom it may concern,
My name is Stephen Fega and i am writing to you to voice my opinion about gun control in the United States. I know it is not up to you to make the regulations on gun but it is you guys that keep logical gun control laws from passing. Every year hundreds of people are killed in the united States from handguns and there is no reason that any of them should have died. Handguns are designed for police officers and soldiers, people who have been trained to use them and have a good reason to need their killing capacity. Although I believe that all guns should be made illegal in the United States i do understand that some people feel it is necessary to keep a gun in their home for self-defense but they should be forced to undergo serious training before they obtain a weapon. And the gun they should get should not be a handgun that can kill multiple people in seconds. I want you guys to think about all the people that are dying thanks to the availability of guns. I realize that the gun companies have businesses to run but here is a certain point where the concern for people lives should come before company profit. I hope that you guys will consider and realize that there is a place for handguns and it is not in civilian homes.
Thanks, Stephen Fega
My name is Stephen Fega and i am writing to you to voice my opinion about gun control in the United States. I know it is not up to you to make the regulations on gun but it is you guys that keep logical gun control laws from passing. Every year hundreds of people are killed in the united States from handguns and there is no reason that any of them should have died. Handguns are designed for police officers and soldiers, people who have been trained to use them and have a good reason to need their killing capacity. Although I believe that all guns should be made illegal in the United States i do understand that some people feel it is necessary to keep a gun in their home for self-defense but they should be forced to undergo serious training before they obtain a weapon. And the gun they should get should not be a handgun that can kill multiple people in seconds. I want you guys to think about all the people that are dying thanks to the availability of guns. I realize that the gun companies have businesses to run but here is a certain point where the concern for people lives should come before company profit. I hope that you guys will consider and realize that there is a place for handguns and it is not in civilian homes.
Thanks, Stephen Fega
Letter to VPC
To whom it may concern,
My name is Stephen Fega and I am a student at Eckerd College in St Pete Florida. I have been following the controversy following the D.C handgun ban being overturned. I am in support of your organization and what you represent. I think that handguns should be banned throughout the whole country and if not that than each city should have the chance to ban them on their own. I recently wrote a research paper on gun control, and was horrified to find out how easy it was for someone to get their hands on a gun both legally and illegally. In my opinion this is a serious problem in this country and one that need to be seriously addressed as soon as possible. I don't believe there is any reason that any civilian need a handgun for themselves. I realize that it is an uphill battle trying to eliminate guns from the streets because they are protected by the constitution but I want to get people to realize how many people are dyeing because of guns every year. i would like to help your organization out somehow if i could, do you have any suggestions as to what i could do to help? Thanks, and keep fighting the good fight.
Stephen Fega
My name is Stephen Fega and I am a student at Eckerd College in St Pete Florida. I have been following the controversy following the D.C handgun ban being overturned. I am in support of your organization and what you represent. I think that handguns should be banned throughout the whole country and if not that than each city should have the chance to ban them on their own. I recently wrote a research paper on gun control, and was horrified to find out how easy it was for someone to get their hands on a gun both legally and illegally. In my opinion this is a serious problem in this country and one that need to be seriously addressed as soon as possible. I don't believe there is any reason that any civilian need a handgun for themselves. I realize that it is an uphill battle trying to eliminate guns from the streets because they are protected by the constitution but I want to get people to realize how many people are dyeing because of guns every year. i would like to help your organization out somehow if i could, do you have any suggestions as to what i could do to help? Thanks, and keep fighting the good fight.
Stephen Fega
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Issues that the Organizations are Involved in
The VPC is adamantly involved in the D.C handgun ban which has recently been overturned. They are syaing that now more than ever, as handguns are evolving, it is important to regulate if not ban the sale of all handguns. Their main argument is that handguns are more suitable for killing than they are for self-defense.
http://www.vpc.org/press/0803heller.htm
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has organized to honor those who died at Virginia Tech during the shooting on the anniversary of the shooting. They are calling on congress to fix the problem of gun violence, saying "There are too many gun violence victims — and there is something we can do about it. Close the gun show loophole"
http://www.bradycampaign.org/
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is focusing on the gun show loophole that exists in many states. The loophole, as they put it on their website is that in 35 states you can buy a handgun at a gun show without a background check.
http://www.csgv.org/site/c.pmL5JnO7KzE/b.3509205/
http://www.vpc.org/press/0803heller.htm
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has organized to honor those who died at Virginia Tech during the shooting on the anniversary of the shooting. They are calling on congress to fix the problem of gun violence, saying "There are too many gun violence victims — and there is something we can do about it. Close the gun show loophole"
http://www.bradycampaign.org/
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is focusing on the gun show loophole that exists in many states. The loophole, as they put it on their website is that in 35 states you can buy a handgun at a gun show without a background check.
http://www.csgv.org/site/c.pmL5JnO7KzE/b.3509205/
Gun Violence: The Problem is the Law
Gun violence has reached epidemic levels this past decade in the United States of America. Countless people’s lives get cut short simply because people are able to kill each other, and they don’t think twice. The problem is not that people are overly violent! It is that guns are easy to kill with, and even worse, they are easy to obtain. Every day throughout the world, weapons are sold to civilians for increasingly invalid reasons. There is no way to justify that a civilian really needs a sub-machine gun, an extremely dangerous contraption. They fire multiple bullets within seconds, and are intended to hurt whatever they’re aimed for. Any average person can operate them, and for the most part, people don’t use them to protect themselves and their families.
The struggle over gun laws has been going on for what seems like forever. It is a constant uphill battle for those trying to increase gun control in this country. This is because of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees a right to bear arms for all its citizens. People need to realize that this law was added in a time when cities relied on militia for security, and guns were purely used to protect property and family from legitimate threats. Mathew Yeager believes that people should not think of guns as a form of protecting, saying in his essay How Well does the Handgun Protect You and Your Family, that “the probability of being robber, rapped and assaulted is low enough to seriously call into question the need for Americans to keep loaded guns on theirs or about their homes.” (214)
There are some people out there who realize how ridiculous the current gun ‘control’ laws are. There is a struggle going on in Philadelphia between the city and the Supreme Court. The Mayor of the city believes he can reduce the amount of gun fatalities by making it much harder for one to qualify for a weapons permit. The lawmakers in Philadelphia have been fighting for these changes for many years now, but in 1996 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a city could not enforce its own gun laws. Of course, this ruling hasn’t discouraged the Mayor from his arguments for stricter gun control. He has stated "If you believe we can have a safer city by putting these measures in place, I think as good public servants we are compelled to take some type of action in the face of no relief coming from anywhere else.” (PhiladelphiaInquirer.com) Philadelphia’s efforts on gun control were pale in comparison to those of Washington DC.
Washington D.C., since it is not a state, therefore does not have to follow the previously mentioned court ruling on individual state gun control, and has been recently making headline news regarding gun control. The law passed in 1976 bans the private possession of handguns. Their ban on all handguns was overturned, after a federal appeals court ruled that this law was in conflict with the second amendment. Said Attorney General Linda Singer "Whatever right the Second Amendment guarantees, it does not require the District to stand by while its citizens die." (WashingtonPost.com). The ban in D.C. was initially challenged by a security guard, Dick Anthony Heller. He argued that the law wasn’t keeping criminals from obtaining weapons, but was instead keeping law abiding citizens like himself from having protection for themselves and their families. The Mayor of D.C. Adrian M. Fenty said of the decision to overturn the handgun ban, “I am personally deeply disappointed and frankly outraged by this decision. It flies in the face of laws that have helped decrease gun violence in the District of Columbia” (washingtonpost.com). The D.C. court of appeals was the first federal appeals court to overturn a gun control law. (washingtonpost.com)
Both Philadelphia and Washington D.C are putting in valiant efforts to lessen the gun violence that is plaguing our country, but it’s high time to get more serious. Even with a complete handgun ban in D.C., 134 of the 169 homicides were committed with handguns, showing that it’s time in turn up the heat on gun control. The only way to get people to stop carrying guns is to make the penalty for being caught with one so severe, that no one would dare to take the risk. This might seem to be a fairly extreme strategy, but we are at a point in this country that nothing else seems to be working.
Gun companies’ multi-billion dollar industry is supported by many politicians and law-makers. This is a problem when new laws are trying to be passed, because the people involved in the decision-making have a personal investment in these laws not passing. They should spend time listening to people who argue against public access to guns, instead of following outdated opinion. It is sad that in this day in age, the gun companies have enough money and power to influence the decision that the politicians are making.
People say that they need guns for their protection, but how many times have guns been brought into homes and used against the owners, accidentally been shot off, or even stolen? These issues are barely ever spoken of, despite their obvious importance. In 2002 there were 3,012 children and teens that were killed by firearms, and every year 4 to 5 times that number of people are injured in a non-fatal incident (NEA Health Information Network). How can you argue that guns are protecting us, when it is clear that all they do is harm us? Statistics say that four people every hour are killed in the United States by firearms. Guns are getting into the wrong hands, and too many people are dying. Robert F Drinan saying in his Essay Good Outweighs the Evil, that “the defense value of owning a gun is far outweighed by the frequency with which the weapon is, accidentally or otherwise, turned against its owner, his family, or his friends.”(55)
There are those who believe that cracking down on the gun control laws will not be enough to reduce the violence problem in the United States. The common slogan “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” embodies the logic behind their argument, so they maintain that people would kill each other regardless of possessing guns. This is simply not true! By using a gun, you remove some the human aspect of committing murder, because it so easy to do. Only with a gun are you able to kill someone from a distance without ever have to come into contact with them. And once you remove the human contact people can kills other without regard for the life of the individual that they are taking.
There is not a clear-cut solution to solve the problem of gun violence in the United States. Because there is so many guns already out in the streets that even if they stopped production of handguns there is enough out there on the black market to keep the criminal who want to obtain a gun supplied. The first step toward control of firearms is to follow in the footsteps of Washington D.C. and make handguns illegal to own. We have a long way to come in this struggle to keep guns off the streets and out of the houses, but each time someone challenges the law we come closer to reaching the final goal. As new cases make the news more people start to realize how much of a problem guns actually are. If everyone were aware of the damages guns were causing they would be more willing to give up their civil liberties in order to live in a safer country.
The struggle over gun laws has been going on for what seems like forever. It is a constant uphill battle for those trying to increase gun control in this country. This is because of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees a right to bear arms for all its citizens. People need to realize that this law was added in a time when cities relied on militia for security, and guns were purely used to protect property and family from legitimate threats. Mathew Yeager believes that people should not think of guns as a form of protecting, saying in his essay How Well does the Handgun Protect You and Your Family, that “the probability of being robber, rapped and assaulted is low enough to seriously call into question the need for Americans to keep loaded guns on theirs or about their homes.” (214)
There are some people out there who realize how ridiculous the current gun ‘control’ laws are. There is a struggle going on in Philadelphia between the city and the Supreme Court. The Mayor of the city believes he can reduce the amount of gun fatalities by making it much harder for one to qualify for a weapons permit. The lawmakers in Philadelphia have been fighting for these changes for many years now, but in 1996 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a city could not enforce its own gun laws. Of course, this ruling hasn’t discouraged the Mayor from his arguments for stricter gun control. He has stated "If you believe we can have a safer city by putting these measures in place, I think as good public servants we are compelled to take some type of action in the face of no relief coming from anywhere else.” (PhiladelphiaInquirer.com) Philadelphia’s efforts on gun control were pale in comparison to those of Washington DC.
Washington D.C., since it is not a state, therefore does not have to follow the previously mentioned court ruling on individual state gun control, and has been recently making headline news regarding gun control. The law passed in 1976 bans the private possession of handguns. Their ban on all handguns was overturned, after a federal appeals court ruled that this law was in conflict with the second amendment. Said Attorney General Linda Singer "Whatever right the Second Amendment guarantees, it does not require the District to stand by while its citizens die." (WashingtonPost.com). The ban in D.C. was initially challenged by a security guard, Dick Anthony Heller. He argued that the law wasn’t keeping criminals from obtaining weapons, but was instead keeping law abiding citizens like himself from having protection for themselves and their families. The Mayor of D.C. Adrian M. Fenty said of the decision to overturn the handgun ban, “I am personally deeply disappointed and frankly outraged by this decision. It flies in the face of laws that have helped decrease gun violence in the District of Columbia” (washingtonpost.com). The D.C. court of appeals was the first federal appeals court to overturn a gun control law. (washingtonpost.com)
Both Philadelphia and Washington D.C are putting in valiant efforts to lessen the gun violence that is plaguing our country, but it’s high time to get more serious. Even with a complete handgun ban in D.C., 134 of the 169 homicides were committed with handguns, showing that it’s time in turn up the heat on gun control. The only way to get people to stop carrying guns is to make the penalty for being caught with one so severe, that no one would dare to take the risk. This might seem to be a fairly extreme strategy, but we are at a point in this country that nothing else seems to be working.
Gun companies’ multi-billion dollar industry is supported by many politicians and law-makers. This is a problem when new laws are trying to be passed, because the people involved in the decision-making have a personal investment in these laws not passing. They should spend time listening to people who argue against public access to guns, instead of following outdated opinion. It is sad that in this day in age, the gun companies have enough money and power to influence the decision that the politicians are making.
People say that they need guns for their protection, but how many times have guns been brought into homes and used against the owners, accidentally been shot off, or even stolen? These issues are barely ever spoken of, despite their obvious importance. In 2002 there were 3,012 children and teens that were killed by firearms, and every year 4 to 5 times that number of people are injured in a non-fatal incident (NEA Health Information Network). How can you argue that guns are protecting us, when it is clear that all they do is harm us? Statistics say that four people every hour are killed in the United States by firearms. Guns are getting into the wrong hands, and too many people are dying. Robert F Drinan saying in his Essay Good Outweighs the Evil, that “the defense value of owning a gun is far outweighed by the frequency with which the weapon is, accidentally or otherwise, turned against its owner, his family, or his friends.”(55)
There are those who believe that cracking down on the gun control laws will not be enough to reduce the violence problem in the United States. The common slogan “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” embodies the logic behind their argument, so they maintain that people would kill each other regardless of possessing guns. This is simply not true! By using a gun, you remove some the human aspect of committing murder, because it so easy to do. Only with a gun are you able to kill someone from a distance without ever have to come into contact with them. And once you remove the human contact people can kills other without regard for the life of the individual that they are taking.
There is not a clear-cut solution to solve the problem of gun violence in the United States. Because there is so many guns already out in the streets that even if they stopped production of handguns there is enough out there on the black market to keep the criminal who want to obtain a gun supplied. The first step toward control of firearms is to follow in the footsteps of Washington D.C. and make handguns illegal to own. We have a long way to come in this struggle to keep guns off the streets and out of the houses, but each time someone challenges the law we come closer to reaching the final goal. As new cases make the news more people start to realize how much of a problem guns actually are. If everyone were aware of the damages guns were causing they would be more willing to give up their civil liberties in order to live in a safer country.
3 Final Organizations
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (BCPGV)
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV)
The Violence Policy Center (VPC)
5 organizations
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (BCPGV)
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV)
The Educational Fund to End Handgun Violence (EFEHV)
The Violence Policy Center (VPC)
CeaseFire Inc.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Guns for Everyone
In response to all the concern in the United States about gun violence, George W. Bush will soon be implementing a new law that will give free firearms to all United States citizens. Each family will be given one forearm per person in the family. When asked about theses new laws President Bush said, "We have had enough of trying to protect all our citizens from gun violence, so we have come up with this new law in hopes of taken the pressure of the police and put the responsibility back in the household." President Bush says he is sure that this new policy will reduce the crime rate, saying "If criminals knew that everyone was carrying a weapon, they would be deterred from committing all forms of assault, robbery and sexual harassment." The Present also believe that this would be solution for the rising black market sale of weapons, saying "Who is gonna buy it illegally, when they can get it for free from the government."
Monday, April 7, 2008
Rhetoric
My introductions uses logos, appealing to the readers logic about gun control and how logical it is that we have some limitations on it. It also uses pathos, by talking about all the people that are kill in hopes of making people realize how much of problem gun violence is becoming.
The first couple of body paragraphs rely mostly on logos, I use evidence to support my arguments and talk about specific cases that are going on right now to show that this really is a current issue.
I rely on pathos when I present a solution for the gun violence problem. There is no proof that what I am saying is going to work but I call on the reader to trust me because I am educated on the subject
My conclusion using all the forms of rhetoric but most prominently ego. It is not as important for me to provide facts in this section but instead I want people to think about all the innocent people who are dyeing because there is very little control over guns.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)