Gun Control Movement Analysis

For over 50 years the NRA has been the most controversial and well noted example of an adamant, unwavering, organized, voice as it has arguably inflicted more influence in lobbying efforts than any other special interest group represented in the nation’s capital. Originally founded in 1871, the NRA originated just 6 years after the civil war and just 3 years after the 14th amendment. After just enduring the bloodiest battle in our nation’s history The 14th amendment (1868) granted states the right to further extend the protections available for individual possession of arms. A law of this measure did hold rightful ground, given the climate in reconstruction era America. As an individual right to bear arms would naturally be in higher demand following such a conflict. The NRA was founded to protect the granted rights and to represent a portion of individuals who held these rights dearest. As the essay states “The NRA, as always, speaks for all gun-owners, with respect to the Second Amendment” (Alstyne 5). While it is within our constitutional boundaries to have special interests represented, the NRA has long outgrown its original somewhat transparent roots. Like most

In 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School was victim of a terrible mass shooting that prompted several states and cities to pass strict gun control measures. This sparked a widely debated and controversial issue for “gun friendly” states in the South and West, who responded with bills that would strengthen Stand Your Ground laws and allow weapons in most public places. The nation continues to be divided on gun control policies, as it is very controversial and continues to be a very hot topic in society today. There has been a rise in gun violence throughout the years, and it has been widely been debated that guns are too easily accessible and there is a continued push for stricter gun laws that can reduce the risk of gun violence.

Change is eluding our sight. There is no doubt that the debate of gun control has been prominent for several years. However, very little in the way of change has occurred. The question has shifted from how to establish gun control, to how can we avoid gun control. We the people have reached a point of no self control. We have been swept away by the blur of freedom’s sweet kiss. We hold a real issue at hand, now is most certainly not the time to sit around and ponder about the issue, we must take action in order to keep our communities safe.

The efforts of gun control advocates have been undermined largely by the persistent presence of those arguing the 2nd Amendment protects their Constitutional right to bear the majority of arms in almost every setting. This has occurred despite an ever-changing social climate, where gun violence occurs daily. Automatic, semi-automatic, and assault weapons have become commonplace and account for more than half of the guns used in mass shootings since 1982 (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2016). Advocacy groups, such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, have formed in response to the high

The supporters of gun control want our government to eliminate the sales of guns to the public. This will make a tremendous difference as far as gun crimes are concerned. Kids and teenagers would no longer be exposed to guns inside the households and this will prevent these kids and teens from making bad uneducated decisions. As long as the Second Amendment is still in effect, there are other

However since the Citizen United decision in 2010, interest groups, super pacs, and quite frankly anybody who has the sheer torrent to spend their fortune can influence election cycles. This broadens the spectrum that leads us into the next model the issue network. After the Citizen United decision, there has been a lot of groups, interests, and more actors that continue to try to maintain their influence throughout the political system. Besides the interest groups there have been individuals who have donated to gun control groups in opposition to gun right organizations. For instance, political action committees(PACs), and other individuals have donated in the past which may include political actors who are not within the Iron Triangle . Just last year Bill Gates donated $1 million dollars to a prominent gun control group focused on expanding background checks on gun

On June 17, 2016, an editor from the St. Louis Post Dispatch published an article, “Now is the time for common-sense gun control,” that briefly talks about how gun lobbyists are striking fear on the citizens and how gun control advocates need to keep pushing harder. The writer also reviews the Second Amendment and how gun culture affects today’s society.

The debate over gun control has been raging through the American political systems for years. On one side, there is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and 2nd Amendment-citing citizens who use their firearms for hunting and self-defense. On the other, there is Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) and followers of the Brady Campaign who want to ban guns on the basis that they are dangerous. Both sides have strong arguments, anchored in historical precedent and statistical analysis. Anti-gun control lobbyists’ arguments include the guarantee of the 2nd Amendment, the definition of “militia” as any adult male, self-defense, the relative uselessness of permits and regulations, and court cases in favor of firearm possession. Pro-gun control activists

Some Democratic and Republican leaders and followers are interested in a bi-partisan middle ground when it comes to gun control. President Obama proposed a “Common-sense gun safety reform”. This would include, businesses that are selling firearms must be licensed to do so, expanded background checks, and improve mental health outreach (Rienzi, 2016). A majority of Americans, including gun owners, support new gun restrictions (ProCon.org, 2016).

The topic of more gun control has recently been heavily brought up in congress not because it was on their list. It has only been brought up as a huge topic because of the recent mass shooting, such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Aura Theater, and The Navy Yard. The type of guns that were used in these shootings have been under fire, especially assault rifles, shotguns, and other military grade weapons.

It was originally created to train Union soldiers for the civil war how to shoot effectively. With funds from the government, the NRA grew vastly. Today there are over 5 million members. Over the years the NRA began to have a say in the government and funded several Republican presidents. They fight for the 2nd Amendment and pass legislation to make sure gun laws do not become too strict.

The concept of total gun-control is viewed by many as the ban of all firearms for civilian possession, as well as severe restrictions on the certain types of firearms allowed for civilian possession. In very recent years we can examine the effects of instituting sever gun restriction in cities and the negative effects that it had. Washington DC and Chicago provide

There are many special interest groups that associate themselves specifically with gun control. Each stance people take on the issue has some sort of interest group to defend the people and their beliefs. Simply, people that think that there should be more restrictions on who has the ability to carry a weapon and the controls on accessing weapons or those who feel there are too many restrictions on weapons. The NRA, or National Rifle Association, is one of the largest proponents of the right for individuals to protect themselves and bear Arms (NRA). Whereas, the Brady Campaign is a group that pushes for tighter restrictions on gun control and their goal is to help reduce the amount of deaths caused by guns each year (Brady Campaign). The overall objective of special interest groups is establishing some sort of platform that many local citizens can associate themselves with in

A general belief throughout the pro-gun control community is that there should be a lot of safety measures taken when dealing with guns. It is not just pro-gun control advocates either, “ 91% of Americans say that there should be at least minor restrictions on gun ownership” (Bradley pg.1). These measures include what age guns can be legally bought as well as who can buy them. Pro-gun control lobbyist has managed to acquire some of these measures in the last couple of decades. Some of the achieved measures include registration of firearms, a required gun license for owners, mandatory background checks as well as, permits to purchase and carry guns and mandatory. While they have made leaps and bounds where restricting guns are concerned, pro-gun control activist still want tougher laws on guns. Pro-Gun control lobbyist are not alone in their fight “Though many legislators were reluctant to introduce new restrictions, most seemed to recognize the merits of tightening the ones that already exist”(E.B

Gun Control: Overview The issue of gun control has been debated for a long time, probably ever since