More than four out of every ten Americans live in homes with at least one gun. The president issues an executive order requiring more checks on who buys. A true squeeze in the US is in reality impossible because to the attitudes of the Republican right, due to the dominance of the arms lobby and (last but not least) due to the second amendment.
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| Gun violence map of USA (Source: Gun Violence Archive) |
Joe Biden tries once again. "It is past time for Congress to outlaw assault weapons." Therefore, in a tweet, the US president, who signed an executive order yesterday in an attempt to curb its use. On the contrary, there is no total squeezing.
"When we did that in 1994, the shootings stopped. The number of mass shootings tripled after Republicans in Congress allowed it to lapse "Biden followed up with another tweet announcing the signing of the executive order, which occurred during the president's visit to Monterey Park, the Los Angeles suburb where 11 people were killed and 9 were injured during the Chinese New Year celebrations in January.
The new executive order would guarantee that "fewer weapons are sold without checks on purchasers, and hence fewer guns end up in the hands of criminals or those with a history of domestic violence," according to White House officials, without specifying how many additional checks will be feasible. be made compared to the more than 31 million completed last year by the National Instant Background Check System, according to statistics given by the FBI. The objective is to expand the amount of checks on persons who acquire firearms, attempting to make the United States as close to 'background checks' for everyone as feasible even in the absence of a particular legislation.
We are on the side of common sense, minimum wage or a bit more (until now clearly that was also absent in many cases): we will check if someone is a violent criminal, a molester or a stalker before selling him a gun. The executive order also aims to increase the effective use of "red flag" laws, such as warning notifications that should alert sellers of at-risk buyers, strengthen measures to hold the arms manufacturing industry accountable, and expedite law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for shootings. President Biden also requests that the Federal Trade Commission issue a public study on how the firearms industry markets its goods, including to children.
After numerous atrocities in January, some Democratic senators had filed proposals in the Senate to outlaw assault weapons and to raise the limit for the purchase of guns to 21 years. Joseph Biden praised the following measures: "I'm calling on Congress to act fast and get the assault weapons prohibition on my desk," Biden added. Yet, the route of bills of this nature has historically proven difficult in the United States. There is no realistic prospect of a future prohibition on the sale of assault weapons.
After numerous atrocities in January, some Democratic senators had filed proposals in the Senate to outlaw assault weapons and to raise the limit for the purchase of guns to 21 years. Joseph Biden praised the following measures: "I'm calling on Congress to act fast and get the assault weapons prohibition on my desk," Biden added. Yet, the route of bills of this nature has historically proven difficult in the United States. There is no realistic prospect of a future prohibition on the sale of assault weapons.
More than four out of every ten Americans live in a home with at least one gun
According to the most recent data from the famous Pew Research Center, more than four out of every ten Americans live in a household with at least one handgun. When the analysis parameter is changed, an astounding disparity between the number of residents and weaponry emerges. According to the Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based institution of international research, there are approximately 393.3 million firearms for every 330 million people in the United States.
The New York Times previously released an analysis claiming that following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which 27 people perished, predominantly children aged 6 to 7, Americans purchased around 2 million weapons. Basically, when there is an assault, weapon sales spike. Yet, sales of pistols and rifles increased at the beginning of the epidemic, during the first phase of limitations.
Numerous attempts to reform the rules governing the free possession of firearms have been thwarted for decades, owing to the dominance of the gun lobby in legislative action and the republican right's intransigence.
Massacres using firearms continue unabated
President Biden signed a weapons bill in the summer of 2022, calling it "the most significant in the previous 30 years" and the first in many years. It featured, among other things, stricter controls for under-21 buyers, $11 billion in mental health assistance, and $2 billion for school safety measures. Substantial funding has been provided to states that commit to reducing the likelihood of guns ending up in the hands of individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, and the so-called "boyfriend loophole" has been closed, prohibiting the sale of guns to those accused of domestic violence even against unmarried partners. The policy, however, has no effect on the sale of assault rifles or high-capacity magazines.
The right to keep and bear weapons is protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution: "A well-organized militia being essential to the security of a free state, the right of citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed," the language states. Gavin Newsom, Democrat, governor of California, now characterizes it as "a death pact". Newsom added that he has "no ideological aversion" to individuals "responsibly" possessing weapons, as long as background checks are performed and training on how to use them is offered.
A couple more buyer checks: that's all you can really hope for in 2023 America. Thus far, the American political system has resisted calls for universal criminal background checks for gun purchases, a prohibition on the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and the revocation of immunity for gun manufacturers.
In truth, Biden's new executive order will be somewhat limited in reach. Many think that the problem of accessible firearms will play a significant part in Biden's re-election campaign: he will therefore strive to secure the support of voters (including many young people) who believe that the government should do far more to curb gun violence.
Since the beginning of 2023, around 8,500 individuals have died as a result of gunshot wounds in the United States (collectively, from all causes, including suicides). More than 110 mass shootings have occurred since January, with a single gunman killing several people: these are the daily tragedies we cover.