With recent school shootings, gun control has been a hot topic in our country. Referring to this week’s reading, reflect on your opinion of gun control.
Well, Toby pretending to shoot people in my opinion is a bit disturbing but gun control in his time wasn't a problem for his and our age group, it was more for the mafia. Yes, gun control is a problem in our current times but that is the because of the unneeded bullying that has rapidly from 2000 to now, and it just crack the wrong people. Majority of shootings in the 50s were from mobsters as I said before, and Toby is just being a kid it would be a completely different view if the gun he had was a BB gun.
Gun control in his time wasn't a problem? Do you mean that there weren't any huge situations that made the need for gun control to be implemented? I think no matter what time period anyone that is going to be handling a gun should be educated. Are our gun control laws/rules now really created for bullying? I get what you're saying but it is a bit confusing. Now kids have more access to guns and back then shootings were really only caused by mobsters? I like the hint of a stat that you used for the bullying, but could you possibly find more statistics on the fact of mobsters being connected to gun use, etc.?
Referring to wikipedia, most likely can find other facts, but in the 20th century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States It shows that majority of the mass shootings were due to rejection or bullying.
Living in Vermont I see a lot of children or teens with guns, yet I wonder, is it always a safe choice? Going hunting with your family is one thing, but simply giving a child a gun to mess around with as if it was a toy or a game is not wise. Yet again, Toby is not a "normal" kid. "I needed that rifle, for itself and for the way it completed me when I held it"(23). Toby obviously believes he has a sense maturity and feels the want/need to Cary a gun to become a 'bigger' or even 'better' person. But even though he feels that way he is making the wrong decisions with the gun by acting out shooting scenarios and aiming at other living people. I understand that the gun was something that Toby wants and what a young boy would want, but it is not a toy and gun control is something that needs looking into, especially for children.
Doesn't that scare you; kids with guns!?!? I personally think that is ridiculous. I mean I just don't understand why a kid under the age of 18 needs possession of a firearm. Do you agree? Do you think it's reasonable for kids to have their own guns?
Gun control overall is a good thing especially for younger children. In the book when Toby was given the gun he wasn't tought how to use it properly or when to use it. When Toby was using the gun he was shooting animals, scaring his mom with it, and to if so hit off he was pointing it at old ladies. So overall gun control should be a smart thing to address especially to younger kids learning how to use guns.
I completely agree with your statement. And before giving a gun to a young kid, it should have been addressed to him with rules and how to properly use it when nessessary.
I also agree that gun control is something good for younger children so they don't end up doing something stupid, like how Toby was pretending to shoot the things through his window. He could of accidentally shot someone with it and would of regretted ever holding onto a gun.
I agree completely, but you also have to think about the time frame this takes place in. Gun control was not the first priority so it won't be looked into anytime soon. I like that you think monder day, but I think you should add something a bit more time friendly to your opinion.
Why, would we even teach kids about guns in general, what about hiding them completely from guns, I find in my own experience that more that people are revealed to something they are more like to use it (either good or bad).
Toby was doing a very stupid thing with his gun even know he wasn't actually shooting at the woman. I think kids should not be able, or allowed to have access to this kind of weapon. There have been cases where kiss like Toby have used the gun to shoot someone else or themselves. Especially in Toby's position with Roy, having a creepy man hanging around all the time could push Toby to the limit of shooting him, which is murder. On page 25, "Hammer cocked, a round in the chamber, finger resting lightly on the trigger, I drew a bead on whoever walked by-woman pushing strollers, children, garbage collectors laughing and calling to each other, anyone-and as they pass under my window I sometimes had to bith my lip to keep from laughing in the ecstasy of my power over them.." No child should be in any situation like this. Thinking it is funny to point a gun at children, or thinking they have power over grown adults. What would have happened if he actually would have killed those garbage men? ... Toby had the nerve to actually shoot at an elderly man and woman, thank god that he only shot a squirt, or else it would have been a dead man or woman in the road.
I agree with how you said it's not right for him to think its okay or funny to point guns at people or kill someone, I also like the point you brought up about it's not okay to think you have control over an adult.
I agree that holding onto gun could cause situations where he would end up actually killing someone because he had a gun and felt like he had power. Or for instance if someone had depression or issues with people in there family and they had a gun that it was the only way out. It could also lead to when kids as they grow up bringing them to school and could end up threatening people with this weapon.
In the last 10 pages of the book in "This Boy's Life" a major issue was how Jack was using his gun. Jack was pointing it at people, thinking about shooting, shooting and coming close to hitting, and killing squirrels - is this okay? How does it connect to gun control? Jack would pretend to shoot people, he would point at them, and laugh at how innocent they were and how they had no clue of the control Jack had over them. "But over time the innocence [he] laughed at began to irritate [him]... Power can be enjoyed only when it is recognized and feared" (25) Jack/Toby explained of his "peculiar irritation" of pointing his gun at people. It's this kind of mindlessness, and lack of knowledge that could decided a serious injury on innocent people. At the time Jack didn't know why he was irritated, and later found out when he went to fight in a war of why he was feeling that way. Because of this irritation Jack went as far as actually shooting, and making people fear him. Jack had no self control. He was also very young at the time and didn't understand the build and purpose of a gun. But just because he didn't know, doesn't mean everybody else knows either. It's the mind behind the gun that controls the pull of the trigger. People should not necessarily control who owns guns and who shoots them, but people need to to a better job of educating on gun use and really enforcing it. There are so many bad things in this world and you can't control it all, or prevent any of it. It's like just because one person in class does something wrong, doesn't mean everyone should get the punishment; it's not always this way. Jack was so young, so lost and he didn't really have a stable family or home life. He wanted attention and he wanted power. The problem isn't buying guns or selling them, it's about the self control and common sense the gun owner/shooter has. Gun control is such a controversial topic that can be argued more than a million times and no one will ever agree. But the point I'm trying to make is a young child, of Jack's age,and lack of proper education and a stable life, and all of these different things add up to how guns should be allowed to the public. For someone like Jack, young and slightly educated, gun control should have been applied to him; gun control should be implicated for individuals.
It is interesting to see how Toby interacted with the gun Roy gave him. I think gun control is very important for kids to know about especially when they have open access to them. Roy said "he had many guns by the time he was Toby's age" which makes me think that he should be the one teaching gun control to Toby. I think if Roy showed him how to handle a gun properly and the responsibility that comes with owning one, that Toby wouldn't have shot a squirrel and wouldn't have been pointing it at elderly woman as they walk by. Even if the gun was unloaded or not the gun shouldn't be pointed at anyone. Toby doesn't know these rules because it's his first gun but Roy should be stepping up and talking to him about it.
I agree, Haylee; if Toby had been educated more on gun use and control it would have been much less "disturbing" or worrisome in those scenes Toby had a gun. Do you also think that maybe his education and unstable family/home life could have anything to do of why he was so impatient with his frustrated feelings? These feelings that made him feel the need to point at old ladies, and shoot once?
Thanks Dylan; and Ashley I'm not sure if it has to do with Toby's home life or not. But if it does then I think he should go talk to someone. Bringing out his gun isn't going to fix anything.
Gun control in my opinion is something really hard to deal with. I believe it's okay to have kids use guns but only if the kid has a responsible adult with the them at all times. I don't blame Toby for anything he did with the gun like pointing it at people and his mother or shooting people. I believe he just didn't know better and needs to be taught and not have an example like Roy to show him.
You would think if he didn't know better he wouldn't have done it? Do you have any other reasons not to blame Toby for pointing it at people? How old was he during this scene? At least 10. I think by 10, kids should have common sense not to point it at people - plus his mom told him not to point it at people, correct? I think that's an interesting idea though, but Toby knew very well what he was doing when he was pointing his gun at those people. Could you also say it's okay for kids to use guns as long as they're educated, as well as having a responsible adult with them? I think that's a step in the right direction of a type of gun control, but I think the right education could prevent gun incidents from kids like Toby.
\f0\fs26 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 Gun control wasn't to much of an issue at time the book was written but now if we were to trust a kid like Jack who points it out the window at old people granted. To loaded but you would have to be insane to let that happen. Even his mom didn't really want him to keep it when they were leaving again but he had basically made her let him keep by using a guilt trip and proving there is room. But now with all the school shootings that have happened even for a adult getting ammo is hard because of the shootings. Letting a kid have a gun should be the last thing on your mind it is such a bad idea because most the time they don't know what they are doing.
I believe that Toby made a perfect example of why gun control needs to be enforced even more then it Is now because Toby started by firing his rifle without ammunition which is as dangerous as actual ammunition then he would start with ammunition but fire the gun with the hammer under his control then he would finally shoot and kill squirrels and not care but he would also fake fire at old people. So I think gun control in the community now should be enforced even further
Recently there have been shooting outbreaks, so the new question in our society is can we trust people with guns? I feel that there are some people who are responsible enough to be in charge of fire arms but others are irresponsible. On page 25 jack talks about how he pretends to shoot at people even children. And that's a clear example that only few people are responsible to be a gun ower. So should we risk it, risk or community and our lives?
Because of all the shootings going on at the moment now I think that gun control should have been more regulated then. I mostly think that because if you stop it before it happens, it prevents a problem in the future. But I mostly think that for Toby, this isn't a dangerous situation, he really just needs to be taught the safety's of gums and how to use them. He needs to realize you can pretend to shoot someone and someone should have taught him the responsibilities of having a gun and when it's okay to bring it out.
Well, Toby pretending to shoot people in my opinion is a bit disturbing but gun control in his time wasn't a problem for his and our age group, it was more for the mafia. Yes, gun control is a problem in our current times but that is the because of the unneeded bullying that has rapidly from 2000 to now, and it just crack the wrong people. Majority of shootings in the 50s were from mobsters as I said before, and Toby is just being a kid it would be a completely different view if the gun he had was a BB gun.
ReplyDeleteGun control in his time wasn't a problem? Do you mean that there weren't any huge situations that made the need for gun control to be implemented? I think no matter what time period anyone that is going to be handling a gun should be educated. Are our gun control laws/rules now really created for bullying? I get what you're saying but it is a bit confusing. Now kids have more access to guns and back then shootings were really only caused by mobsters? I like the hint of a stat that you used for the bullying, but could you possibly find more statistics on the fact of mobsters being connected to gun use, etc.?
DeleteReferring to wikipedia, most likely can find other facts, but in the 20th century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States
DeleteIt shows that majority of the mass shootings were due to rejection or bullying.
Sorry, about the web sit not being a link.
DeleteI agree Remy but a BB gun is as dangerous as an actual gun so it should matter as long as you are taught gun safety correctly
DeleteLiving in Vermont I see a lot of children or teens with guns, yet I wonder, is it always a safe choice? Going hunting with your family is one thing, but simply giving a child a gun to mess around with as if it was a toy or a game is not wise. Yet again, Toby is not a "normal" kid. "I needed that rifle, for itself and for the way it completed me when I held it"(23). Toby obviously believes he has a sense maturity and feels the want/need to Cary a gun to become a 'bigger' or even 'better' person. But even though he feels that way he is making the wrong decisions with the gun by acting out shooting scenarios and aiming at other living people. I understand that the gun was something that Toby wants and what a young boy would want, but it is not a toy and gun control is something that needs looking into, especially for children.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't that scare you; kids with guns!?!? I personally think that is ridiculous. I mean I just don't understand why a kid under the age of 18 needs possession of a firearm. Do you agree? Do you think it's reasonable for kids to have their own guns?
DeleteI like how you connect it with Vermont sense it's a place where a lot of younger people hunt.
DeleteI like how said even though he makes the wrong decisions he knew what to do and what not to do.
DeleteI agree Toby isn't a normal kid but it's still a unsafe choice to give a young kid a gun.
DeleteI also like how you compared it to Vermont, and some same life scenarios. Good job!
DeleteGun control overall is a good thing especially for younger children. In the book when Toby was given the gun he wasn't tought how to use it properly or when to use it. When Toby was using the gun he was shooting animals, scaring his mom with it, and to if so hit off he was pointing it at old ladies. So overall gun control should be a smart thing to address especially to younger kids learning how to use guns.
ReplyDeleteTrevor I agree with you about how Toby was not taught how to use the gun properly.
DeleteI completely agree with your statement. And before giving a gun to a young kid, it should have been addressed to him with rules and how to properly use it when nessessary.
DeleteI also agree that gun control is something good for younger children so they don't end up doing something stupid, like how Toby was pretending to shoot the things through his window. He could of accidentally shot someone with it and would of regretted ever holding onto a gun.
DeleteI agree completely, but you also have to think about the time frame this takes place in. Gun control was not the first priority so it won't be looked into anytime soon. I like that you think monder day, but I think you should add something a bit more time friendly to your opinion.
DeleteWhy, would we even teach kids about guns in general, what about hiding them completely from guns, I find in my own experience that more that people are revealed to something they are more like to use it (either good or bad).
DeleteToby was doing a very stupid thing with his gun even know he wasn't actually shooting at the woman. I think kids should not be able, or allowed to have access to this kind of weapon. There have been cases where kiss like Toby have used the gun to shoot someone else or themselves. Especially in Toby's position with Roy, having a creepy man hanging around all the time could push Toby to the limit of shooting him, which is murder. On page 25, "Hammer cocked, a round in the chamber, finger resting lightly on the trigger, I drew a bead on whoever walked by-woman pushing strollers, children, garbage collectors laughing and calling to each other, anyone-and as they pass under my window I sometimes had to bith my lip to keep from laughing in the ecstasy of my power over them.." No child should be in any situation like this. Thinking it is funny to point a gun at children, or thinking they have power over grown adults. What would have happened if he actually would have killed those garbage men? ... Toby had the nerve to actually shoot at an elderly man and woman, thank god that he only shot a squirt, or else it would have been a dead man or woman in the road.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you said it's not right for him to think its okay or funny to point guns at people or kill someone, I also like the point you brought up about it's not okay to think you have control over an adult.
DeleteI agree that holding onto gun could cause situations where he would end up actually killing someone because he had a gun and felt like he had power. Or for instance if someone had depression or issues with people in there family and they had a gun that it was the only way out. It could also lead to when kids as they grow up bringing them to school and could end up threatening people with this weapon.
DeleteIn the last 10 pages of the book in "This Boy's Life" a major issue was how Jack was using his gun. Jack was pointing it at people, thinking about shooting, shooting and coming close to hitting, and killing squirrels - is this okay? How does it connect to gun control?
ReplyDeleteJack would pretend to shoot people, he would point at them, and laugh at how innocent they were and how they had no clue of the control Jack had over them. "But over time the innocence [he] laughed at began to irritate [him]... Power can be enjoyed only when it is recognized and feared" (25) Jack/Toby explained of his "peculiar irritation" of pointing his gun at people. It's this kind of mindlessness, and lack of knowledge that could decided a serious injury on innocent people. At the time Jack didn't know why he was irritated, and later found out when he went to fight in a war of why he was feeling that way.
Because of this irritation Jack went as far as actually shooting, and making people fear him. Jack had no self control. He was also very young at the time and didn't understand the build and purpose of a gun. But just because he didn't know, doesn't mean everybody else knows either. It's the mind behind the gun that controls the pull of the trigger. People should not necessarily control who owns guns and who shoots them, but people need to to a better job of educating on gun use and really enforcing it. There are so many bad things in this world and you can't control it all, or prevent any of it. It's like just because one person in class does something wrong, doesn't mean everyone should get the punishment; it's not always this way. Jack was so young, so lost and he didn't really have a stable family or home life. He wanted attention and he wanted power.
The problem isn't buying guns or selling them, it's about the self control and common sense the gun owner/shooter has. Gun control is such a controversial topic that can be argued more than a million times and no one will ever agree. But the point I'm trying to make is a young child, of Jack's age,and lack of proper education and a stable life, and all of these different things add up to how guns should be allowed to the public. For someone like Jack, young and slightly educated, gun control should have been applied to him; gun control should be implicated for individuals.
I like how you gave good detail, and listed the page number
DeleteIt is interesting to see how Toby interacted with the gun Roy gave him. I think gun control is very important for kids to know about especially when they have open access to them. Roy said "he had many guns by the time he was Toby's age" which makes me think that he should be the one teaching gun control to Toby. I think if Roy showed him how to handle a gun properly and the responsibility that comes with owning one, that Toby wouldn't have shot a squirrel and wouldn't have been pointing it at elderly woman as they walk by. Even if the gun was unloaded or not the gun shouldn't be pointed at anyone. Toby doesn't know these rules because it's his first gun but Roy should be stepping up and talking to him about it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Haylee; if Toby had been educated more on gun use and control it would have been much less "disturbing" or worrisome in those scenes Toby had a gun. Do you also think that maybe his education and unstable family/home life could have anything to do of why he was so impatient with his frustrated feelings? These feelings that made him feel the need to point at old ladies, and shoot once?
DeleteI agree Haylee because if you're taught how to use a gun properly then nothing should go wrong
DeleteThanks Dylan; and Ashley I'm not sure if it has to do with Toby's home life or not. But if it does then I think he should go talk to someone. Bringing out his gun isn't going to fix anything.
Delete
ReplyDeleteGun control in my opinion is something really hard to deal with. I believe it's okay to have kids use guns but only if the kid has a responsible adult with the them at all times. I don't blame Toby for anything he did with the gun like pointing it at people and his mother or shooting people. I believe he just didn't know better and needs to be taught and not have an example like Roy to show him.
You would think if he didn't know better he wouldn't have done it? Do you have any other reasons not to blame Toby for pointing it at people? How old was he during this scene? At least 10. I think by 10, kids should have common sense not to point it at people - plus his mom told him not to point it at people, correct? I think that's an interesting idea though, but Toby knew very well what he was doing when he was pointing his gun at those people. Could you also say it's okay for kids to use guns as long as they're educated, as well as having a responsible adult with them? I think that's a step in the right direction of a type of gun control, but I think the right education could prevent gun incidents from kids like Toby.
DeleteThat is a good reason also who gave it to him should have tolled what to do with, how to use it, and not to point it at people
DeleteLike I said to Trevor why should we teach anything about guns to kids, it is just ridiculous that is even an option
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\outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 Gun control wasn't to much of an issue at time the book was written but now if we were to trust a kid like Jack who points it out the window at old people granted. To loaded but you would have to be insane to let that happen. Even his mom didn't really want him to keep it when they were leaving again but he had basically made her let him keep by using a guilt trip and proving there is room. But now with all the school shootings that have happened even for a adult getting ammo is hard because of the shootings. Letting a kid have a gun should be the last thing on your mind it is such a bad idea because most the time they don't know what they are doing.
I believe that Toby made a perfect example of why gun control needs to be enforced even more then it Is now because Toby started by firing his rifle without ammunition which is as dangerous as actual ammunition then he would start with ammunition but fire the gun with the hammer under his control then he would finally shoot and kill squirrels and not care but he would also fake fire at old people. So I think gun control in the community now should be enforced even further
ReplyDeleteRecently there have been shooting outbreaks, so the new question in our society is can we trust people with guns? I feel that there are some people who are responsible enough to be in charge of fire arms but others are irresponsible. On page 25 jack talks about how he pretends to shoot at people even children. And that's a clear example that only few people are responsible to be a gun ower. So should we risk it, risk or community and our lives?
ReplyDeleteBecause of all the shootings going on at the moment now I think that gun control should have been more regulated then. I mostly think that because if you stop it before it happens, it prevents a problem in the future. But I mostly think that for Toby, this isn't a dangerous situation, he really just needs to be taught the safety's of gums and how to use them. He needs to realize you can pretend to shoot someone and someone should have taught him the responsibilities of having a gun and when it's okay to bring it out.
ReplyDelete