Law Essay on Gun Homicides

Gun homicides pose a special challenge to the United States and the police department as well. Many police department of different states spend a lot of money on a yearly basis in carrying out covert operations to reduce gun crime in their cities (Kopel, 2012). On a social level, gun homicide leaves many children fatherless as men are killed through gun violence in the streets. Mass shooting in schools and entertainment centers leaves many parents grieving the loss of their beloved children. In the period between 1990 and 2000, homicide rate in New York City increased by 73%, and by 86% between 1993 and 2001 as a result of regulated gun use. This implies that the high presence of illegal guns in the hands of criminals can effectively be controlled through gun control (Pew, 2012).

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On December 2012, Adam Lanza, who was a mentally ill man, took the lives of 27 people. He had a Bushmaster AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle. The incident took place in Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. Adams mother had legally bought for him a military-grade assault gun. After this incident, the status quo on control seemed destined for change and all the public opinion laws indicated a surge in the number of people who were in favor of more fervent gun control measures (Pathe, 2013). After that Sandy Hook shooting, a bipartisan bill was crafted. The bill aimed at extending all the criminal background checks for those who wanted to purchase guns. In 2013, a Gallup poll was conducted showing that 91% of Americans were in support of a law which needed criminal background checks when selling guns to people. However, the bill was defeated in 2013 when it came to the senate. In 2015, after the San Bernardino shooting in California, the bill was brought to parliament again but it was voted down again, this time having fewer votes than even in 2013. The congress has always been voting against gun control bills which have measures which the majority of the public supports. In many cases, Congress has declined to renew federal legislative measures regarding gun control that include this sunset period (Kopel, 2012).

One of the ways of tackling this issue is adopting the Australian-style intervention way; where the government rolled out many billions and bought many firearms in a bid to reduce and lower the number of firearms which the public and normal people would access. Even though this policy would face a lot of political and constitutional setbacks, it would help in tackling the problem (Vizzard et al. 2000). Another method is adopting a national permit to purchase policy. This policy will see it to it that anyone who wants to acquire a gun has to obtain permits and before the permit is granted, background checks have to be conducted. In 2007, Missouri repealed this policy which they had adopted and it led to an increase in the rate of murder by 14%, the rate of firearm related suicides increased by sixteen percent. This policy had also been adopted in 1995 in Connecticut and it responsible for a reduction in the rate of firearm homicide rate by a margin of 40% and a reduction in the rate of firearm suicides by 15% (Pathe, 2013). Another technique would be passing laws which ensure that those who have ever been prosecuted of domestic violence are not allowed to hold guns. Some states have already adopted this policy and they have barred those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence form having guns (Koper, 2013).

Another alternative would be banning and barring the sale of military-style assault weapons. Prohibiting the sale of high-capacity magazines should be advocated as well. However, this would need to pass through the senate for it to be enacted into a bill (Vizzard et al, 2000).

References

Vizzard, William J. Shots in The Dark: The Policy, Politics, and Symbolism of Gun Control .

Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, 2000.

Vernick, J.S., Teret, S.P., Howard, K.A., Teret, M.D., and Wintemute, G.J. Public Opinion

Polling on Gun Policy. Health Affairs. 12, 4 (1993): 198 208

Pew Research Center. (2012) Public Backs Clinton on Gun Control: Report Summary. Pew

Research Center. December 10, 1993. http://www.people -press.org/1993/12/10/public-backs-clinton-on-gun-control/.

Pathe, Simone. Loaded Words: How Both Sides Are Using Persuasive Rhetoric About Guns.

PBS NewsHour. February 20, 2013. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/speaking-of-guns-examining-rhetoric-of-heated-debate/Kopel, David B. The Great Gun Control War of the Twentieth Century--And Its Lessons for

Gun Laws Today. The Fordham Urban Law Journal 39, (2012): 1527-1616.

Koper, Christopher S., and Roth, Jeffrey A. (2013) The Impact of the 1994 Assault Weapons

Ban on Gun Markets: An Assessment of Short - Term Primary and Secondary Market Effects. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 18, 3, (2002): 239 -266.