Reece Takayama

Expository Writing 2
November 20, 2015
Commentary: Those Who Say Guns Dont Kill People Are Anti-American Bigots
When it comes to the topic of gun control, most of us will readily agree that guns do not
kill anyone, its the people who kill others. While this agreement usually ends, however, is on the
question of if the easy access to and the amount of guns available is the real issue. While some
are convinced that people are the issue when it comes to guns, others believe guns themselves
are the problem. William H. Harwood takes the position on this topic in his article Those Who
Say Guns Dont Kill People Are Anti-American Bigots. Specifically, Harwood states. The vast
majority of violent acts committed with a gun in the US would be unlikely in Switzerland or
Canada. In other words, Harwood believes that if the United States applied the same gun rules
used in Switzerland or in Canada then the amount of violence and trouble caused by guns would
be significantly less. To support his position, Harwood offers the example of the mass shootings
that happened in Oregon and how predictable it was because of how easy it is to gain access to a
gun in this country, which is significant because it shows how something like that could happen
again and probably will. Unless we put up stricter laws for guns as a country.
In my view, Harwood is right to argue that guns are the issue and not the people. Some
protesters may question Harwoodss claim that For those who want to blame mental illness, this
is another red herring, and a not so subtle form of bigotry. Although it is true that mental illness
for the most part isnt the cause of those who carry out mass shootings, it does not necessarily
follow that of something being bigotry and a red herring. For instance, for some cases checking
for a mental illness should be checked for even if it is certain that there is none because you
never know. Also that could be just one of the many reasons why people believe why people are
at fault for the misuse of guns. My point here, is that gun control, should interest those who have
very strong feelings for the topic and are willing to debate it to the bitter end. Beyond this limited
audience, however, my point should speak to anyone interested in or affected by the larger issue
of gun control and who is at fault.

If the easy access to and proliferation of

This statement makes the text more powerful

guns is not the issue, then it must be the case

either that everyone in comparable countries
is roughly as bloodthirsty as those in the US
(even without guns), or that people in the US
are preternaturally prone to violence
For those who want to compare the US to
other countries with lots of guns, e.g.,
Switzerland or Canadathey are incredibly
well-regulatedthe pro-gun advocate to an
accidental defense of stringent regulation
and/or removes access to certain types of
firearms
It was predictable for everyone to suddenly
become an equally-informed pundit with
equally-valid opinions, declaring that it is the
guns or it is not the guns. It was predictable
that we turn this completely tractable problem
into a shameful impasse

because it suggests that easy access and

proliferation of guns could not even the issue.
The issue could possibly reside to the United
States and how we are just plain violent to
begin with.
The placement of this statement makes the
text more convincing because it proves that it
is possible for the United States to create a
way to remove access of certain gun and
actually limit the amount of dangerous guns
out there.
The placement of this statement makes the
text more engaging because it brings up a
fairly recent event where guns were used to
take over someplace and how the debate
about guns skyrocketed into something that
should have been easy to solve but ended up
becoming a huge mess.

Vocabulary:
Bigotry (noun) - stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs
from one's own.
For those who say that if you take away easy access to guns, people will find other ways to kill
each other with just as much frequency, this is bigotry--and a bizarre new species of racism
The difficulties of battling prejudice and bigotry
Arguing about guns and bigotry with someone

Disjunction (noun) - the relationship between two distinct alternatives.

Thus, in addition to (again) resulting in fallacious, bizarre conclusions, the other side of this
disjunction makes you an anti-American bigot
There is a disjunction between the skills taught in education and in the workplace
There is a disjunction of believing guns are the problem make you and anti-American