In 13 hours 29 innocent lives were taken and a further 50 ruined and may never be the same again. The two shootings that took place between August 3rd and August 4th totals the number of mass shootings in the US to 250 so far in 2019 alone. We come to the same conclusion every time this happens, something must be done to prevent another, yet nothing is ever done. Before getting into this article, I want to say that I do not believe in guns and if it were up to me guns would be banned from the public. The sole purpose of them is to inflict harm, but I do also believe we should hold some faith in humanity to possess them and not inflict harm on one and other. That is why this article will explore routes that can be taken to prevent another shooting yet still protect their second amendment.
One of the main stigmas around gun control is how accessible they are to the public. Upon purchasing a gun, buyers must pass an instant background check that contemplates criminal convictions and domestic violence. To possess a firearm, the only precaution is a background check, but private sellers (unlicensed sellers) are not required to run checks before selling. It’s reported that around a third of gun owners actually purchase guns without a background check as they buy from private sellers. Without background checks, this permits those with criminal offenses and so on to purchase firearms. For example in 2018, in Wisconsin, a man purchased a firearm from an unlicensed seller on Armslist.com without a background check. The gunman was prohibited from buying firearms as he had previous convictions related to domestic violence. He killed his wife the following day. In February 2019 the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a universal background check bill that has yet to be put into effect. The universal background check would make it compulsory for private sellers to run background checks at private arm shows and online sites such as Armslist.com. While this may not reduce the incentive for mass shooters it will definitely regulate guns and make it harder to access them. It’s time to enforce better background checks.
Only 14 US states have passed Red Flag laws which allows gun seizures. Red flag laws enable law enforcement to seize firearms when they begin to see unusual behavior, patterns and signs of mental illness. The laws will make it easier for them to get their job done and prevent more deaths. But why is it only legal in 14 out of 50 states? It has faced some opposition, the NRA came forward in 2017 and warned that it may “deprive someone of their Second Amendment rights without due process of the law.” Upon the recent shootings in Daytona and El Paso, President Trump indicated it may be time to propose the changes.
A recent trend we have begun to see in these mass shootings are school shooters. Over the last few years, the most fatal shootings we have seen have taken place in schools. Santa Fe- 10 gunned down, Parkland- 17 gunned down and Sandy Hook- 28 gunned down. In all those shootings there has been one common denominator, the shooters are under 21. The legal age to purchase a gun in the US is 18. As an 18-year-old in the United States, you are able to walk into a WalMart and purchase a gun but not a crate of beer. Its time to increase the legal age to 21 to help prevent these kids from possessing arms, while by definition you are an adult at 18 you are most definitely not at the mental capacity to possess a gun.
If a defense to possessing firearms are for hunting, protection, and collection then we must excuse the purchase of assault and military-style firearms. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives there are around 638,000 assault firearms in circulation in the US. These assault weapons feature high capacity magazines and military-style upgrades that help contribute to these senseless killings. A recent study shows that between 2009-2017, 58 percent of mass shootings involved firearms with high-capacity magazines. The most recent shooting in Dayton, Ohio, the gunman came equipped with an AR-15-style assault rifle fitted with a 100-round drum magazine. In 2018, researchers found that a nationwide ban on assault weapons would have reduced the number of mass shooting deaths by 70 percent. It’s illogical to keep these guns available to the public for hunting purposes when they can inflict such harm. It’s time to ban assault weapons.
The government can not continue to sit through these ordeals and not implement changes. How many more innocent lives must be taken until they realise that the problem at hand is there own doing and can be fixed. Lives are being lost and we can not continue to sit down and simply condemn these acts of terror. ” You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down”- Toni Morrison. Gun Control is the answer and I hope you think the same too.