![]() ![]() as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation. Today, in Monterey Park, California, President Biden will announce an Executive Order with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, moving the U.S. Get Involved Show submenu for “Get Involved””.The White House Show submenu for “The White House””.Office of the United States Trade Representative.Office of Science and Technology Policy.Executive Offices Show submenu for “Executive Offices””.Administration Show submenu for “Administration””.In reaction to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Wayne LaPierre, the NTA vice president, argued that “the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”. The most prominent change in state laws regarding guns in recent times has been to make guns more, rather than less, available. These statements are largely symbolic as neither party appears eager to engage in a strong attempt to enact gun control due to the potential for a backlash from gun enthusiasts. Hillary Clinton called for stronger background checks and a national database, while Donald Trump – who used to support stricter gun control – accepted the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and claimed that Clinton “ wants to take away Americans’ guns”. These issues have erupted into the presidential campaign. Party linesĭiffering views of gun control across party lines are much more evident now, with Republicans less likely to support a national database or assault weapon ban. These sorts of weapons were banned in 1994 under the Clinton administration but the law was allowed to lapse in 2004 and stands no chance of being re-enacted by the current Congress. Bans on assault rifles, such as the AR-15, used in Orlando are more controversial. There have been large majorities in favour of restrictions such as background checks for those with criminal records, limiting access for the mentally ill, and creating a national database to track gun sales. The main areas of gun regulation concern limiting who can purchase a gun. Support for gun control is now roughly matched with support for gun rights in the wider population. Public opinion has been decidedly in favour of stricter gun control for decades, but the recent polarisation of politics in the US has also influenced people’s views on guns. People believe that crime has gone up rather than down – and this continuing fear of crime influences gun policy. While violent crime has plummeted since the 1990s, however, mass shootings consume most efforts around gun control today. The rate for other violent crimes with a firearm was 75% lower in 2011 than in 1993. Compared with 1993, the peak of US gun homicides, the firearm homicide rate was 49% lower in 2010. Personal protection has now become the main reason cited by gun owners, rising from 26% in 1999 to 48% in 2013.ĭespite worries over personal safety, fuelled by widespread media coverage of regular mass shootings, the homicide rate from firearms has fallen hugely in the US since the 1990s. Traditionally, hunting was the main purpose for gun ownership but it has declined from 49% in 1999 to 32% in 2013. Whichever figure is most accurate, a substantial portion of American households own a gun. The General Social Survey (GSS), has found that gun ownership has declined from 49% of households in 1973 to 34% in 2010, though Gallup opinion polls report a lower figure, unchanged from 1972 to 2010 at 43%. Declining ownership and homicidesĪn understanding of the place of guns in American culture is needed to fully understand the issue of gun regulation. The Second Amendment, meanwhile, is a political symbol rather than a strong legal protection. It is the politics of gun regulation that is much more important if you want to understand the gun debate in the US. The Supreme Court continues to allow almost all restrictions on firearms short of an outright ban. These cases established the individual right to gun ownership for the first time – but, significantly, they were only applied in relation to absolute bans. ![]()
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