Argumentative Speech

Rodrick Bellamy

Ms. McKoy

English 2

November 3, 2012

  

“Gun Violence: Taking Innocent Lives”

It was a bright, sunny afternoon on November 2, 2007 when some senseless person took away my cousin Andy’s life with just pulling out a gun. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was devastating. I got off of the bus as a 4^th grader to a scene of crying family members, crime tape, police cars, and an ambulance. I asked what had happened, and my mother responded, “Andy got killed.” As young as I was, I still understood what was going on. As those 3 words came out of my mom’s mouth, my whole mood changed. As it happened, I tried to figure out how no one heard the gunshots. Then, I remembered. The house Andy was shot in was so old that it had cement walls on the outside. Those walls kept all the sound on the inside. My grandma, who lived just two doors down from Andy, was distraught that she did not hear the gunshots. She felt as if she would have heard them, then Andy could have still been here with us today. After analyzing that situation, I then began thinking about whole killed my “big cousin.” Being curious, I asked my mom again. “Who killed him, mommy?” With tears running down her face, my mom responded, “His ‘best friend’ supposedly.” Some best friend that is. He was not thinking about what was morally, socially, and emotionally correct. He was just going by what was going on in his corrupted mind. Not worried about how it was going to impact other, or even how it would impact his future!

            Guns are the worst objects ever presented to society. Guns kill adults and even kill children. The guns are not what are dying; it is people’s loved ones, people’s children. What is it that makes people commit these senseless crimes? Is it mental, psychological, physical, etcetera? Gun violence is overlooked by many until it impacts their lives in a tremendous way. The moment they lose their loved ones to gun violence that is when they begin to think of why somebody would be so senseless as to take their loved ones away. They start organizations to stop gun violence; however, no one actually focuses on the killer. No one thinks about what it is that causes the person to kill their loved one. This issue can be analyzed down into genetics, mental or psychological complications, or simply no issues at all.

Studies show that most psychopaths have suffered from family problems in their childhood. In this article, Shirley Lynn Scott argues the results of her very detailed research on what triggers a serial killer. In her research, she found that psychiatrists have found some “environmental factors” that create a sociopath. Those factors are according to studies, 60% of psychopaths have lost a parent, their parents were not or still are not active in their lives, one parent was stricter than the other, and parents who torture their kids behind closed doors but pretend to have a “happy family” in public. Scott also argues that according to her research, a psychopath’s nervous system endures pain longer than a normal person. The nervous system of the psychopath takes longer to comprehend what is causing the pain. That “longer” comprehension time is what drives psychopaths to engage in dangerous activities. Genetics also play a large part on a psychopath. Genetics show that psychopaths who were adopted as a child has biological family members who are sociopaths. “When a psychopath does inherit genetically-based, developmental disabilities, it is usually a stunted development of the higher functions of the brain. Thirty to thirty eight percent of psychopaths show abnormal brain wave patterns, or EEGs.” Also, as according to this article, a psychopath’s brain does not mature as they get older, as a normal person’s brain does. (“What Makes Serial Killers Tick?” pp. 1-3)This article as a whole provided possible factors that could affect a psychopath. It gives a number of possible causes that could lead psychopaths to commit senseless crimes such as suicides and homicides. These factors are problems and issues that no one would think would affect a person’s life so greatly.

As I furthered my research, I came across another article titled “A Senseless Killing.” In this article, author Michael McKnight, argues that a murderer’s “killing instinct” can be based off of simply no issues at all. As presented in this article, Danny Farber, a star football player, was shot and killed all because he was simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Farber was a young, innocent young man. He had taken his girlfriend out on a date in South Los Angeles, when a local gang member spotted him, and ruled him and unfamiliar face, in his gang’s territory. The gang member, Arlon Watson, then went into the restaurant and walked up to Farber with a hoodie covering his face, explained McKnight. When Watson approached Farber, he asked, “Where you from cuz?” Farber replied, “What?!” and stood up from his seat. When Farber stood up, Watson fired 4 shots killing Farber. This young man was shot and killed as a result of gang violence when he was not even in a gang! Farber was not in gang, yet he experienced a gang related death. Through this article, McKnight argues that some murders could be gang related and not have any psychological or mental problems associated with it. These types of killers kill just to be “cool” or ranked at this level or that level in their community. 

Considering all of the results of my research, I conclude that there really is not a specific problem identified as the cause of triggering a killer. There are just possible factors that can contribute to it. Those factors, as mentioned throughout the speech, are genetics, mental and psychological issues, and for some, simply no reason at all. As for genetics, it can be passed down through biological family members. As I mentioned earlier, sixty percent of all psychopaths have biological family members who are sociopaths. As for mental and psychological issues, it can be related to the brain. A psychopath’s brain does not grow as does a normal person’s brain. The brain of a psychopath does not grow or mature until maybe about age 50 if they live to that age. Lastly, there could be simply no reason at all. Argued by Michael McKnight, a killing could be a result of someone trying to get “cool points” or get ranked at this point or that point in their community. These are all just factors that could lead to the corruption of a killer’s mind.