Gun Control - Blog Stage 7


It seems as though 2018 has been a long year, partly because news cycles are so fast these days. It’s odd to think that Black Panther only came out in February and there was an Olympics this summer. So many major cultural events have happened in America this last year, that our focus is quickly switched from one issue to the next. One thing that the news has quickly forgotten about is gun control.
The Parkland shooting and the ensuing outrage, protests, and news coverage only happened 9 months ago. Our focus on the problem has greatly diminished, but the need for gun control only grows more everyday. According to the Gun Violence Archive there have been 323 mass shooting in America in 2018 alone. There have been 332 days in 2018 so far. And that’s just mass shootings. The number of reported gun violence incidents this year is almost 52 thousand. How can anyone look at these numbers and not be worried about gun violence?
Thankfully, laws about gun control are still being produced. The New York Times reports that on Wednesday the Trump Administration announced that a ban on bump stocks (a device that allows semi automatic rifles to fire faster) will be enforced in the coming days or weeks. While this is a step in the right direction, I don’t think that enough steps have been taken. Many Democrats are sceptical that this ban will really make a difference. The NY Times also reports that the FBI performed a little over a million background checks on prospective gun buyers in October which is 11 percent less than October 2017. Assuming this means there are fewer new gun owners (and not just fewer background checks), the change is encouraging. But a million new guns out there per month seems like a lot. It is clear that gun control has a long way to go in America.

Comments

Catrice Warren said…
I completely agree with your views and stamen on gun control, with everything going on it is easy to forget about the effects of mass shooting till it happens again. The amount of mass shooting that has occurred in this year is astounding. This a problem and we need leadership in government to help. Although we may have many different views on how we should fix the problem, we need to start somewhere. It is good to hear the Trump Administration is starting somewhere. However, We need to make more steps and action to sent a message that tis violence wont be tolerated.
December 14, 2018 at 6:14 PM
Austin said…
Gun control has been a major problem for the United States over the past decade and is something that needs to be addressed immediately. I completely agree with my colleague's view on gun control and that it is an important issue that is brought up time and time again but gets skimmed over and it feels as if very little is ever changed. The fact that we've had almost as many mass shootings as we have had days in 2018 is appalling and is something that we need to take a major look at and take action on. While there are still many laws that are currently being put in place, this is an issue that can no longer be looked over and brushed aside. I don't want to ever have to worry about the next generation fearing going to school, or going to a public outing and having the fear that it could end traumatically. The fact that there are nearly 52 thousand gun related violence incidents this year is something that not only needs to be drastically reduced but it needs to be put to an end. We can no longer have firearms out on the streets in the wrong hands. We need to ensure not only an America of new opportunity but a place that people can come to and feel as if they are safe and at home.
December 14, 2018 at 8:52 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Kavanaugh Accuser Rejects Senate Hearing as Unfair"

An article published on September 19, 2018 in the New York Times titled “ Kavanaugh Accuser Rejects Senate Hearing as Unfair ”, written by Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos reviews the recent accusations of sexual assault of Brett Kavanaugh and Trumps short encounter with the press on the topic. On wednesday Donald Trump spoke briefly with reporters before leaving from the White House to North Carolina. President Trump openly shared his opinion that the accusations were unfair to Kavanaugh and his family, referring several times to him as ‘Justice’ Kavanaugh. The article goes on to restate the accusations and the recent events in the case. The authors write about the positions taken by both democratic and republican senators. Senate democrats complained that republicans were trying to rush through the examination so that Kavanaugh could be confirmed. Republicans complained that a F.B.I. investigation was simply delaying the process. The article id informative and provides insight from ...
Read more