Guns: the not so silent killer

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Maddy Jeskey, Staff Writer

An Associated Press poll found that 50% of Americans support stronger gun laws, compared to the 52% in December 2013. With this number increasing it is showing the Democrats, Republicans, and rural and urban Americans remain seriously divided over what should be done to reduce the 30,000 gun deaths reported in the United States every year.

The NRA has previously stated that authorities keeping a nationwide count of mentally ill and preventing them from buying guns is the key to stopping mass shootings. Many gun-control advocates say a more effective method is extending their background checks to private sales not just purchases from licensed gun dealers. Private transactions do makeup for over 40% of gun sales in the U.S. though.

Susan Nagle, a local GHS Social Studies teacher says that her beliefs are “Influenced by my upbringing, as well as my interpretation of the Constitution.  Another thing that can influence me is the media coverage of all the shootings that take place”.

The question on all of our minds though, is why does gun reform fail? The overimageswhelming power of the gun lobby is exactly what is preventing us from having a stricter gun control policy. The gun lobby is so powerful, but that is no reason to give up.  I think that one thing that might help is having some sort of accountability for gun manufacturers and dealers when illegal acts are committed with guns that they sell”, says Nagle.

The NRA and other gun rights organizations have a large area of lobbying tools and they are able to dispute constitutional arguments, and have massive campaign-finance wars, and that’s enough to influence members of both parties.

Under the United States current federal law, states require no more than filling out a form in order to buy and use a gun. Depending on the state in which one lives in and where the gun is purchased, the applicant may have to go through a criminal background check, otherwise it’s just matter of a couple days before one can receive a firearm.

Tragedy after tragedy, Americans continue to be shocked by unspeakable acts of gun violence. Living in a nation with a homicide rate that is seven times higher than the average of many developed countries that have much stricter regulations and laws, it’s an all too common occurrence to see murder committed with firearms in America.

Law Enforcement officials have the same kind of cultural regional divides as everyone else. In general, larger city police chiefs are more likely to support gun-control whereas small town police are more likely to oppose it. Major City Chiefs Association endorses closing the gun show loopholes and strengthening background checks, while reinstating the assault weapons ban and  other measures.

With death tolls rising higher and higher every year, Americans are growing more uneasy. Finding a solution to this issue seems grim now, but with Obama’s recent proposal the United States seems to be moving in the right direction when it comes to gun violence.