Senior English Research Paper Idea

So, the thread about gun rights & control got me interested. I have to write a 10 pg research paper, and I'd like for my purpose to be to analyze the effects of banning guns on crime.

I would like input on this, for instance:
Do you think I can make 10 pages easily out of this topic?
Any knowledge of a really good site on this topic (can't be .com or wiki that's so gay)

I also have to have a piece of fiction literature as one of my sources for this topic, any ideas on a good one? I'm not REQUIRED to use any information I gain from this book in the paper, though.

Any other input is welcome.


On a sidenote: I was talking to a black dude I work with (work at a movie theater) over the weekend and I got talking about stocks, and he asked what the stock market is! xD No joke, either. He has no bank accounts at all (and hes 20 yrs old) and never finished highschool, so he said he doesn't even need to know what it is.

Try Googling "Does Banning guns reduce crime" there are a bunch of hits.

I think you could get a paper out of it by looking at the different points of view for and against as well as case studies in different places.

RE your side note: Guess your friend doesnt plan on owning a house, or retiring ever huh?

Yeah I know I can Google, my purpose here was more for any specific bits of knowledge people might have. Still, thanks for teh_inputs

Edit; Well screw it, the resource I use that links scholarly articles and archives them is not available to the public and only students in Universities that pay for them. Looking through the database their seems to be a wealth of books on gun control, I'd suggest checking out your largest local library you probably wont be dissapointed unless you live in a really small town.

damn con taking AP english?

Nope just taking regular eng. 4. Honors would be 12 pg minimum and like double the sources or something idk nor do I care bout dat

Vals, you got any suggestions on the fictional source I gotta have?

Constipator wrote:Nope just taking regular eng. 4. Honors would be 12 pg minimum and like double the sources or something idk nor do I care bout dat

Vals, you got any suggestions on the fictional source I gotta have?

Hmmm I wish I could....George Orwell's 1982 stands out to me because of the theme of government tyranny and oppression. Maybe Brave New World as well? BTW, since I seem to take it from an earlier post you stand on the pro gun side, check out Gary Kleck's research for your nonfiction source, his work is still a landmark study still cited today by many.

Rgr, tyvm

I was going to say 1984 too. Even if you don't use it for your paper, it's a must-read book. There are references to it everywhere- TV, movies, articles. The book is about absolute government control over the population. When you look into the pro-2nd amendment community, you will find it's not just about protection from criminals; it's about protection from tyranny. You will see the Founding Fathers referenced frequently. The core design principle of US government is that power corrupts and therefore, powers should be divided among different entities that will keep each other in check- not just the executive, legislative and judicial branches, but also a well-armed populace that has basic rights like freedom to assemble, freedom of the press, and so on. People have been willing to die to protect those rights. Think about it.

When you are ready to take a peek behind the curtain, read The Creature from Jekyll Island. It's not directly related to this topic. It explains how the Federal Reserve was created, and how things really work behind the veneer of what we believe to be true. For me personally, it was the most influential book I've ever read, not because I necessarily believed everything in it, but because it made me question things I had never questioned before.

Yea Orwells 1984 and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley are def the closest I can think of to this kind of thing in literature. 1984 is the better of the two for this IMO

Sorry Consti, but I dont exactly have those type of references lying around which is why I mentioned Google. It might lead you to some references you can get a hold of. As for libraries, your best bet is a University library.
As much as it can suck to do, its your paper, you gota do the leg work.