The general purpose of this speech is to persuade the audience to believe a certain point of view of the speaker and, therefore, this can be categorized as a persuasive speech.
The title for the speech is ‘Gun violence: It does happen right next to us.’
The kind of persuasive speech used in this case is a question of fact. This style is used to convince the audience that the topic being discussed has happened, is happening, and will surely happen. (The Persuasion Speech). Here, the goal is to prove that the city is yet not completely capable of preventing gun violence.
To be specific, the purpose is to establish that such fiendishness is getting severe in Toronto, enough to affect everyone in the community.
The central idea of the talk is that this type of violence is threatening the safety of Canadian citizens.
To support the main idea, (Canada Blames US for Gun Violence – Toronto Shooting is Latest Death in a Record Year).
There has been a gradual increase in gun-related violence in Toronto during the last 10 years. This makes it urgent to analyze its reasons and consequences. It is equally critical to discuss the prevention methods since until now, the government has been unsuccessful in controlling such attacks and the result is a steady rise of such mishaps.
“Canada’s prime minister and Toronto’s mayor blame weapons smuggled in illegally from the United States, but others point to a growing gang problem.” (Gillies).
To begin with, the reasons like the illegal hand-guns and gangsters; then, the effects of it on the civilians of Toronto, and lastly the ways to prevent it or at least control it are the issues to be dealt with.
The main reason is the use of smuggled illegal hand-guns and other weapons by gangsters and even children.
Also, the number of gangs has risen rapidly which makes it difficult for the police to keep an eye on all of them.
Another reason is said to be the extreme violence shown in video games and movies which influence both the adults and the kids. (Dube).
Among the many consequences of these gangster activities, a major one is that hundreds of innocent people are seriously injured or killed in it. (OPP Boss Decries Gun Violence Against Innocents).
In many of these murders, youngsters in the age group 12-17 are involved. The use of guns is increasing among children which is reason enough for fear, as they are the future and hope of many families.
A third consequence is racial discrimination towards the black Torontonians. Just because a few of them are involved in gangster activities, even the rest are seen by society as criminals. (Bell).
To bring about a transition from the present situation, it is very essential to stop the smuggling and use of illegal handguns by implementing certain laws.
“Guns increase the lethality of violence. Reducing access to guns depends on knowing where they come from.” (Cukier).
Awareness must be created among the legal gun owners about how, when, and when not to use the weapons.
Campaigns should be conducted that teach the need for mutual respect and nonviolence among the different communities. Children should understand the value of others’ lives.
Providing an opportunity to the unemployed youngsters will help in improving the atmosphere in the city.
As long as there are illegal weapons and unemployed youngsters, such atrocities will continue, and the citizens of Toronto will face a serious threat even to their lives.
To conclude, any kind of violence that affects the public is a social evil and it is the responsibility of the government to check its growth.
Works Cited
Bell, Stewart. Canada Gets Tough with Chicago Gun Dealer. Canada immigration: All About Immigration Matters in Cabada. 2009. Web.
Canada Blames US for Gun Violence – Toronto Shooting is Latest Death in a Record Year. The Neil Roger’s Show. 2009. Web.
City of Toronto: Firearm Related Criminal Activity. Toronto. 2008. Web.
Cukier, Wendy. Towards a Fact Based Strategy to Reduce Gun Violence in Toronto: The Sources of Guns in Toronto. Coalition for Gun Control. 2004. Web.
Dube, Rebecca Cook. Toronto Struggles with Rising Gun Violence. World. USA Today. 2006. Web.
Gillies, Rob. Toronto has Record Surge of Gun Violence. USA Today: World. 2009. Web.
OPP Boss Decries Gun Violence Against Innocents. Canadian Firearms Institute. 2008. Web.
The Persuasion Speech. 2009. Web.