Gun Control Hot Topic Once Again
Three weeks in the wake of the deadly shootings in Tucson, President Obama is expected to deliver a speech on gun control.
The President left out the topic in his State of the Union last week and instead focused on the economy and jobs. His speech this week will lay out his agenda for reforming the current gun laws, a subject that has proven volatile in Washington.
Advocates for gun control reform would like to see a couple of issues addressed by the President.
First would be to limit the sale of magazines that hold large amounts of ammunition. The limit would likely be set at ten rounds. The magazine that was used in the Tucson shootings held 30 rounds and was used in rapid succession killing six and leaving 14 wounded, including Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords of Arizona who is now recovering in a Houston hospital.
Another likely reform stemming from the January 8th shooting would deal with mental illness. Jared Loughner, the shooter, suffers from severe mental illness. The fact that he was able to buy a weapon in the first place strikes controversy. Advocates of gun control reform would like to see background checks and mental health tests made mandatory for people to buy certain types of firearms.
This idea has brought on criticism from people against the reformation of gun laws. These opponents think that implementing background checks would infringe on people’s Second Amendment rights and discriminate against people who suffer from mild mental illness.
A gun law, similar to the one that is being discussed now, was passed in 1994 by a Democrat controlled Congress, but let expire 10 years later when Republicans controlled Capitol Hill. This law banned assault weapons but still failed to prevent the deadly shootings at Columbine High School in 1999.
Whether or not the President would push for reforms like these is still unknown. The President did advocate for strengthening the current gun laws in his 2008 campaign and endorsed an Illinois hand gun ban in 1996.
Do, however, expect the President to take a hard line no matter which way he leans. Election season is coming up and all eyes are on the President and what he has to say about the most important issues facing the country. Taking a soft approach to gun control could make the President seem weak or even hypocritical. Yet taking a hard combative approach would not sit well with House Republicans, a group that he has worked hard to gain favor with.
This week should mark an important moment in the battle for gun control reformation. The issue has been hotly debated for decades with no reasonable resolution reached. History has proven that in moments after extreme gun violence comes renewed debate about the issue of gun control. The question after the shootings in Tucson is can we finally see an end to this debate, or is this just another bullet point in the timeline.
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