Microeconomics Course Project - Flawed Statements

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One of the most debated topics to date in the news deals with gun control. There is quite a bit of public confusion regarding gun control and violence which comes from the press, social media, journal articles, magazine articles, and politicians. It is important to understand the alleged effects and what is actually being debated when considering the strict vs loose gun laws. Opponents to increased gun control often mistake the debate as the right to own firearms vs no right to own firearms. This is an example of straw man as support for an all-out gun ban has almost no support which is not what is being proposed (“Anti-Gun Control Arguments,” 2013). Many of the potential laws being discussed are just to make stronger background checks and put a ban on sales of specific guns. It is significant to recognize that Americans are not being stripped of their rights to own guns nor purchase guns.

The reality of the debate and controversy is that many politicians are hoping that with stricter gun laws that it will help reduce the number of deaths in the country. There has been an increase in number of guns being purchased in the United States lately because many of the current gun owners are just purchasing more guns. Therefore, the actual rates of gun ownership aren’t essentially increasing. People interpret the news and social media postings differently and many of them are saying the government is taking away people’s rights to bear arms. Everyone that has been complaining about the potential gun laws are just complaining because the government is not doing what they personally desire. President Obama has made several speeches on gun control but people must remember he was elected through a majority vote when he took office (Agresti, 2012).

The last example of illogical fallacies this paper will discuss is on the topic of global warming. This topic has gone back and forth with scientists and researchers trying to predict the future of the climate here on earth. Some believe in global warming while some say a global cooling is coming. Others will dismiss low temperature readings while saying how we can expect more dangerous and intense weather events in the future. The ones who deny global warming will repeatedly discard the existence of global warming and say it is a part of a government and economic conspiracy. Over time people have tried to predict severe global problems. Some examples of these predictions have included West Nile Virus, Mad Cow Disease, Ebola, Y2K, cellphone radiation, and the Zika Virus. There will always be a debate and theories about the future of our climate. There are the dangers that government agencies use topics like global warming to achieve political goals. Al Gore is an example of someone who went on a crusade about how the greenhouse effect is “triggering global” warming (McDurmon, 2009). According to Christopher Horner, “there is no experimental data to support the hypothesis that increases in human hydrocarbon use or in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are causing or can be expected to cause unfavorable changes in global temperature, weather, or landscape” (Horner, 2007).

When considering comments in the news or other statements that are being made publically, it is imperative to avoid hasty judgments. It requires a disciplined mind to understand statements and critically think with knowing the facts before coming to a conclusion. The most important solution in the end rests in the fact that God and His Word reign supreme. People that stray from this standard will jeopardize all manner of fallacy. Psalms 22:28 says “For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.”