Gun Control Editorial Critique

          In a recent editorial, "Concealed carry, California and the 9th Circuit's misrepresentation of the facts" John R. Lott analyzes the efforts Democrats are pursuing to counteract Supreme Court ruling in favor of concealed carry, justifying the actions as threats to safety; as the right to carry guns is beneficial to all groups of people.
          Lott stands in favor of concealed carry, and finds ban rulings in California unjustifiable; revealing that the only people requesting gun permits are police officials who are required to possess weapons to limit crime. For example, Lott provides logistics from a survey among officers to convey the necessity, "Ninety one percent of respondents expressed support for relatively liberal concealed handgun laws." By providing this evidence, Lott establishes credibility in his position as he uses highly respected authority figures input to back his claim, and since humans trust police officers to keep us safe, support from them sways the opinion of those disagreeing towards Lott. Additionally, by showcasing the limited amount requesting gun permits, approximately 0.0005 percent of the adult population, Lott establishes gun bans as not the most pressing issue in California considering the limited amount of people the bans would apply to.
          Another way Lott emphasizes necessity for concealed guns is by listing off the pros of carrying guns. For example, as a result of carrying guns, "Some criminals have stopped committing crimes. Some have moved to commit crime where permitted concealed handguns weren't yet allowed. Some criminals switched out of crimes like robberies where there was direct contact between victims and criminals and into crimes like larceny where victims aren't directly threatened." By indicating these benefits, readers see instances of bettering society through change which in turn associates gun concealment with important American values like safety, liberty and unity among equals; which individuals will be less likely to question as they are the basis of moral belief in the U.S.
          Based on Lott's rhetorical strategies and evidence, it is evident the intended audience is the Democrats arguing against gun concealment because all of his points counteract the claims asserted as reasons to ban guns. Lott's intelligence and point of view is one I am in agreeance with simply because I believe guns provide a sense of security and independence values that initiated the formation of the United States from the beginning.