In the past few years and
especially in the last few months, gun shootings have become a rather frequent
occurrence to the utter shock and dismay of the United States media and
American public. In instances like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
and the Naval Yard shooting in Washington DC, the murderers were seemingly
normal citizens who gained access to their weapons not through illegal black
market purchases, but through entirely legal pathways. The perpetrators of
these crimes, as well as those of so many other, lesser-known shootings, have
been able to attain weapons with relative ease. Their ability to do so has made
many American and government officials wary of the background checks that all
individuals are subject to when purchasing a firearm. Not only have Americans
questioned the effectiveness of the system, they have also begun to worry about
their safety as they grow more skeptical of the gun purchasing process. This
concern can be considered legitimate, considering how many deaths due to gun
related incidents occur each year. In fact, over 32,000 deaths occur annually
due to the misuse and abuse of firearms, and this number is only increasing.[1]
As these crimes continue, the
United States government has realized the necessity in bringing gun control
laws to the forefront of its attention. Although the government understands the
importance of addressing these rising gun control issues in order to subdue violence,
the strong partisanship in Congress poses a huge dilemma. The Republican and
Democratic parties have long stood on opposing sides ever since this issue has
come into question. Republicans have established that the Second Amendment
right should not be tampered with in any way. In the Republican mindset, all
citizens have the right to own and use a weapon, and by creating limitations on
gun purchases or stricter, more intensive background checks, the government is
encroaching on these fundamental rights.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party believes that the government is
not, in fact, infringing on the Second Amendment rights’ of its citizens; rather,
it is attempting to protect them. The Democratic Party views the restrictions
and changes to gun control as a necessary step in trying to promote safety and
stop gun abuse while the Republican Party thinks that these restrictions will
not help end violence.
The divide between the two
political parties is so strong that disputes have even arisen between them
regarding international gun control laws. In fact, Secretary of State John
Kerry recently signed a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, which was created to
crack down on the transfer of international weapons to human rights abusers and
especially terrorists.[2] Although
this treaty was meant to hamper international terrorist organizations and
protect Americans, members of the American National Rifle Association believed
that it limited their fundamental rights. The National Rifle Association’s chief
representative Chris Cox stated, “these are blatant attacks on the
constitutional rights of every law abiding American. The NRA will continue to
fight this assault on our fundamental freedom.”[3] The
response of this NRA representative shows the strength of the divide between
many members of the Republican Party and the more liberal members of the
Democratic Party. All other countries throughout the world besides Syria, Iran
and North Korea agreed to sign the treaty and bring the international law into
effect, showing that the laws it set in place were not controversial in the
viewpoint of most nations. However, the tenderness towards any firearm related
law, whether international or meant to advance security policy, remains high
and many Americans still oppose any limitations placed on firearm purchases and
trade.
Because there is such a huge
dispute and divide between the political parties regarding this issue, many
United States legislators have attempted to focus their attentions on another
portion of this matter. When investigators analyzed the backgrounds of the
murderers in the Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech shootings, they discovered that both
perpetrators not only had a history of violence, but they had been diagnosed
with mental illnesses.[4] In
actuality, this situation has held true for similar, lesser-known cases; many
mass murderers who have managed to attain weapons legally have had a history of
mental illness. For this reason, federal investigators and Congressional
officials have begun to believe that mental instability is a leading cause in
many instances of shootings.
With the sharp partisanship in the
House and in the Senate, Congress understands that there is little likelihood
of passing any gun control regulation laws, even if such laws only strengthen
background checks for those trying to purchase weapons. Additionally, Congress
may be trying to shy away from any serious political debates in exchange for
much less controversial issues that could help solve the problem. In general,
Congress acknowledged its limitations and attempted to effect change and
provide some safety for the population by focusing on mental health laws, which
they knew they could control. Regarding this issue, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-
S.C. even admitted, “the mental health component could do the most good.”[5]
As of recently, Congress has been
making headway on mental illness laws. Moreover, Democrats have brought it the
attention of Republicans that by leaving the Affordable Health Care Act and
Obamacare unscathed - or at least somewhat, more people with mental instability
and serious illnesses will be allowed to enroll in health insurance. [6] Therefore,
they will be able to seek the treatment and necessary help that they need.
Thus, many American lives could potentially be saved; however, Republicans have
to take many other factors into consideration when evaluating these plans and
are reluctant to make any decisions just yet.
Shootings and gun-related deaths
continue to pose a problem in American society and throughout the country;
however, even without partisanship hampering the law-restructuring process,
there are many difficulties in creating gun-control laws. Another major problem
in trying to create these laws and basic restrictions is that there is a lack
of clarity about where to draw the line. For one, it is difficult to determine
exactly how the government should decide who is eligible to own a gun. Every
person’s criminal record is different, and it becomes a question of when does a
person’s criminal record become so bad that they should not own a firearm.
Should people with misdemeanors or small felonies be allowed to purchase and
carry a weapon? What crimes prevent a person from owning a weapon- is it
dependent on the extent of the crimes or the repetition of certain crimes? Moreover,
it is difficult for the government to define what mental illness is, or even
what types of guns are more destructive than others. In order to create more
laws and put stricter background checks in place, government officials must
come to an agreement and specifically determine what is universally acceptable.
The gun control debate becomes more
and more of a pressing issue as gun shootings continue to constantly ring
throughout the news. It is certain that changes need to occur regarding gun
control laws or mental health laws in order to provide a safer, more secure
environment for this generation and those in the future. However, these changes
will come very slowly, as partisanship and serious technicalities pose
countless problems for legislators throughout the nation. These changes demand
that legislators work together to determine basic guidelines and come to an
agreement about what needs to be accomplished and how to accomplish it.
[1]
“Starbucks asks US customers to leave guns at home.” Baertlein, Lisa. Reuters. September 18th,
2013.
[2]
“The Myth of the Global Gun Grabbers.” Garofalo, Pat. US News. September 26th, 2013.
[3]
“The Myth of the Global Gun Grabbers.” Garofalo, Pat. US News. September 26th, 2013.
[4]
“More Americans Want Less Strict Gun Laws.” Bidwell, Allie. US News. September 20th,
2013.
[5]
“Mental Health Legislation, Not Gun Control, Focus of Congress After Navy Yard
Shooting.” Fox, Lauren. US News. September
17th, 2013.
[6]
“Mental Health Legislation, Not Gun Control, Focus of Congress After Navy Yard
Shooting.” Fox, Lauren. US News. September
17th, 2013.
