Gun control in America

By: Josh Leach

 

            How much gun control is right for America?  This debate has been raging at every level of government.  Mass shootings have led to a campaign by President Obama and the Democratic Party to restrict gun accessibility to the mentally unstable.  They also want to reduce how much ammunition can be purchased at one time and limit the sales of fully automatic weapons.  On the other side of the debate, gun activists are pushing to defend their constitutional rights and lower gun regulation.

            Republicans are fighting back against the numerous executive orders on gun control that Obama has recently signed into place.  According to Ed O’Keefe, a reporter for the Washington Post, “Republicans want to overturn the ban on large-capacity magazines and assault weapons in the District of Columbia; expand the right to purchase or transport firearms and ammunition across state lines; limit when a military veteran can be denied a firearm due to mental illness; and allow gun owners to carry weapons into post offices or other federal sites.”  They believe restrictions on ammunition sales are ultimately ineffective, because people can simply purchase ammunition from multiple businesses to get around the restriction.  Republicans are also strongly against denying anyone the right to have firearms even if someone has a history of psychological instability.  When asked if the government should prevent specific people from having firearms, Brian McTuige, a senior at Seckman High School, said, “I don’t think the government has the authority to deny people of their constitutional rights.”  Mr.Conservative.com, a website devoted to discussing Republican views on current issues, says, “Healthcare professionals are now required to violate HIPPA privacy laws and submit medical data to the government.  The illegally obtained data is then used as justification for gun confiscation by the federal government.”  Conservatives are uneasy over the public’s emotional reaction to recent mass shootings.

            Many Republicans are discounting talks about gun control to hysteria.  However, Democrats believe a real change needs to be made to prevent future catastrophes.  Josh Kurosz, a senior, says, “We can’t just allow these shootings to keep happening.”  After all, mass shootings are on the rise. Richard A. Serrano, a reporter for the Las Angelas, provided shocking statistics: “In a study of active-shooter incidents, FBI officials said there were 160 cases from 2000 through 2013, with the numbers growing from an average of 6.4 incidents in the first seven years to 16.4 in the last seven years. Seventy percent of the shooters attacked in schools or workplaces, and 60% of the shootings happened so fast that they were over before the police arrived. In 40% of the cases, at least three people were killed, not counting the shooter.”  New legislature on gun control has been made by the Obama Administration to combat this escalation in attacks by lone gunmen.  Activism by victims’ families has been essential to gaining support for these laws.  Niraj Chokshi, a reporter for the Washington Post, said there have been “seventy-four shootings at schools since the Newtown tragedy that jump-started a national discussion about gun policy.”  Many people are outraged over the safety concerns presented by these mass shootings. 

            Despite your political stance on the issue of gun control, getting educated on the new laws is important.  When reading gun regulations, people should understand the terminology.  For example, semi-automatic firearms only fire one bullet per trigger pull and then automatically load another bullet.  Fully automatics can shoot multiple bullets per trigger pull.  People should also understand the extreme difficulty which exists when trying to enforce gun regulations.  According to Just Facts, a website based on discussing current issues, “Based on production data from firearm manufacturers, there are roughly 300 million firearms owned by civilians in the United States as of 2010.”  As a result of the massive quantity of weapons across the nation, gun laws have a long history of being ineffective.  However, the current campaign to improve personal security from shootings may finally change this fact.  The official website for the NYSAFE (New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement) Act declares, “The SAFE Act stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun by requiring universal background checks on gun purchases, increases penalties for people who use illegal guns, mandates life in prison without parole for anyone who murders a first responder, and imposes the toughest assault weapons ban in the country.  For hunters, sportsmen and law abiding gun owners, this new law preserves and protects your right to buy, sell, keep, or use your guns.”  Everyone concerned about new gun legislature should do their research, so they can better understand these laws.

            The issue of gun control has fueled passion on both sides of the debate.  Everyone has a different opinion on exactly how much regulation is right for America.  On one hand, Republicans do not want an overreach of governmental power that could threaten people’s constitutional right to bear arms.  On the other hand, Democrats believe protecting the public’s safety justifies these restrictions.  Either way, actions need to be taken to make people safer.  No one person should have the power to take a hundred lives.  These catastrophes must be stopped.