Gun violence — it's always a hot topic, especially around election time. However, in 2015 specifically, it took more of the spotlight than normal. Perhaps it was because of the shocking number of mass shootings, or the statistic showing that. At several points throughout the year, there had been more mass shootings than actual calendar days, meaning that there was more than one every day of the year. It was safe to say that as a nation, we were late to the gun control discussion, as well as taking action.
President Barack Obama is making this his primary concern. He issued an executive order last Tuesday, that required background checks for gun purchases.This would simply require what is considered the norm in other countries anyway — for sellers of firearms to be licensed gun dealers and require a background check to anyone. Currently, if a background check fails to come back within three days, the purchaser can technically buy a gun anyway.
Gun shows are similar. Licensed gun dealers can sell a gun to someone with no identification or background check. That is way too easy.
Obama was introduced by Mark Barden, the father of one of the victims in the Sandy Hook massacre. This mass shooting was particularly tragic in the eyes of Americans, and he began to cry when he talked about the number of deaths that day. The number of lives lost was unacceptable to him, and in recent weeks, he hasn't been shy about expressing that. He's taken a number of measures to verbalize his concern about how easy it is to get guns, for those that shouldn't have them especially.
Gun violence prevention is at the top of the page on his website, and is clearly a top priority of the President's. "No law or set of laws will end all acts of gun violence, but if even one life can be saved, there's work to be done. And we aren't backing down."
The President is definitely being criticized. Many citizens, who oppose gun control, argue that implementing mandatory background checks isn't going to necessarily stop the next mass shooting. Many are calling this a "gun grab" or saying that Obama is stripping away their right to bear arms.
1. Keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks.
2. Make communities safer from gun violence.
3. Increase mental health treatment, and reporting to the background check system.
4. Shape the future of gun safety technology.
None of these call for seizure of existing guns; all that is being sought is a way to make guns in the community safer and in the right hands.
And maybe a background check wouldn't prevent the next mass shooting, but lowering the risk of the government literally just handing someone with a mental illness or maybe a vendetta, even by 1 percent, is considered a victory in the President's eyes.
Millions of Americans are affected by gun violence every year. It took over 300 mass shootings in 2015 for the American people to be concerned enough to take action and make this a big media issue. Although some are literally up in arms about the situation, I can only see good come from the recent executive order.
