Gun Control Now
Before we can set a plan for the future, or paint a picture of the past that led us to where we are now, we must first take a snapshot of gun control legislation as it exists now. As legislation varies greatly between states, we’ll start by looking at gun control at the federal level.
As a law-abiding private citizen, with no special exceptions, you must be 18 years of age to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer, and 21 to purchase a handgun. However, to possess firearms and handguns, as well as purchase from a private seller and make for personal use, these ages are reduced to 0 and 18 respectively. Additionally, you are unable to own armor piercing ammunition and machine guns (weapons that fire multiple cartridges per pull of the trigger) manufactured after 1986 (18 U.S. Code § 922).
Additionally, the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) places additional restrictions on certain weapons which feature certain characteristics. However, NFA weapons are not explicitly illegal to possess as a normal citizen, but instead require a lengthy and expensive registration process, which includes a much more in depth background check, and adds additional regulation to the use of such weapons.
Many such NFA weapons fall into what people consider a “slippery slope” of gun ownership. Under the NFA, private citizens are still allowed to own and use Short Barreled Rifles and Shotguns (which includes such weapons under a total weapon length, not just those with short
The video begins with a projection on the screen of a list of restrictions imposed by the United States government regarding the types of weapons her constituents may posses, and use. The list begins with the guaranty of the Second Amendment, and goes through the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, the Gun Control Act (1968), and the topic of this video, the Semiautomatic rifle import ban (1989).
The next issue called into question is the fact that this law requires all who own them to register their “assault weapons”. This can be an issue of privacy and can also predispose police officers into thinking that these citizens may be criminals just because they own assault weapons.
Every responsible American citizen over the age of 18 should be eligible to own a firearm. In the constitution the founding fathers put in that the public has the right to bear arms. You can lose that right, but everyone has that freedom, use provoked.
In 2013 House Bill 533 passed, expanding gun rights and declared any federal gun laws enforceable in the state of Missouri. It also lowered the concealed carry age from 21 to 19 years of age and allowed weapons less than 16 inches long in areas prohibiting open-carry firearms, as long as the owner had a firearms permit (Missouri bill would nullify all federal gun control laws, 2013).
The National firearm act of 1934 regulating only fully automatic firearms like sub-machine guns is approved by Congress. Then Roosevelt wins approval of the National Firearms Act of 1938, which requires the licensing of interstate gun dealers, who must record their sales. It prohibits sales to individuals under accusation or convicted of crimes of violence. The Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed for the purpose of keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally permitted to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence. In 1972 the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is created listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act enforces a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 band all sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of a number of specific types of assault weapons. Given this information you
As the technology, build, and practicality of the hand gun changed over the past couple of hundred years, so has the increased want and demand. Of course, as more people started owning guns, the crime rate and deaths by gun shot up. Basically, it used to be every man for himself. As the government started worrying farther than just setting the rules but actually having people abide by the rules, laws and restrictions were set to try to regulate who owned guns and why they would use them. In 1934, Congress first started regulating the sale of automatic firearms. Not until four years later did the government think to make it federal law to require gun sellers to be licensed and to prohibit felons from purchasing them (Policy Issue p1). Even with rules that shops were supposed to follow, there are loopholes. The problem with some people in the U.S. is they will go buy guns because they have no criminal record, and then sell it to someone who is willing to pay them for the gun. Different laws over the years, still standing and also withdrawn, have spelled out different ideas of regulations, “The Gun Control Act of 1968 regulated imported guns, expanded gun-dealer licensing requirements, and expanded the list of persons not eligible to buy guns to include person convicted of any non-business related felony, minors, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs,” (Policy Issue p1). Gun
Currently in the United states there are over 18,000 firearm laws in place. The first federally mandated firearm law was the National Firearm Act of 1934. This firearm act, which is still in place today, required a Federal Firearms License to be obtained by anyone in the business of buying, selling, and manufacturing firearms. The National Firearms Act also required all NFA firearms to be registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. NFA firearms at the creation of the NFA included rifles and shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches, machine guns, and firearm silencers. To purchase any of these firearms a $200.00 tax was imposed on every transaction with one of these firearms in an effort to prevent criminals from purchasing such firearms as they were said to have been popular with the gangsters of that era. The Bureau of Alcohol tobacco and Firearms defines a machine gun as a firearm with select fire capabilities. Select fire means that the firearm has both full and semi automatic fire capabilities. Semi automatic means that for every one pull of the trigger, one bullet will be fired. Fully automatic means that for as long as the trigger is pulled, the firearms will continue to fire. On May 19th 1986, the Firearm Owners Protection Act prevented the sale and transfer of machine guns produced after May 1986. This provision excluded machine guns registered before May 1986 and machine guns sold to government agencies. With only
legislation varies in every state. In some states gun policy is stricter than in other states.
For years gun control advocates pushed for a law passed by the federal government. For years this has not worked as the government has not wanted to touch the matter and have potential backlash. Although the federal government has not done much and does not seem to be doing anything any time soon, the states have huge potential to start the change. State governments can decide what laws can be passed and how serious their guns laws will and should be.
Gun Control in the United States has gone out of control. The United States should enforce laws to not allow any guns in a house hold in order to reduce violence and crime in the country. Reducing the rate of crime in the United States, controlling big weapons, taxing ammunition, and gun collection can help make this happen. Gun Control can make this country a safer environment to live in.
These include assault rifles that critics claim should not be interpreted as a right to bear arms. These are military weapons and no citizen needs one in order to defend themselves. There has been some success by congress to ban these weapons, but it was only a temporary ban that has expired. Citizens can now purchase assault rifles at the
The current gun control policies in the United States were implemented to ban gun possession by high-risk groups. They are to restrict the sales, transfers and purchase of guns to criminals, minors and the mentally ill. The laws restrict carrying guns in public areas, enforcing laws such as weapon permits and special licensing. The laws require licensed gun owners to register the weapons before they can be legally owned or possessed. There are restrictions and bans on certain guns on certain hand guns and automatic weaponry. Finally, the gun laws both state and local require a license by the federal government to sell guns.
Gun control is a controversial problem because of how easy it is for someone to obtain a gun and use it for the wrong purposes, such as murder or suicide. The “right to bear arms” has been flipped and turned around as a way for the people to obtain refiles that should only be licensed to professionals in a field of combat. While it can be argued that citizens have their rights, there should be restrictions for those who will misuse that right so that events such as shootings and massacres can be prevented properly. Gun control is a federal issue that should be addressed logically.
We have all heard of all the tragedies throughout the country regarding guns. According to the President (2013) "We know that we cannot stop every act of violence with guns, but what if we tried to stop even one?" Weapon controls in the U.S. is structured at a state level and each state has their own restrictions on gun control. In different parts of the nation, there is significantly more resistant to firearm laws. For instance, in Texas, the gun law permits individuals to carry handguns on their side like in the cowboy era. In Kansas, firearm owner is not required to have a permit to concealed weapon. In Missouri there is not required that a gun salesman to have a background check or a waiting period. However, there is a requirement to take a gun class, once you pass the class a buyer can purchase a gun then register it with the sheriff department. In California a person can petition the court to remove a firearm from a family member capable of violence.
Guns in general are moderated to the the people here in the U.S. A normal citizen who has no gun experience whatsoever can’t just go and buy a fully automatic weapon and shoot it. If a person wants to buy a gun of that sort he/she has to take special classes in order to receive a special license in order to be able to buy a weapon of that sort. That also goes for a person who wants to carry a pistol anywhere they go, they have to get a CHL(concealed handgun license) in order for them to be able to carry that handgun legally. On the other hand there is always a way of