Gun Control: What is It?
The issue of gun control is a fiercely debated topic in the world today, but it’s particularly prevalent in the United States. Due to the upsurge of mass shootings and gun violence, many people are questioning whether or not restrictions on gun purchases should be stricter. Despite concerns many people have, the government does have a system in place to help regulate just who can get their hands on a gun. Like every system, it could be improved. Regardless of your stance on the issue, it’s hard to argue against developing a better system for screening applicants.
Some believe that just about anyone can get their hands on guns, but that is not the case. The government has some reasonable restrictions on people trying to buy firearms. Every time someone attempts to purchase a gun through a federally licensed dealer, the buyer is required to submit to a background check by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) before they are permitted to buy a weapon. The purpose of the background checks is to help prevent people who are potential risks from obtaining guns (McGinty 4). If the background check comes back and indicates any of the following, the person will be restricted from buying guns, at least from federally licensed dealers. Red flags that will cause a person to fail their background check include: being the run from the law, previously being involuntarily convicted to a mental institution, being convicted of crimes punishable by over one year in prison, and individuals found guilty of domestic violence or with related restraining orders. Many people question the lack of restrictions placed on people that are unable to fly on commercial airlines due to them being considered high security risks. Applications made by individuals on government watch lists for terrorism also have a staggering and quite frightening rate of being approved.
Despite these restrictions, many people who have no business owning guns slip through the cracks and are allowed to purchase firearms. In fact, since it started in November 1998, NICS has approved over 222.3 million applications. In contrast, they’ve only rejected 1.3 million applications in that entire time (Gatehouse 2). However,
Nowadays purchasing firearms can be as easy as going to a gun show and buying a gun from there. Background checks are only required when making a purchase in a store. While this happens it makes
Around 10% of guns used in crime were either sold at a gun show or a flea market. Anybody of age can go to a gun show, purchase a gun from an unlicensed distributor and go about their day, no background check, no mental health check. Though, in recent events, Nikolas Cruz purchased his gun at the age of eighteen from someone who had their license to sell. He passed his background check easily because he had no criminal background but no one knew he was depressed, had ADHD, and autism, no one knew until after a horrendous incident that cost people their lives. I read in a Gun Control FAQ, the Gun Control Act of 1968 says anyone in the business of selling guns must be licensed by the government, but it doesn’t say anything about unlicensed men and women selling their guns from their personal collection is not “engaged in the business”, this means that they don’t have to perform background checks, anyone will do anything for some extra money. A simple loophole like this one can land a gun into the hands of a
When looking to purchase a weapon one must pass what is known as a background check. The gun retailer typically makes a phone call to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and they go through a history of any possible serious crimes the particular individual has been involved with. Those with a serious criminal background are not approved and therefore can’t purchase firearms, individuals who have clean slates pass and are able to purchase firearms. In recent years there have been a few incidents where the government
According to “Closing Illegal Gun Markets”, “Forty percent of all annual firearm sales are through secondary or informal markets which involves felons, friends, and family and do not go through licensed retailers.” That number is almost half of all gun sales and of the half that go through licensed retailers. It is unknown how many people are purchasing guns for people who could not buy one legally. The problem with illegal gun purchases lies in the national background check system that is used, when someone purchases a gun at a licensed retailer. When these people go into buy a weapon, we have no idea what their intentions are. If they can pass the background check they are able to walk out with any guns they chose, from there these guns can end up in anyone’s hands. Background checks are not sufficient to stop gun violence due to back doors in the system and lack of punishment for offenders.
In “The Gun Debate” Patricia Smith explores the effectiveness of gun control and new possible ways to make this country safer. However in “To Carry, or to not Carry” Thomas Willis explains the ways that guns, if operated and cared for properly, can protect you and others around you. The large controversy of whether new gun laws will effective continue to grow larger and more opinionated. After reading both “The Gun Debate” and “To Carry, or to not Carry” I decided that gun laws will be effective. There are many gun sales that go without record or background check of any sort, “... many small scale gun sellers claim to be “hobbyist,” who aren’t required to conduct background checks”(Smith,1).
In order to prevent such persons from doing so, the United States created a bill known as the Brady Bill. The Brady Bill was established in 1993 and its main function was to prohibit federal firearm licenses to be sold to person who are considered to be dangerous to the public. People who are considered to be dangerous are people that have been ex-convicts, mentally ill patients and illegal drug user. To obtain a gun, The Brady Bill required a person to go through a background check to see if they were considered to be a dangerous person. They also had to sit through a 5 day waiting period before they could obtain the gun. This piece of legislation was considered to be the most important gun control law ever passed. Even before it was passed, it was predicted that a total of 100,000 out of 3.5 million purchases of guns would be prevented. This soon became true. When the Brady Bill was put into action, 41,000 purchases of guns were prevented due to various reasons. These reasons include felons, people who are illegal aliens, drug users and people who are fugitives from the law. With the background check being implemented into the Brady Bill, these people were denied the right to purchase and obtain a gun. The Brady Bill guided us to where we are today with gun control restrictions in the United States. With background checks and a waiting period, it just proves
Federal law prohibits the sale of firearms to certain individuals with a history of mental illness, however it cannot require states to make information identifying these people available to the federal or state agencies that perform background checks. This may have many states fail to voluntarily report the necessary records to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), especially with respect to people prohibited from possessing guns for mental health reasons. As a result, some individuals known to be dangerous can pass background checks and obtain firearms.
The system for obtaining firearms needs reform it should be more difficult to acquire a firearm than it is currently. Updated gun control is a necessity. Purchasing a gun from a private seller creates loopholes for gun buyers. A person can purchase a gun from a private seller at a gun show and is not required to undergo a background check. Federal law mandates that licensed dealers must do background checks but private sellers are not required to run them. Some states require background
Great post and a nice question. Couple of years ago, I went with a friend to buy a gun. The store was packed. He picked up some guns and finally bought one. I was shocked how quickly and easily you can buy a gun. They called a phone number and punched in SSN (a background check is completed, really). It took couple of minutes and he went home with a gun! I asked them that’s it, they responded yes, you are good to go and there is no federal waiting period. No waiting time or a serious background check. They just wanted to sell a gun, that’s all.
Secondly, a major problem in the background checking system is the gun show/ private sale loophole. When gun stores sale a gun federal statutes demand that a background check must be done and records of the transaction must be recorded. However, if you are private seller you do not need a licensed nor do you need to adhere to federal mandates, “an estimated 40% of all firearms transferred in the U.S. are transferred by unlicensed individuals” (Philip J. Cook & Jens Ludwig). In the documentary “Black Market”, which explores the inner workings of the black market, a gun runner explains that he buys guns at local gun shows in the South without any background checks and then loads up the guns and brings them up North to cities like New York and
How is it right that anybody can obtain a firearm? Why is it even possible that there could be such a thing know as that “gun show loophole” with so many death happening in America? If somebody with mental issue would want to get a gun they would easy be able to get one. That person would just need to go to a gun show and find a firearm they like, and purchase the gun from a private individual at the gun show. Most states that have gun shows don’t require the buyer to do a background on them, only twelve states require background check on all purchase at a gun show, and only seven states only require background check on handguns sales (Gun show). The seller would only have to make sure the buyer has a gun licence to purchase a gun (Gun show).
With Donald Trump as the new president of the United States many believe he will enforce better gun laws. There should be more screening before someone can be able to buy a gun. Every person should have a complete background check. This would include searching their criminal history, job status and even their driving record. If someone has a history of violence they should not be able to purchase a gun. If the government checked the person’s work history they could contact past and present jobs to ask the companies questions about the individual. This could prove to the company that is selling the gun that the person is not responsible enough to own a weapon
In this past decade alone, mass shooting have increased drastically and has raised concern throughout the United States. As of right now, if you are of age and pass a background test, you are able to purchase a firearm. A report that was released by the
More than 80% of guns used in mass shootings are obtained legally, how is this so? Well, it could be attributed to the fact most states haven’t passed any regulations for the private sale of firearms. During an emotional speech given by President Obama on gun safety reform, he urged for background checks on anyone who is in the business of selling firearms online or at private gun shows, and the failure to do so will result in criminal prosecution. Background checks are a necessity in controlling gun violence, the NICS, National Instant Criminal Background Check System, has prevented over two million convicted felons and other
The conclusion shows that even if stricter screening laws were put into place, the majority of guns used to commit crimes are purchased illegally. State laws focus primarily on firearm retailers and legal purchasing permits; preventing high-risk individuals such as those with criminal backgrounds or mental health illnesses from going through the proper channels to purchase a firearm.