The Thorn of Gun Control

With the cases of gun violence on the rise in the U.S., almost every presidential candidate favors universal background checks and an assault weapons ban. President Trump advocated for a federal red flag law, which would permit the police to confiscate a person’s firearms based on some evidence of a risk of violence. Democratic candidates, on the other hand, have agreed to take a stricter measure against the escalating issue of gun violence. Sen. Elizabeth Warren aspires to bring down gun death rates by 80 percent. She also advocates for gun licensing and urban gun violence intervention programs.

With the tragic mass shootings in El Paso, TX, and Dayton, OH, let’s find out where do the current presidential candidates stand on gun reform. According to the latest research, every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns, and hundreds more are shot and injured. Not to forget, the gun suicide rate in America is 10 times higher than in other high-income countries. Gun violence is a growing menace that requires not only our attention but also smart legislation that will prevent additional merciless deaths and mass shootings.

Mayor Buttigieg, on August 5, 2019, published “An Action Plan to Combat the National Threat Posed by Hate and the Gun Lobby,” which defined the actions he believes the nation should take to fight gun violence. “We throw up our hands as though this was the result of some cosmic force, but these tragedies are the consequence of policy failures. It’s time to address those,” he wrote.

Buttigieg, a war veteran from the Afghanistan war and lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, wants to establish universal background checks and close the loopholes that enable dangerous individuals to buy and possess guns, such as the “boyfriend loophole” and the “Charleston loophole.” He also wants to push federal funding for gun violence research, to institute a countrywide gun licensing system, and to pass legislation that will keep domestic abusers away from guns.

Sen. Bernie Sanders believes in a middle-ground solution in the national gun debate. Here are the key pointers on his stand on gun control.

1: Gun control legislation should finally fall on individual states, with the exception of a federal ban on assault weapons and instant background checks to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

2: He thinks that gun manufacturers should not be held responsible for the misuse of their products, just like any other industry isn’t considered accountable for how end-consumers use their products.

3: Sanders further adds that gun control is not the only solution to check the epidemic of gun violence. The state should come up with other initiatives to help those with mental health conditions to prevent suicides by firearms or mass shootings at public places.

4: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a powerful lobbying group that has a great influence over gun legislation. Bernie wants to take on the NRA and restrict their political influence in order to pass meaningful gun reforms.

Conclusion

Every American citizen wants safety and security, and one way to address that concern is by putting in place sound legislation around gun control. The number of deaths due to gun violence has skyrocketed in the last 10 years, and its time that we act on nipping this issue in the bud.