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Gun Control

Shiloh and Adria talk about guns and their feelings about gun control.

Shiloh: So Adria I hear you're a Democrat, is that right?

Adria: Yeah, I'm a registered Democrat, what about yourself?

Shiloh: I'm actually a registered Republican, so we're opposites like that. I've got a question for you. I'm from New Mexico which is a very conservative state like a lot of the western US and I grew up around firearms and guns, what do you think about that? What do other Democrats think about gun control laws?

Adria: Well, I'm from Kentucky and we tend to be something called Blue Dog Democrats where you support some conservative ideology such as gun control and being very pro-gun but personally I don't like handguns and many other types of guns also and I have strong convictions about keeping guns under control personally.

Shiloh: But most Democrats, I think, want to have really strong gun control laws to make it illegal to own a handgun, do you think this is right?

Adria: It's difficult. I don't like handguns and yes I think that there should be really strict gun control laws to make it so you cannot have handguns. I don't mind rifles and shotguns as much for hunting purposes or recreational purposes, but handguns tend to be used too much in organised crime, so yeah I would agree with that.

Shiloh: OK. I actually see that because I agree with you that pistols are the ones that are the big problem because they're concealable. People can go buy them and put them in your jacket and you don't know that they have it. I think definitely you need to have better rules and educational levels that are necessary before you can buy a handgun. Right now, if you're twenty one in the United States and you're a citizen of that state you can just go buy a pistol and I think that maybe things need to be updated so that you actually have to go take classes and so that everybody knows that if you're going to own a pistol you need to know how to use it, we need to make sure that you're not a crazy person, you're not going to use it badly.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

firearms

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I grew up around firearms and guns.

Firearms is a more formal word for 'guns'.  Notice the following:

  1. Firearms are illegal in my country.
  2. Only police are allowed to carry firearms.

ideology

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I support some conservative ideology such as less gun control.

Ideology is our thinking or beliefs, usually about a political system.  Notice the following:

  1. Since the latest financial crisis, Communist ideology is being reconsidered by some.
  2. The Republicans are a party of conservative ideology.

strong convictions

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I have strong convictions about keeping guns under control personally.

Strong convictions are very strong beliefs.  Notice the following:

  1. He has strong religious convictions.
  2. I have strong convictions about our educational system.

pistols

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I agree with you that pistols are the ones that are the big problem.

A pistol is a small hand held gun.  Notice the following:

  1. In the US, all police carry a pistol.
  2. My grandfather has an antique pistol collection.

concealable

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Pistols are the big problem because they're concealable.

Something that is concealable is easy to hide from other people.  Notice the following:

  1. He concealed his assets in off-shore accounts.
  2. I couldn't conceal my anger.

Vocabulary Quiz

firearms • ideology • convictions
pistol • concealable
  1. It's sad that they recruit even teenagers to carry .
  2. A was found at the murder scene.
  3. He claims to have strong moral .
  4. Is your party's worth dying for?
  5. Nothing can be totally when it passes through the scanner.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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