Stun Guns

Sample Outline for Informative Speech - COM 181 STUN GUNS Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how stun guns work and how they compare with conventional hand guns. Stun guns provide an increasingly popular non-lethal alternative to hand guns, but there are still concerns about their safety and effectiveness. Topical Introduction John Wayne whipped the west with a six-shooter, Luke Skywalker galvanized the galaxy with a light saber, and now for a mere $79.95 you too can ravage robbers, rapists and even your grandmother with a stun gun. A stun gun can immobilize a 300-pound man in 5 seconds and leave him dazed for up to 15 minutes. Police officers in every state except Alaska use them. Civilians throughout the country have purchased more than 350,000 stun guns. Since this weapon has such an impact on our security, we need to be aware of it. I first learned about stun guns from an article in the New York Times. Since then I've researched them by talking to experts in the science field, to the consumer protection agency and to dealers of the weapon. To share this information with you I will describe the stun gun, explain its benefits compared to hand guns, and consider some of the concerns sparked by its use.

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Body I. Stun guns are non-lethal weapons that work by shooting electrical impulses into the body. A. The 1968 report by the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence discusses stun guns. 1. Stun guns were developed as an alternative to lethal weapons. (factual example Zawitz 2) 2. Stun guns are now used by over 1,100 police departments. (factual example Zawitz 2) There are two major kinds of stun guns. 1. The NOVA XR-5000 is one major type. (factual example - Zawitz 5) 2. The Taser is another major type. (factual example - Zawitz 7) Stun guns work by affecting the body with electrical impulses. (factual example Zawitz 7) 1. Their discharge caused muscles to contract by interfering with the body's...