Kyle Cline

Mrs. Perry
Composition Two
12/10/2015 (624)

On Guns Fear Is Winning

Americans today fear a nation that will no longer allow them to buy or sell firearms or
ammunition. That one day it will be them fighting for their own survival against our government.
That for some people their normal everyday routines and lives would be forever changed, not
allowing them to use the tools necessary to their own survival anymore. Gun Control has been a
controversial issue over the last few years to say the least, and with the recent nationwide
outburst of gun violence it is ever more prominent. It was uncommon to turn on the news in the
later part of 2015 and not see some kind of shooting, threat, or hostage situation taking place
somewhere in the world. It became almost a daily occurrence, which was something no one
wanted. People on both sides of the issue refuse to make compromises to better the nation as a
whole, but maybe we should look at the people causing these controversies instead of the guns
themselves. People as a society have changed so drastically over the last one-hundred years its
hard to even look back and realize just what we have come from.
In his article Charles Blow discusses and analyses many different viewpoints on gun
control, and he uses his brother as an account of why Fear is winning. He cites President
Obama on his stance towards a stronger gun control law and regulations, while also citing Jeb
Bushs side against the proposed stricter control on guns and ammunition. Jeb Bush said, Were
in a difficult time in our country and I dont think more government is necessarily the answer to

this. Charles goes on to explain how in America today the general population collects and
hordes guns out of fear instead of for fun or to use them as the tools they are.(Blow, A23)
Blow tries to exemplify a few key points in his article mainly that we need to realize that
a change has to be made in the way we act about guns and that we have almost accepted that
shooting and massacres will happen when in fact most could be stopped or controlled better. His
article develops a strong sense of Ethos in the fact that he uses his own brother as a prime
example of how people in our world are changing, and he also throws in pieces of Pathos by
using words that would strike emotion and he tries to emphasize on his key points with emotion.
His article is persuasive but doesnt really answer a direct way to help except for that the people
themselves need to change.
Overall the issue on gun control will always be a major topic of debate, and will always
continue to be a debate as long as a few bad people are around to try and spoil things. We as
people however can help and begin to shape a new normal. One where its citizens arent scared
for their own safety on a daily basis, where guns are used as tools to provide for a family or
provide a source of fun competition, instead of a weapon. A world where people can live
unafraid of guns themselves, and not fear a ban on guns, because a few people with bad intent
made some terrible actions. However now the United States has reached its saturation point with
guns, there are more guns than people and guns often tend to outlive their owners so unless we
begin the change now we may never see another one come.(Blow, A23)

Works Cited

Blow, Charles. On Guns, Fear Is Winning. The New York Times 5 Oct. 2015, New York
ed.:A23 Print.