Writing a strong and convincing essay can be quite challenging, especially when the topic in question is of controversial nature and can cause ambiguous reaction. The essay “Just Take Away Their Guns” from the book Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing is an example of such strong writing. This essay is well structured and contains statistical justifications, but it has a significant drawback: Wilson’s idea that police searches will help solve the problem of gun violence is fragile.
The first aspect of this analysis addresses the credibility of the given essay. One of the features that ensure the validity of the presented information is the use of statistics. It can be demonstrated that almost all of the major statements made in the essay are supported by a piece of statistical data. One example is the author’s discussion of the ineffectiveness of legal restraints on the purchase of guns. To support their statement, Wilson writes: “there are 200 million guns in private ownership, about one-third of them handguns; only about 2 percent of the latter are employed to commit crimes” (124). This use of statistical evidence increases the essay’s credibility, as the readers feel more inclined to believe the facts presented.
Another aspect that makes this essay strong is its structure. The author’s ideas are presented consistently, and each new idea is somehow developed from the previous one. For example, as the author expresses opinion about the ineffectiveness of constraints on gun purchases, it is followed by the idea that suggests a possible solution: reducing “the number of people who carry guns unlawfully” (124). This, in turn, is followed by the analysis of why this measure is not yet implemented and how this can be changed. Furthermore, all ideas are presented in a concise manner: there are no sentences that would seem too long, cumbersome, or complex. The structure of the paragraphs is also clear: it appears that every paragraph has a topic sentence, followed by the factual evidence, and concluded with a final thought.
One of the significant drawbacks of this essay is the proposed police training plan. The first part of Wilson’s plan is to teach the police to spot people on the outside who are most likely to have guns. This is a dubious assumption because it is challenging to implement. Firstly, how can one conclude, based on appearance, that a person has a weapon? What are the criteria for this? Moreover, if the police find a weapon in a person who looks a certain way, it does not mean that people similar to it will also have a gun. This could make it will only lead to uncontrolled body searches. It would be more logical not to rely on a person’s appearance but to use particular detectors that would determine the presence of metal in people. If such a detector notices a large amount of metal on a person, it can only assume that he has a weapon.
It can be concluded that the essay in question is an example of strong and convincing writing. First, the author supports all their main statements with statistical evidence, which is an effective way to increase the credibility of those statements and opinions. Second, the essay uses a properly developed structure, as ideas are presented in a consistent manner, and each new idea is developed from the previous one. However, not all of the suggestions for solving the problem are successful, the plan for teaching the police, for example. Wilson’s idea is on the right track, but they have room for improvement.