Prewrite in class

Tara Finn
Pre-Writing
April 6, 2009
Op-ed Piece


The general tone of many gun-control op-ed pieces is that of the second amendment right to possess a firearm. Many relate it back to the massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. There are many technicalities about who is allowed to own guns in various states and how a national law, like that from the Supreme Court, would not be able to be enforced. The New York Times is a national liberal paper that is known for putting spin on many of their articles. However, even with one of the most conservative issues, they seemed to simply argue the legality, not the potential threat, of guns.
For my specific topic, I want to focus on not allowing guns on school campuses, not simply who is allowed to own guns. I want to make the point that I support the Second Amendment and as a gun-owner myself, how I see why it would cause such a stir. I think that as U.S. citizens, that those are licensed and trained should be able to carry weapons for their protection, just not on school grounds. Most people are focusing on guns on university campuses, but high schools and middle schools and even preschools would be affected. It is not simply about the second amendment right to possess a firearm, it is the lack of judgment that people have about it safe.
I plan to approach this issue through the eyes of a current student and future teacher who is and will spend much of my time in the classroom on school campus. I want to take the perspective that I think people, including teachers, should be able to have a gun if they wish, but that they should not be allowed to carry it to school so they can feel safe. Most assume that the only real problem with this is the threat of a massacre, but there is so much more. It is the student who is too intimated to ask questions because the teacher has a 44 in his or her coat. It is the drunken frat boy who gets mad at someone and decides to shoot someone. Theses situations are not protected by the second amendment, and yet, Texas is pushing to include them in state law. I want to motivate people to protest these new laws and to really think about why they are passing them. Is it to demonstrate our second amendment right to posses a firearm, or is to prove a point that school boundaries do not really prevent violence?
I think that pathos appeals will be most effective because even the word “gun” puts people’s nerves on edge. It is a part of society that people are naturally afraid of what can harm them. By using pathos to give specific accounts of those who have been affected by gun violence, I think the reader will be able to relate more and perhaps agree more. Also, with cases like Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, there is a mass amount of sympathy for those people because it was displayed so frequently and really brought the possibility to life.
I think that a combination of facts and personal experience will help to best better my argument. The laws that are pending will also help the reader see that is it is a real possibility, not some random issue. I also think that using direct quotes from those who survived the school shootings with strengthen the sympathy and understanding.
I might to do a little research on the passage of the second amendment and the current status of the laws.