Guns Ownership in the US

 
 
 

Vocabulary

choice	weapon	lieutenant
ex-	common	concerned (2)
citizen	bear (2)	constitution
murder	arm (2)	oppressive
run (3)	right (4)	check (2)
ID	license	background
felony	pass (3)	conviction (2)
bump	order (4)	nature (2)
posses	firearm	protective
qualify	purchase	argument
illegal	case (3)	ammunition
fit (2)	attempt	automatic (2)
local	hip (2)	beverage
outlet	previous	assault weapon
holster	prohibit	semi-automatic
honest	conceal	exercise (2)
found	consider	Founding Fathers
trust	free (3)	private (2)
rifle	majority	Minuteman
vast	will (3)	out of control
elect	feel (2)	representative
impose	civilized	fall back on
defend	protect	ability (2)
forced	assault	as far as I’m concerned
chance

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

The gun is the weapon of choice for those killing people on the streets of New Orleans.

Ex-police lieutenant Dwayne Sherman wanted to take me to a local gun show.

These shows are common across America.

The constitutional right to bear arms has to be questioned when you consider the number of people being murdered in this city every year.

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “How easy will it be for me now to buy a weapon? How much of a check would he run on me if I was in a Louisiana, as a citizen? He would just look at my driver’s license?”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “You take an official ID, like your Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana ID.

He would run a background check on you with the federal government to see that you do not have any felony convictions, and that you are not under protective orders, things of that nature that would normally prohibit a person from owning or possessing a firearm.

If you pass all of those things and you qualify as a citizen, then you can purchase a firearm, pay for it and walk away with it.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “Okay, let’s say I am a person with previous convictions. What’s stopping me getting you to buy me a gun?”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “Nothing. Very little. It’s illegal. The law says you can’t do it. But it does happen in some cases.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “All these guns here are made to be concealed on a person. They’re not made to fit inside a side holster. The person you bump into, have an argument with, can pull that weapon.

Why do you have to wear it concealed? Why not wear it on your hip?”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “In Louisiana you can, anyone can wear it on your hip as long as long as you’re not a felon.

We have an open-carry law in Louisiana — as long as you’re not an alcohol beverage outlet.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “So as long as I’m not drinking alcohol, I can go anywhere I want with a gun on my hip?”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “Correct.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “These are assault weapons. These are the ones fired in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “That the military carry, with the exception of the semi-automatic.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “But if you keep pulling your finger quickly, it becomes automatic?”

Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “But if you look at the number of guns that are owned by Americans, the number of people killed is small, while it may be higher than the rest of the Western, civilized world. But if you look around you, you have all of these guns, all of these ammunition, these are good, honest Americans exercising what our Founding Fathers gave us.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “What, the right to bear arms?”
Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “Correct. Look at all the other parts of the world where you have an oppressive government . . . and many Americans would say this is becoming overly oppressive . . . and the right of the citizen — the Minuteman, the soldier who made us a free country — it was his own private rifles.

If I can trust the government to have soldiers with assault rifles, why doesn’t my country trust me to have an assault rifle?”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “Because so many people are killing each other?”
Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “No, no. The vast majority, look around you: all these guns, all these citizens.

What we have to remember is this country was born, and our freedoms come from men who had the right to possess firearms. Our Founding Fathers, that wasn’t lost on them.

And we keep those laws today and fight for those laws in our constitution right. So if this government becomes so oppressive, or so out of control, and we are forced to fall back on these firearms, we have them.

We are the United States of America. Our elected representatives are elected. But we are America. Our guns are what keeps us free.

And that’s why we have them.”

Ross Kemp, Reporter: “Do you really think guns keep you free?”
Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “Yes.
Ross Kemp, Reporter: “How does a gun keep you free?”
Dwayne Sherman, Former Police Lieutenant: “If my government or terrorists or bad people attempted to impose their will on me, I have the ability to use my firearm defend my rights, to protect my freedom and my family’s freedom.”

Why these American citizens feel the need to arm themselves with military assault weapons, I will never understand. There’s enough firepower in this large room to start a small war.

As far as I’m concerned, the more guns there are, the more chance there is of people using them.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Questions

1. Most murderers use knives in American cities. Is this correct or incorrect?

2. Are gun shows and exhibitions rare or common in the US?

3. Can anyone legally purchase a firearm? Is there a loophole? Can anyone obtain a firearm?

4. People can carry guns on the street. Is this right or wrong?

5. Only military personal (soldiers) use military assault rifles. True or false?

6. According to the former police lieutenant, are the participants at the gun show criminals and terrorists; or normal, law-abiding citizens?

7. What justification does he give for owning rifles? Is it grounded in history?

8. Was the reporter completely objective and neutral, or biased? Is he pro-gun, anti-gun, both, neutral, in the middle, or does it depend?

 
 

A. Do all, many, some, a few or no people own guns in your country? Approximately what percent of people own guns?

B. Describe the gun laws. Is it easy, difficult or impossible to buy and own firearms?

C. What do people think of gun ownership? Is opinion divided or unanimous?

D. What will happen in the future?

E. Should people have the right to own guns, should there be gun control or should guns be banned altogether (entirely)?

F. What are the causes of gun violence? How can gun violence be reduced?