February 8, 2015
Unit 1
Guns, Gun Control, and Gun Safety
Synopsis
Both of these articles written by Gail Collins and Cara Buckley are a great overlook of the controversy brought up over the 2nd Amendment recently. The issue discussed in these articles is about the ever-going debate here in America over gun control and gun safety. Should we as Americans be able to obtain guns in our homes? Should it be legal to carry handguns out in the open, rather minus a license for it? With the recent debut of American Sniper, showing contentious playful use of guns in some scenes and portraying real war scenes, the gun controversy was stirred up again. Glenn Kenny wrote a review about the movie on December 25, 2014, stating that American Sniper was "one of the more tough-minded and effective war pictures of post-American-Century American cinema."The movie American Sniper is about a cowboy named Chris Kyle who becomes a Navy SEAL. Succeeding the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Chris Kyle is deployed to Iraq for his first tour of duty. There, his reputation as a sniper who never misses makes him a legend among his fellow troops, and earns him the nickname "The Devil of Ramadi" from his rivals. Kyle fights to make the transition back to civilian life, but he learns that helping his fellow veterans is an effective way to do moral and help cope with his wartime experiences. The real Chris Kyle was shot to death while at a shooting range helping a veteran "who had a history of violent behavior and was an apparent victim of post-traumatic stress."
Analysis
There is a scene in the movie where he is walking around inside of his house with a pistol strapped to his hip and his whips it out playfully at his wife. His wife Taya says that she sees he is finally surpassing his war traumas and back to his old self. Those who are anti-gun would argue that pointing a gun at someone is rightfully wrong no matter what the circumstance. The second amendment is brought up by Cara Buckley in the second article where she quotes Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, LA and the author of "Gunfight", about the fight over gun control, 'how crazy our gun culture has become.' Adam Winkler questions "Are guns useful for self-defense? Here was one of the most skilled shooters in American history holding guns, surrounded by guns, and was unable to protect himself." The second amendment states "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." I agree intensely! These amendments were made for the good of the people. We should be able to possess guns in our own households. I also agree that there are limits that do need to be set when it comes to gun safety and regulations. I support gun use and the second amendment strongly. I am an avid hunter who grew up around guns and gun use. My grandfather, father, and I have been hunting almost all our lives, from Red-Rider BB-guns in the beginning to higher powered hunting rifles. Gail Collins wrote "American Sniper is on one, supremely obvious level, a celebration of gun culture. But it's also a cautionary tale." I agree with her statement as well. It shows that gun safety is important and guns are very dangerous weapons that can do a lot of damage. American Sniper was a terrific movie showing both a positive and negative side of gun use.Article 1: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/opinion/gail-collins-american-sniper-moral.html?ref=topics&_r=0
Article 2: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/movies/awardsseason/american-sniper-fuels-a-war-on-the-home-front.html
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