For the past few years, the heated topic regarding gun control has been widely criticized and debated relentlessly. Every time a tragic incident involving a shooting or major crime takes place, the only thing one can watch on the news is the heated debate concerning gun control issues. Numerous reporters are sharing their various opinions on the matter of gun control and the plan America needs to take for safety precautions. This subject greatly interests me as I have grown up shooting guns and understand the responsibility of possessing a weapon and the power packed behind a bullet.  Currently, I am an undergraduate college student and a citizen of the United States, who would be greatly affected by increasing regulations on the use of weapons. I am fully aware of the past shootings on college campuses, and it is truly heartbreaking that people are willing to take away the lives of the innocent future of America for no apparent reason. With all of the people out there looking to harm others, I feel that guns can be used to my advantage for protection and for safety, which is every human being's primary concern.

After researching this topic, I came across three sources sharing various perspectives on gun control and possible ways to reduce violence and crime.

The first source I analyzed was written by Amber Phillips called "More and More Americans See Guns as a Solution-Not a Problem". This electronic article elaborates on how Americans are leaning towards the possession of guns, rather than laws limiting certain kinds of firearms and the process to obtain them. According to this article from The Washington Post, a very credible source, there has been a 9% increase (48%-57%) of Americans say that gun ownership could protect people from being victims of a crime (Phillips). This poll was taken after the Newtown mass shooting that took place in an elementary school in Connecticut. It is evident that the author takes a stance supporting the use of guns to deter crimes and mass violence, as she describes gun supporter's increase in numbers after every public shooting. Phillips is biased as she leans toward the benefits behind the proper use of firearms for the safety of the individual.

Written by Eric Lichtblau and published in the New York Times. "N.R.A. Victories in Congress Grow With Chief Lobbyist's Role" describes the valiant efforts led by Chris Cox for the National Rifle Association to deny all new gun laws legislated by President Barack Obama. Being a newspaper article from The New York Times, this literary piece is deemed credible and reliable with valid information. Cox, with the help of his mentor Wayne LaPierre , are the leading figures of the NRA as they fight for the expansion of gun rights and complete and utter upholding of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.  An iconic moment in the gun debate was when Wayne LaPierre said, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" (Lichtblau). This grabbed attention from many Americans seeing that there is no way to completely eliminate all firearms in the United States and how the right people can stop a major incident from occurring. Eric Lichtblau won a Pulitzer Prize for covering the National Security Agency and breaking the news on the wiretapping scandal while writing for the Los Angles Times, which deems his works very credible. His interests lay in current issues involving the government and ongoing debates about current problems within this country. Lichtblau's article can be seen as a biased perspective, as he recognizes and writes about all the positive points backing individual's gun rights the NRA supports.

The last article I viewed was an informative source was called "The Pros and Cons of Gun Control" written by Paul Goodman. This source dives into the major advantages and disadvantages on gun control including the possibility of reducing the amount of guns out in society today leading to a decrease in crime rate. In contrast, such gun control laws can be deemed as a violation to the Second Amendment and can be seen as highly unconstitutional. Goodman's interests lay within informing the American public on the positives and negatives behind gun control and allows for all those not up to date with this issue to find the major points supporting each side. The authority behind this article is questionable as it is from a blog, but the author seems to have a ton of viewers, which leads to some sort of credibility. Even though it is a highly opinionated article, the points seem valid for both sides in comparison through other cross-references. 

These sources provide information and prime examples relating to the issue of gun control and the violence surrounding it. The research question is definitely arguable as politicians debate this heated issue daily, and it is all over newspaper headlines. All of my sources collectively agreed that it is not the number of guns that is the problem, but the people possessing them that is. Furthermore, people can stop violence and crime from happening with just the presence of a firearm, not even using it. My research question needs to be adjusted to not involve new legislation being passed regarding weapons but instead focus on gun control dealing with crime and violence more specifically. All in all, these resources can be used to help support my argument and recognize the valid points a counterargument could bring to the table. 

