The dangerous abuse of weapons
How many more times?
We as young adults generation are well aware of the usage and impact weapons have on society, so we have the perfect amount of knowledge to make a change. Young adults also have an eye opening perspective on what our future can look like and we have the voice to impact it. With more than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or community over the past year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, but also of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence.
I would like our current 2022 generation to think and feel on a social issue that has been arising in Canada for decades now and has changed many peoples lives and families till this day, we currently need to strongly think about our future. The possession of firearms is one of their most divisive social issues. In 2018, ten people were killed in the Toronto van attack; a further two killings happened later in the year. Four shootings were recorded in 2019, which bolsters the argument of those against gun ownership. So why are we still hearing daily on the news that a young boy has been shoot in his apartment all over Toronto and in the greater areas. More than 500 people die every day from gun violence, 44% of all homicides globally involve gun violence.
An estimated 2,000 people are injured by gunshots every single day, At least 2 million people are living with firearm injuries around the globe.
Who does this affect?
Individuals our age and younger can easily suffer from gun violence endured within there community. In addition to disrupting school operations, firearm violence makes students' trips to and from school dangerous. Insecurity caused by firearm violence can have serious effects on children and adolescents, including disrupting school attendance and retention, damaging the learning environment, and reducing the quality of education. This can lead to poorer employment and income outcomes, as well as perpetuate cycles of violence and deprivation.
"The US government is prioritizing gun ownership over basic human rights. Despite the huge number of guns in circulation and the sheer numbers of people killed by guns each year, there is a shocking lack of federal regulations that could save thousands".
Margaret Huang, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA
What you could do right now to put a stop to gun violence:
We has young adults have the authority and effect to change the way others think and act towards the possession of guns. It is undeniable that we need a call to action to support the connection, trauma and services to gun possession. We as a community and young adults need to continue to learn, innovate, and increase impact through research and practice. By taking care of each others well being and mental health, community healing, support gun violence research, partner with community groups and remember: Every Positive Action Creates Impact
As stated by the Sandy Hook organization:
“I promise to do all I can to protect children from gun violence by encouraging and supporting solutions that create safer, healthier homes, schools and communities.”
Then, spread the word and encourage others to make the promise on social media, in email, and any other of your online communities.
As a Early Childhood Educator myself it is my duty and job to know the signs of the impact that gun violence has on a child, and so should everyone else. It is my duty to speak up when needed and rise to the promise made to our families, children, communities and loved ones. This is no easy task, given the many settings in our world that contain violent situations or imagery: schools, homes, communities, and the media.
Media:
Media has portrayed all around the world and has glorified the use of guns as a positive way to conflict resolution, efforts must be made to counter the glorified image portrayed in the media by teaching proper gun use, illuminating the dangers guns pose to children and youth, and explaining alternatives to gun ownership for ensuring personal safety.
Why are we still stuck in this situation?
Many people in society believe that "Gun control won’t work" However, it clearly works. As stated in a medium article, nearly all gun-control-enforced countries have fewer gun deaths and lower murder rates. How can we make it work? we can use our voices and engagement to make a stand towards these difficult laws. Resilience will come from our own voices and movement to hold the gun industry accountable and all the other underlying contributors to gun violence.
Changing peoples perspectives and laws is no easy task, given the many settings in our world that contain violent situations, but it is our generations duty to encourage others to make the promise and fix the next generation. I insist to call for action to support the connection, trauma and services of gun possession.
I found this message to be informative and persuasive. One strategy that stood out to me was the use of pathos to generate an emotional appeal. This strategy is appropriate and effective for the chosen issue because gun violence is a sensitive topic. The use of loaded language through words such as “traumatized” (para. 1) or descriptions such as “perpetuate cycles of violence and deprivation” (para. 4) support the use of pathos and provide a sympathetic and serious tone.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that you reference children and adolescence often to describe scenarios which is an effective use of imagery. By referencing the younger generation through examples like “children witnessing an act of violence” (para. 1) and “a young boy has been shot in his apartment” (para. 2), a strong emotional reaction is created from the reader and makes them feel sad for the life these individuals never got to have.
Another strategy that stood out to me was the great number of facts and statistics being stated in the writing through the use of logos. Facts about gun violence such as “500 people die every day from gun violence” (para. 2) and “2000 people are injured from gunshots every day” (para. 3) are effective in supporting claims with reliable evidence. The use of hyperlinks throughout the text are also effective in demonstrating proof of the sources.
The beginning sentence of this blog post caught my attention and stood out to me as it asks, “how many more times?”. I believe this rhetorical question uses both logos and pathos to support this message because it appeals to reader’s emotions and asks how many times these events are going to happen, while it also implies that a change needs to be made. The facts stated later in this writing piece support the rhetorical question because examples and scenarios are provided. Overall, I found this message very interesting and well-written.
One strategy I noticed you used in your message was tones. I found the tone you used was very serious which makes sense when talking about a serious issue such as the possession and misuse of weapons. an example from your text that I think best shows this is in paragraph two where you said "The possession of firearms is one of their most divisive social issues. In 2018, ten people were killed in the Toronto van attack; a further two killings happened later in the year." Not only is this writing very serious in tone but you also included a statistic to further your point which I as a reader appreciate a lot.
ReplyDeleteThat brings me to the second strategy I notice you used which was your use of statistics throughout your message. As a reader this method really helps me trust you as a writer because it proves to me that you've done the research and have the proof to backup your claims. I think paragraph two is a great example of your use of statistics since you used three facts in that one paragraph alone. This strategy makes your writing more believable to the reader and makes your message to come off as more persuasive.