Lindsay Bigos
English 101
Jill Walter
February 19, 2015 Everyone knows the famous quote “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. In the essay Justin Cronin wrote was on whether guns are safe or not safe to have. He stated him himself owns half a dozen pistols. He goes to the shooting rage at least once a week so he definitely has a good understanding on how to use a gun. He also carries a legal gun license. Cronin says he owns many guns for multiple reasons but his main reason is to protect his family. In my personal life my dad also owns a gun for protection of our family. Cronin said that his wife was actually scared of the guns in the house and his daughter was not. In my house that’s not the case, my mother and I feel very protected knowing that there is something in the house that will protect us. If there ever comes a time where we need to use it. The authors thesis statement (I think) says “ There is a pleasure to be had in exercising ones rights, learning something new in midlife and mastering the operation of a complex tool, which is one thing a gun is.” Justin Cronin, writes a very informative essay about the use of guns and how to use them safely, he makes valid points to make the reader believe that they can be safe. I believe Cronin’s strengths in his essay are when he talks about his early life and explains how he got into using and wanting to learn more about guns. He says, “ A prevailing theory holds that boys are simultaneously aware of their own physical powerlessness and society’s mandate that they serve as protectors of the innocent.” Boys have this instinct to always be protectors of their loved ones and sometimes that can put very much pressure one someone. He also says he was not too sure about guns until he reached his mid-40s. He began researching all about guns and even in the middle of writing a novel about pistols, shotguns, and rifles were widely used. The guns and violence that he saw in movies were portrayed completely wrong. He hired someone who knew a lot about guns. This person always carried a gun within arms reach. He even had to move because the state he was residing in did not allow guns. Cronin didn’t just want a gun to protect his family he wanted to become an expert on guns and make sure he had the right idea. Cronin also makes a good point about carrying a gun license and how important that should be for everyone. Guns are not that hard to purchase now a days. The people purchasing guns should be the right people and not just anyone off the street. Guns are definitely a dangerous weapon, so it’s good to know who is purchasing and if they are equipped to do so. Someone who is interested in purchasing a gun should also be required to take a few classes on how to properly use a gun and be safe with it. He lived in Houston Texas when the scare of Hurricane