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American gun laws鈥� is it possible to change them?

By Kelly Running

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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 It鈥檚 a question that has arisen time and again in the United States, would stricter gun laws curb gun violence in America? Canada is often compared to the United States and being so close we form opinions about our neighbours to the south.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Recently, on Jan. 5 of this year, President Obama unveiled a strategy to change laws surrounding the ownership of firearms.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In the United States you always hear about their right to bear arms, meaning owning a gun is something that is inherently part of being American. If you want a gun, you can have one. However, despite the right to bear arms being a legal right, the constitution was created in 1787. They had just come into their own as a nation and were likely still worried about the British considering the American Revolutionary War only ended four years prior.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Also, back in the day those weapons wouldn鈥檛 have been automatic weapons or semi-automatic. They would have had flintlock pistols and muskets, both take a fair amount of time to reload, and they had to be used in relatively close proximity. Today, however, technology has advanced weaponry to the point of being able to fire an entire clip in very little time at a high velocity.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Obama has proposed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to require any business that engages in the sale of firearms to have a licence to do so and be approved through a background check. He wants the ATF to require background checks for purchasers of dangerous firearms. To encourage communication between state and federal criminal history information to assist in the background checks mentioned. The FBI will overhaul the background check system to make it more efficient and accurate.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The background checks would also focus on mental health information. Additionally, Defense, Justice and Homeland Security would be required to help create safety technology to help prevent accidental discharge of a firearm or the unauthorized use of a firearm.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Obama also wants to increase funding to the ATF as a means to enforce existing gun laws and establish an Internet Investigation Center which would track illegal online firearms trafficking. Overall illegal gun trafficking would be looked at more harshly and firearms would simply be sold by approved individuals and businesses to people who have also had their background checks conducted.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Gun control is essential to safety on one hand, while on the other the question arises regarding the number of weapons in the United States and if these changes can be implemented.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In Canada there鈥檚 a process of taking the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and also passing the Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) exam. By taking these and passing them it allows one to obtain a non-restricted weapon, so a rifle or shotgun that is acceptable within certain parameters that have been laid out.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 For Canadians getting their restricted licence, they need a PAL and then must take another test specific to restricted weapons which would include handguns. So, you鈥檝e taken a total of three exams before being allowed to apply for a restricted licence. However, it doesn鈥檛 end there. You must also provide contacts for the RCMP to conduct interviews with in which they check on your mental health, if you鈥檙e an overly aggressive person, and if that individual thinks they would feel safe if you had a restricted licence to own a handgun.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Businesses are required to have a Firearms Business Licence which permits that business to conduct firearm related activities specific to the licence.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Would licensing and education like this work in the United States? There鈥檚 a good chance that it would help, however, the issue arises over whether it is actually possible in the United States to make a change.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The National Rifle Association (NRA) in the United States advocates the rights for all citizens to own guns. So, the NRA in short advocates for ownership of firearms. This group will be a difficult one to convince that gun control is actually in their best interest.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Another issue, which in my opinion is likely the largest logistical problem, is that there are an abundance of firearms out there already. In a Washington Post article from Oct. 5, 2015, 鈥淭here are now more guns than people in the United States,鈥� by Christopher Ingraham, it was stated that there are approximately 317 million people in the United States while there are a total of 357 million civilian firearms in the U.S.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 How do you create a database and track the weapons through sales, when many haven鈥檛 been recorded? Are people going to be willing to say what they have? No, it is going to turn into the Long Gun Registry which the Liberals attempted to introduce over a decade ago. It simply cost the government money, so I can see why Americans are hesitant to change their gun laws.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Additionally when looking at the United States there seems to be this idea that a fair amount of gun sales are done illegally in some form or another and that regulating this aspect of gun control will be next to impossible. You can put charges and force a large monetary indemnity in relation to those charges, but if those people haven鈥檛 been caught yet they likely aren鈥檛 going to stop until they鈥檙e caught.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Another issue that has arisen is that in 2009 gun makers began producing more firearms. United States firearm manufacturers actually increased their output of weapons knowing that the American people would begin purchasing more weapons under the current laws then wait for the new laws being discussed to develop.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Manufacturers produced 5.6 million guns in 2009, but this number had jumped, nearly to double, by 2013 with 10.9 million firearms produced that year.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The Washington Post article stated that 鈥淗igh-profile shootings and talk of changing gun laws 鈥榤otivates gun owners to get more guns, and perhaps some non-owners to get one while the getting is good.鈥� [Gary Kleck a criminologist at Florida State University was quoted to have said.]鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Ultimately it won鈥檛 be easy for the United States to change their laws and it could very well be next to impossible to really be able to introduce new gun laws to the country, so it will be interesting to see how it develops.