There are limits surrounding each clause of the first amendment. We do not allow for a full-fledged free-for-all in other rights sanctified in the constitution. A firm baseline requiring background checks, licensing requirements, and other requirements to keep track of the number of firearms throughout the country, is needed for there to be legislation that will meaningfully decrease gun violence and mass shootings. The issue is hugely exacerbated by the lack of universal, federal legislation around guns. Put simply, this undercuts the effectiveness of regional or statewide gun regulations. Using examples from across the United States, it makes the point that when a state enacts strict gun regulation, there is an increase in the flow of firearms into that state from bordering states with weaker regulation. For example, FiveThirtyEight published an article, explaining that there is “a relationship between the strictness of a state’s gun laws relative to its neighbor and the number of firearms recovered from that neighbor,” according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The primary reason that strict gun regulation in specific American localities or states is unsuccessful, is that it is not universal. ![]() What I am describing would be a giant step for our government to make, but it would not be all that different from what other nations, such as Canada and Switzerland, require of citizens who seek to own weapons in their respective nations. Similar to driver’s licenses, these licenses should be required to be renewed fairly often. Further, licenses should require extensive training on safe use of weapons, as accidental deaths from firearms are far too common, and mental health examinations. These licenses would require background checks for criminal records and mental health. This can be done through requiring strict licensing requirements for owning any type of firearm. Policy that is serious about limiting mass shootings and gun violence should focus on keeping firearms out of the hands of the dangerous members of society.Īmerica should look towards comprehensive legislation that totally revamps the process for obtaining a firearm. Implementing metal detectors and having armed guards in American schools do not address the root of the issue, which is how a deranged person can easily obtain a firearm, whether legally or illegally, and use it to commit acts of terror. While gun violence, and even homicide rates, are far lower in the rest of the developed world, where there is far more regulation on gun ownership, Americans are still treated to arguments that “no law could have stopped this.” That argument cannot be accepted as valid.Įvery proposal must be on the table in order to handle this debate successfully, but I believe that the most effective solutions center around the availability of guns throughout America. Major federal regulation around guns has been stagnant for about two decades. In response to gun violence and mass shootings, the same cannot be truthfully said. As terrible as the number of car accidents that kill people every year are, we continuously improve safety to limit those numbers. ![]() Fear for one’s life when attending school or going to a crowded place should not be commonplace in a developed, civilized society. A shooting like Parkland, occurring at a school, has resulted in widespread fear among many students and parents. First, the widespread emotional trauma that these shootings cause to the country and their communities is immense. Acknowledging that fact, I believe large-scale reform in response to mass shootings is necessary anyways. Deaths from mass shootings make up a fraction of the deaths caused by guns, and do pale in comparison to the deaths as a result of other causes of death. In fact, over 60% of gun deaths are suicides. ![]() In truth, mass shootings do not make up anywhere near a majority of the gun deaths. This is an opportunity that Americans cannot afford to pass up, to end these deadly mass shootings and hopefully decrease the occurrence of gun violence broadly, in America. For the first time, there seems to be traction for reform of American policy related to firearms. That was before I witnessed the students who survived the shooting begin to speak out, organize, and demand action from lawmakers. In my article written in response to the school shooting in Florida, I expressed a sense of hopelessness that the tragedy would lead to any kind of renewed dialogue on gun violence that would lead to tangible change.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |