Foundation Briefs January/February 2016 Brief Resolved: In the United States, private ownership of handguns ought to be banned. January/February 2016 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Topic Analysis One ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Aff Evidence ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Handgun Violence ............................................................................................................................................ 21 The US leads the affluent world in gun violence. LWZ ........................................................................... 21 The NRA tries to hide the reality of gun violence. LWZ. ........................................................................ 21 While knives are still used, guns increase the risk of death. LWZ ........................................................... 22 The US experiences huge numbers of gun violence. LWZ ...................................................................... 22 Handguns are the biggest problem with firearm violence. LWZ .............................................................. 23 We don’t think that we should ban all guns, but handguns are key. LWZ ............................................... 23 Modern handguns have too much killing power. LWZ ............................................................................ 24 Independent of fatalities, injuries from handgun violence are massive and harm the economy. LWZ .... 25 America is actually not that violent, but handguns do contribute to America’s death rate. LWZ ........... 25 Simple cost benefit analysis shows that banning handguns is rational. LWZ .......................................... 26 Easy access to firearms explains our higher per capita homicide rates. LWZ ......................................... 26 Guns contribute to violence everywhere. LWZ ........................................................................................ 27 Guns cause escalation. LWZ ..................................................................................................................... 27 Guns increase violence independent of killings. LWZ ............................................................................. 27 Despite our gun violence, nothing is ever done about it. LWZ ................................................................ 28 America’s gun violence is the highest among developed countries. LWZ ............................................... 28 Privately-owned handguns are a large explanatory factor in our high homicide rate. LWZ .................... 29 Gun ownership at least partly causally explains gun violence. LWZ ....................................................... 29 The research is indisputable – more guns means more deaths. LWZ ....................................................... 29 The evidence is overwhelmingly clear – more guns means more gun deaths. LWZ ............................... 30 Making guns more accessible leads to more crime. LWZ ........................................................................ 30 Mass shootings are only part of the problem – other gun violence and suicides are worse. LWZ .......... 30 foundationbriefs.com Page 2 of 213 January/February 2016 Table of Contents Gun killings in self-defense are only a small fraction of unjustifiable gun deaths, so gun ownership hurts more than it saves. PJG. ............................................................................................................................ 31 Gun ownership harms the community, as countries like the U.S. with high gun ownership have higher levels of homicides. PJG. .......................................................................................................................... 32 Studies show that U.S. states with less gun ownership had lower unjustified shooting rates. PJG. ......... 33 The availability of handguns self-perpetuates the level of ownership. PJG. ............................................ 33 Handguns in particular should be banned because of their prevalence and ease in using them compared to other weapons. PJG. .............................................................................................................................. 34 Race .................................................................................................................................................................. 35 Gun control is key to stopping racialized gun violence. LWZ ................................................................. 35 Gun violence is racialized. LWZ .............................................................................................................. 35 It gets worse in particular states. LWZ ..................................................................................................... 36 Even though it looks like it is getting better, it is not. LWZ ..................................................................... 36 African Americans overwhelmingly support gun control. LWZ .............................................................. 37 Blacks are more likely to experience handgun violence. LWZ ................................................................ 37 Race is a driving factor in white gun ownership. LWZ ............................................................................ 37 Failure to consider race in the gun debate is wrong. LWZ ....................................................................... 38 Blaming gun violence on race is factually incorrect. LWZ. ..................................................................... 38 Race frames the way we discuss gun violence. LWZ. .............................................................................. 39 It’s empirically proven – white perpetrator’s always invite conversations of mental health. LWZ. ........ 40 Race is just used as a scapegoat to avoid a conversation about guns. LWZ. ............................................ 40 The gun lobby uses race to sell guns even though race is not a determinative factor is violent behavior. LWZ. ......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Gun debates fail to account for race. LWZ ............................................................................................... 41 As long as gun murders are of black men in inner cities, we will won’t tackle the gun problem. LWZ . 42 The idea that gun control is racist is historically inaccurate. LWZ .......................................................... 42 Arguments that gun control is racist selectively misread history. LWZ ................................................... 42 Incidents like Newtown are tragic but cover up stories of urban gun violence. LWZ ............................. 43 Mass shootings and gun violence statistics fail to account for the racialized factor of gun violence. LWZ ................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Gun violence is largely about race. LWZ ................................................................................................. 44 foundationbriefs.com Page 3 of 213 January/February 2016 Table of Contents Liberal/conservative views on urban gun violence ignores key facts. LWZ ............................................ 44 Failure to pass gun laws is rooted in racism. LWZ ................................................................................... 45 Narratives of gun violence prevention is typically meant to appeal to white people. LWZ ..................... 45 Fewer guns mean less deaths. Other policy solutions don’t solve gun violence. LWZ ........................... 46 Body cameras and other alternatives don’t change that gun laws are the key factor. We can’t end police shootings until we address gun violence. LWZ ........................................................................................ 47 Guns are a key part of police shootings. LWZ ......................................................................................... 48 Concealed carry culture negatively affects black people. LWZ ............................................................... 49 Gun violence disproportionately affects black America – this is why blacks overwhelmingly support gun control. LWZ ............................................................................................................................................. 50 Guns have been a tool for white racial terror. LWZ ................................................................................. 51 Anti-black violence is backed by guns. LWZ ........................................................................................... 52 Guns are ignored by conservative politicians as a major source of violence in black communities. LWZ ................................................................................................................................................................... 53 Guns have been used by both the state and vigilantes as part