The second amendment, defining “the right to bear arms” has been on top of the political and public agenda in the United States to help stop gun violence. President Barack Obama’s gun control proposals may help this cause, but will this still keep guns out of the wrong hands?
The mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., started a domino effect around the United States that has concerned gun owners and non-gun owners.
A former employer I worked for, Triple B Clays, required a safety test written by the Los Angeles County attached with waivers stating you have no felonies or misdemeanors before you shoot; after being submitted it is put in the company’s computer system.
Why were people who had a history of mental illness registered to have a gun or even allowed to shoot? As President Obama has said: “We are going to need to work on making access to mental health care as easy as access to a gun.”
The most famous example is probably Seung Hui Cho, who shot and killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007 two years after a judge ruled he was mentally ill. Records were not provided to the national database, and he passed several background checks while purchasing the weapons used in the shooting.
The tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary could have been stopped. Nancy Lanza had left a shotgun in the trunk of her son Adam Lanza’s car, according to The Business Insider. Also in the article, an unnamed source had spoken to Nancy a week before the shooting stating she was “losing” her son and he was hard to communicate with.
Oversights hurt the reputations of responsible gun owners who follow the rules and regulations of owning a gun. Shooting is fun. It is also a sport. Olympic competitions include trap, skeet, bunker, 5-stand, and sporting clays games. Hunting is a legitimate hobby that many Americans enjoy; shooting duck, deer, rabbits and quail takes skill.
Congress is considering proposals to ban military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines—so instead of having 30 bullets in a clip, a magazine would be limited to 10.
New York has already passed new gun regulations, but gun owners can always just reload or buy magazines in states where they’re not banned.
Having fewer rounds in ammunition doesn’t change the weight, velocity, or gage with the ammunition. One bullet to the head can still kill you as easily as 100.
The majority of background checks have been the safeguard against guns falling into the wrong hands. California requires an ID check, proof of residency, safety certificate, safe-handling demonstration (in some stores), a firearm safety test, a background check, and a 10-day waiting period. California background checks go into the state database and federal databases.
In 2007 the “National Instant Criminal Background Check System” came to effect which closes loopholes in the national database after the mass shooting in Virginia Tech shooting. So why does the Department of Justice need to invest $20 million in Obama’s proposals and add another $50 million in 2014 to give states stronger access to profile databases when there is a system that closes loopholes?
The government can stop criminals in some extent; but it’s a lot of work. California has a solid seven-step system. According to the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1999 to 2012, California had 8.9 gun deaths for every 100,000 people, whereas in Nevada, gun deaths ranked at 15.9; Arizona at 15.3. Nevada’s new gun laws say that you can carry one permit for multiple guns and demolish paperwork and red tape for concealed weapon permit holders.
Arizona gun laws are more lenient than in California, but Nevada shares the same requirements. A state permit, a firearm permit, and an owner’s license are not required for owning a gun.
It’s the people operating the machinery and lying on applications to purchase guns are whom we should focus on rather than requirements. Obama can’t hold Americans’ hands when mass shootings occur. We the people need to make the effort to improve safety in schools and police officers. Stop pointing fingers at loopholes in the United States background system and point at the criminals.
