Gun Control-

Why now? Parkland Fl- 17 students killed by a former student with an assault rifle (2018) Students have demanded change- Why has their movement gained traction? Los Vegas NV- 58 people dead and 851 injured (2017)* Sandy Hook CT- 20 6-7 year olds killed. (2012)* Orlando Pulse Night Club- killed 49 people and wounded 53 others Virginia Tech- killed 32 and wounded 17 (2007)* # of mass shootings in 2018- 267 as of September 6, 2018 Excluding most suicides, at least 15,549 people were killed by guns in the United States in 2017, according to data collected by Gun Violence Archive 38,658 gun deaths for 2016 Sanford Hospital went into lock down due to an active shooter on 9/6/2018

2nd Amendment Right- A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Gun Control- Political Suicide if you pass gun control. Australia's aftermath

The Fear- Need to be able to defend against the government What is wrong with this idea? People rights are being taken 2nd amendment right Gun control doesn’t work.

National Rifle Association History of How many members do they have? Power of NRA to swing elections- John Oliver’s take on the NRA. Where does the NRA power lie?

Opinion of US 18-29 yr olds

Questions to Answer- How many guns are there in the US? How many people say they own or live in a household with guns? How does US gun ownership compare to other developed nations? Have school shootings increased or decreased in the past 20 years? Has violent crime for the past 25 years increased of decreased in the US- If so how would you describe the trend? Chicago has been making the news due to increase in total murders- but how does that compare to St. Louis. Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the US, but has a high murder rate with guns. How is this possible? (How are people getting guns?)

Questions to Answer- What is considered a “mass shooting?” Mass shootings gain attention but is that type of classification the number one killer? (Asking when it comes to gun deaths- what type is the #1 killer) How much US tax dollars is spent researching gun violence? What does this show about its importance? What percentage of Americans support gun control?

Claims MUST be supported- In debate we can’t just make assumptions about claims. We have to ask and know why! Ex. UBC decrease suicide. Why? What mechanism makes this true

Causation vs. Correlation Causation- the action of directly causing something. Correlation- the relationship between things that happen or change together but not caused by each other. A phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that a correlation between two variables does not necessarily imply that one causes the other.

Resolution= Topic It’s what we are debating about-

Resolution- Resolved: The United States should require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of ownership

Resolved: The United States should require universal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of ownership Not banning anything Not taking anything away Sentinel Program- NO What are the changes being implemented.

Words to Define- Universal background Checks- Status Quo- how things are currently Changes in ownership- Possession-

Status Quo- When is a background check required now when purchasing a firearm? What are some things that will cause you NOT to be able to purchase a firearm? How long does a background check take?

Con Arguments Takes more time! (all parties) Self Defense Hunting limited NICS is a failure Doesn’t stop mass shootings- history proves Wont stop black market Increase black market People wont follow it!!! Doesn’t decrease violent crime

Pro Arguments Limit shootings Mentally ill don’t get guns Domestic abusers don’t get guns Homicide rates drop People support Violent crimes drop Doesn’t harm those who have guns.

How to write arguments in debate- Make your claim- US loses 33,000 per year due to gun violence and something must be done. Provide evidence (cite it too) According to the Guardian Oct 15, 2017- 33,000 people died by gun death. The Guardian goes on to further state that over 2/3 of those deaths are from suicide and only 500 are from mass shootings. UBC are a way to stop this from occurring- You would now need evidence showing UBC would work to lower violence Like less guns=less violence