Policy
Trump has professed a desire for stronger gun control. A talk with the NRA changed that position very quickly, however, and instead there is now a focus on locking the mentally ill in institutions instead of stronger background checks. Mass shootings have led to the deaths of at least 62 this year alone, and yet there is no change in the gun control restrictions in place. The survivors of the Parkland School shooting have been campaigning for something they call a Green New Deal, but for guns. Their proposal includes a national standard for gun control, a national gun buyback, halving the rate of gun deaths within 10 years, instituting a higher standard for gun ownership including increased age limits and more intensive background checks, a 10 day waiting period for gun purchase, reexamining the Second Amendment rulings in the Supreme Court, initiating investigations into the NRA, naming a director for gun violence prevention, creating community solutions, and showing the younger generation they have power to bring change. (March for Our Lives)
While gun control is a popular idea, with many on both sides supporting stricter conditions for gun ownership, the Republicans in government still refuse to accept the idea of gun control measures to make people safer. Gun violence continues to increase with no end in sight, given that more than two dozen arrests for threats of mass shootings have been made since the shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH.
Analysis
Gun violence continues to be a huge threat in America. The Second Amendment continues to be a focus, even though the Founding Fathers likely never expected assault rifles that could kill or wound dozens in less than a minute. The Second Amendment also encourages the people to rise against tyrannical governments, and yet no one seems to remember that part of it.
The Founding Fathers, as they developed the Constitution, encouraged alterations and amendments as the country changed. Some freedoms should not be changed, but at the same time, consideration should be given to those that infringe on things like the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that they stated were the rights of all individuals. Can we trust the flip-flopping of someone who calls himself “the Chosen One” when that so-called chosen is controlled by the NRA and similar interest groups?
Resources
- https://marchforourlives.com/peace-plan/ Discussion and explanation of a Gun Control Plan instituted by the Parkland survivors after the recent mass shootings, seeking to improve gun control laws and tighten restrictions on gun ownership.
- http://vpc.org/5-things-you-can-do-now-to-help-stop-gun-violence/ Violence Policy Center, offering information on what individuals and groups can do to lower gun violence
- https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/ Promoted after the Sandy Hook School shooting, offers information on contacting legislators, volunteering to advocate for stronger laws, and raising awareness about gun violence.
- https://momsdemandaction.org/ Offers ways for different individuals to fight against gun violence and advocate for change.
Photo by Jens Lelie