Views #439 | Low-Intermediate 4

The Gun Debate

Mark debates whether guns should be legal.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Mark	Mike

Mark: Hey, Mike, how's it going?

Mike: Good, thanks

Mark: Mike I have a question for you. What do you think about the issue of guns? Do you think that people should have a right to own a gun or do you think that it should be illegal, that people should not be able to own guns?

Mike: Right, well, I think if there was a reason for it, like if it was the 1890's, let's say, and there was, you had to hunt for your dinner, then I could see the purpose or the point of having a gun, but I think in this day and age, again, being from Canada, I'm very much against ownership of guns and I just see, you know, bad things happening when I see people with guns.

Mark: I definitely see your point, and generally I'm a kind of liberal person but when it comes to guns, I feel like it's sort of too late to make them illegal. In the Unites States, anyway, because if you take away the guns, you're really only taking away guns from the good people who actually register their guns and make their guns legal, but the criminals, or the bad people, they will still have their guns because they're not going to turn their guns in legally anyway.

Mike: But if you punished people who had guns, in other words, if there were strict fines and those fines were enforced, you don't think that then people would, I mean, you know, turn in or, at least that violent gun crime would diminish or decrease.

Mark: Again, I hear what you're saying but who is committing violent gun crime? It's not people who would actually turn in their guns. It's people who are already criminals, so if you take away the right to have a gun, let's say I have a family, and I just want a gun to protect my family in my house, but suddenly the law changes and it's illegal, then I give up my gun. Well, if someone comes in my house, and has a gun, I have no way of protecting myself, no way of protecting my family.

Mike: But isn't that what the police should be doing and taking care of, and with, sorry, but with less guns, wouldn't there be, it would be easier for the police to police the amount of guns that are out there, then if there was gun shots going off, because they know that there aren't guns around that area, they'd have a ... it's be easier for them to try to contain and control and capture the people who are responsible.

Mark: That's a great idea, but there won't be a policeman at my house all the time, so at that moment, when someone does come into my house and I call the police maybe it takes too long for the police to get there.

Mike: I see. OK. Well. Interesting point.

Mark: Anyway, yeah, thanks.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

in this day and age

In this day and age, I don't see the point of having a gun.

'In this day and age' is a phrase that is used to mean right now. Notice the following:

In this day and age it is very easy to work with people from other countries.
In this day and age kids grow up so quickly.

being from Canada

Being from Canada, I'm very much against ownership of guns.

We can use the phrase 'being from' at the beginning or end of a sentence to give reasoning for the opinion in the sentence. Notice the following:

Being a mother, I can't understand why people would let their children do that.
Being a scientist, I have to say that your explanation does not make sense.

liberal person

Generally, I'm a kind of liberal person, but not when it comes to guns.

A 'liberal person' is a person who is open-minded about things like new ideas, different cultures, etc. A liberal person thinks that others should do able to act and think in whatever way they want. Notice the following:

He used to be a very liberal person when he was younger.
We need to find a liberal person for a position like this.

strict fines

If there were strict fines and those fines were enforced, violent gun crimes would decrease.

A 'fine' is an amount of money that you have to pay for breaking a law. A 'strict fine' is one where you have to pay a lot of money. If people have to pay a lot of money for doing something they probably will be more motivated not to do it. Notice the following:

Strict fines don't work if people are very rich.
The government should have strict fines for people who drink alcohol and drive. The system they have is not working.

I hear what you're saying

I hear what you're saying, but who is committing violent gun crime?

You can say 'I hear what you're saying' when you understand the logic or the information that someone is giving you. This phrase is usually used before a making a statement of disagreement. Notice the following:

I hear what you're saying. That is something that has been difficult for me to understand as well.
I hear what you're saying, but I still don't think he will change his mind.