Adam Lanza

News that could have been prevented

Andrea V

All of you  have probably heard or read about Adam Lanza. Let me refresh your memory, he was the psychotic kid who had a mental breakdown and shot  twenty first graders and their teachers, and his mother.  After these news one wonders what has America turned into? Why aren’t  there more gun control  regulations. Why can anyone order guns by mail and receive them without restrictions?

President Obama hasn’t changed any laws, or applied any new regulations regarding on  the  guns and disarmament issue. He believes in the policy of existing law. That means that he takes steps that protect  the Second Amendment rights of the American people. But that does not ensures that weapons do not fall into the hands of individuals who should not obtain them.

In the past years, President Obama has been involved modestly in a limited regulation of firearms. For example, he made a policy of keeping guns out of inner cities. In 2007, he cosponsored a bill to limit purchases to one gun per month. In 2008 , he endorsed the Illinois handgun ban. He also believes that local action is necessary rather than complete government involvement.

 

In the U.S.  four million firearms are manufactured every year. The main reasons people in the United States buy guns is for safety, and for sport (hunting and competition). This industry brings in a lot of cash, and stronger regulations would mean a loss of money for the manufacturers.  

 An activist group called The Freedom Group  joined with the National Rifle Association to fight against a federal ban on assault weapons.  Both groups want to create simple and effective manufacturing and safety standards, background checks for all gun sales,  propose a  gun legislation that might help law enforcement solve gun crimes, and curb preventable gun violence.

   To  help solve the problem President Barack Obama and other politicians are calling for a renewed ban on tactical assault rifles. There is a study that links stricter gun laws in general, such as assault weapon bans, trigger locks , and safe-storage laws, to a reduction in gun violence. Also, It has  been proven that the more guns in a Society, the more crime it has.  If President Obama reinforces stronger laws, the problem over gun control  will be on its route to a solution.

  I strongly believe that with so many cases of massive killings, we should  teach  at schools the responsibilities and dangers of carrying a gun, and how to use it properly in case of being  in danger.  It would also be better just to give them to law enforcement officials and military, limiting  its use by civilians. I believe that civilians can purchase a limited amount of guns (pistols, revolvers) or rifles, but should not have access to any assault weapon. I also believe that any one applying for a permit to carry a weapon should have a criminal background check and should have psychological tests in order to determine if the individual is fit to handle a gun. This should be a world wide solution, not just in America.