The Battle for Gun Control
- rafflesnewsbois
- Mar 28, 2018
- 4 min read
On the 14th of February 2018, 19 year old Nikolas Cruz walked into Majory Stoneman Douglas High School armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and took the lives of 14 students and 3 staff members in an untargeted school shooting.
The recent Florida shooting is not the first time a school shooting has occurred in the US. Just 10 weeks into 2018, there have been at least 14 mass shootings in the United States alone. When we compare these statistics to other first-world countries around the world, it becomes obvious that the occurrence of gun-related crimes are higher in the U.S. than in any other nation. The root of the problem can be traced to the fact that in America, there is little to no regulation of gun sales.
WHY IS IT SO HARD TO IMPOSE REGULATIONS?
Those against gun control often quote the U.S. Constitution to defend their rights to own a gun, believing that everyone should have the right to self-defence. The second amendment reads, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Owning a gun in America is a long running tradition, and that may be the reason why some are unwilling to accept to gun-control laws. With the current Republican dominant congress, it seems like change is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Even more crucial is the National Rifle Association (NRA), the backbone of unsupervised gun ownership in America. The NRA has a reputation as the most powerful political organization in the U.S., spending more money than any other non-profit group to influence government politics, sponsoring the careers of many notable politicians. Yet more prominent than the spendings are the members of the NRA. Members are made aware of relevant court hearings through notifications on their website, and the turn up is strong enough to have held off active reforms towards gun-control. Michael Tobman, a political consultant, has noted that one of the main reasons that they are able to unify their base is that they are staunchly against a single, straightforward issue, and all they have to say is no. In cases such as these, numbers count. Regardless of the uproar on social media, showing up to say no becomes a more powerful weapon in stopping legislation.
The NRA is able to support their stand against gun violence with the Dickey Amendment, a ban on gun violence research lobbied for by the NRA. This prevents legislation in favour of gun control from passing through as it hinders informed conversation on what gun control would look like.
HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES
Firearms per 100 people
Firearm Homicides per 100,000 People (2013)*
Images are taken from The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/01/worldwide-gun-control-policy/423711/#Correction
22 years ago, the Dunblane shooting in England sparked immediate reform in their country’s legislation. It led the U.K. to introduce some of the strictest firearm regulations in the world, outlawing the private ownership of most handguns. Almost overnight, 200,000 gun owners had their weapons banned, a law which was enforced with heavy fines and up to 10 years in prison. Following the reform, there was an immediate halt in school shootings in the U.K..
Victims of the Dunblane shooting and their families have sent a video addressing the bravery of the victims of the Florida shooting, conveying a message of encouragement in their fight for gun control.
CHANGE?
President Trump has expressed his stance on the issue. Through meetings with victims to discuss possible change, it is clear that he does not intend to implement gun control to its full extent. A possible deterrent to school shootings, he says, is for teachers to carry guns.
CHANGE.
Nikolas Cruz was a student at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School before he was expelled for misconduct. Schoolmates say that he has anger management problems and often joked about gun violence and bragged about killing animals. His social media accounts contained disturbing images of guns and knives and contained white supremacist views. His family claims to have no knowledge of his behaviour. Nikolas Cruz has been charged with premeditated murder and he is willing to plead guilty should prosecutors lift the death penalty.
Victims of the Florida shooting have spoken up, rallying masses around the country to push for gun control. Youth have spoken out for change and it has initiated another wave of resentment towards the situation of gun violence in America. This is a stark contrast to the Orlando shootings, which sparked outrage, but not enough to bring about concrete change. This time, youth are determined not to let the issue slide.
The National School walkout on 14th March took place nationwide to protest for gun control. Students from around the country can leave classes for 17 mins (to represent the 17 that died in the Florida shooting). The walkout is supported by politicians and colleges have stated that should disciplinary action be taken against the students, it would not affect chances of admission the their colleges. This movement is a large step in pushing for gun control as it shows support across the nation for policy change. With the prevalence of social media in our society, change can happen at an unprecedented rate. This passionate speech by Emma Gonzalez has received nearly 3 million views on youtube.
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
March For Our Lives is a student-led demonstration held on 24 March 2018, notably the largest youth protest since the Vietnam War. At least 1.2 million people across the United States marched for gun control. The 9 year old granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. , Yolanda Renee King, addressed the crowd with a short but succinct speech. “I have a dream,” she says to a cheering crowd, “that enough is enough. And that this should be a gun free world-period.” The march drew much attention from across the globe and purveyors of gun control hope that significant and tangible change will happen in America, soon if not now.
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