Gun Rights in the USA

So are you saying my burden of proof is to show that mass shootings are impossible under tighter gun laws. That to me seems absurd. Of course, sometimes people get their hands on explosives, or a vehicle, or plane. But that doesn't mean gun control isn't effective at reducing mass killings it just means that gun control isn't 100% effective. If you had a vaccine that reduced cancer deaths by 95% you would probably use that vaccine. Just because something isn't 100% effective doesn't mean you shouldn't use it at all. Seat belts aren't 100% effective at stopping you from dying in a car crash. They can even sometimes harm you in certain very specific scenarios. But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. That's what I'm trying to prove with gun control. While you say that gun control would not work as well in the U.S. as other countries I would argue that there are examples of countries with a very strong gun culture losing their guns. Most notably, I would look at Australia a country with a large rural conservative demographic (like the U.S.) and a strong gun culture. After a mass shooting in the 1990's, Australia pushed through tight gun controls such as a national gun registry, a mandatory 28 day waiting period, and a national gun buyback program. Despite pushback from special interest groups and activists, Australia pushed their legislation through. Since the legislation was passed, Australia has seen zero mass killings their homicide and suicide rates both drop significantly. Mass killings could also have been prevented in the U.S. by enforcement of America's current gun laws. In Texas, enforcement and use of the background checks that exist would have prevented a mass shooting there. I also want it to be noted that guns are by far the best machines for killing large amounts of people. My opponent claims that "they will find the next best thing,". Knives are of course very inefficient at killing most stabbing attacks only kill 1-2 people at the most. That isn't even a mass killing. Vehicles can only be used in open spaces such as bike paths. For the most part they too are quite poor at killing. Explosives are also not as good as guns because wiring explosives is difficult and they are often discovered before the attack. There is also a risk that the explosive will backfire or fail to go off. For those who want to kill many people, guns are just better. They are the ultimate killing machines. My opponent claims that gun control does not effect the suicide rate. This is not true. Universal background checks have been shown to decrease the suicide rate meaningfully. According to the New York times "states with universal background checks had a decrease of 0.29 suicides per 100,000 people from 2013 to 2014. Those without such laws had an average increase of 0.85." The article continues to note that there was a decrease in suicides of 0.38 per 100,000 in states with mandatory waiting periods. It is completely untrue to say that a mandatory waiting period would not effect gun violence. The director of Harvard's Injury Control Research Center said with regards to suicides "Studies show that most attempters act on impulse, in moments of panic or despair. Once the acute feelings ease, 90 percent do not go on to die by suicide." Therefore, mandatory waiting periods can have a very large impact on suicide rates. Allowing time for psychologists to hopefully help the suicidal person. Time matters. So in conclusion, gun control has been shown to be effective around the world as well as in the United States. Universal background checks and mandatory waiting periods have both been shown to reduce the suicide and homicide rate meaningfully. It has also been shown to reduce mass killings by large amounts in other countries that implemented gun legislation (most notably the conservative Australia). As a result of the fact that gun control is immensely effective at saving lives I urge a con vote. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu... https://www.nytimes.com... https://www.nytimes.com... Graph: https://www.bing.com...