Last December, the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school shocked the nation. Following the shooting of 20 children and six adults, a heartbroken and outraged America launched into a discussion on gun control.
Over a month later, the conversation is still happening, even though Facebook users are now devoting their statuses to the ever-unpredictable Chicago weather.
The gun-related crimes do not stop at school shootings, unfortunately. On Tuesday, Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in the city of Chicago. Pendleton was a sophomore and had just finished her final exams for the semester.
On Friday morning a woman as shot to death near Lake Shore Drive, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Are these tragedies the result of weak gun control laws, or simply disastrous events that would happen despite new legislation?
President Obama has acknowledged the fact that all of the laws in the world could not eliminate violence completely.
“”While there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil,” said Obama at a press conference Wednesday. “ “If there’s even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there’s even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try it.”
Obama’s proposed legislation is intended to increase the difficulty of obtaining a weapon and enforcing the type of arms civilians are allowed.
The following are main points of Obama’s plan:
- Required background checks on all private and public gun sales
- Ammunition magazines limited to rounds of 10
- Banning “military-style” assault weapons
- Strengthen penalties for gun-trafficking
Recently, a poll by the Pew Research Center concluded that a majority of Americans – 55 percent –support a ban on “assault-style weapons.” A political breakdown in the same survey reveals that only roughly four in ten Republicans support these restrictions.
Maggie Briggs, junior in AHS, believes that regulations are necessary.
“I think control needs to be regulated,” said Briggs. “I don’t’ think it should be so easy for people to obtain guns or bullets.”
Democratic and Republican legislators alike are wary of Obama’s new bill, with the former believing a passing vote is too good to be true and the latter feeling as though the changes are too harsh.
Despite the controversial proposals, there is no denying how this topic impacts Universities across the U.S.
Since 1966 there have been over 20 reported university shootings across the country. College students are constantly at risk of being victims of gun violence.
Cecille Kalafut, junior in AHS, believes that college students have a responsibility to understand the gun control issue.
“With the recent Connecticut shooting it’s clear that these events affect us as a society, so it’s important for college students to be informed about the legislature and how it will affect society,” said Kalafut.
“However you personally feel, people are being affected by the guns that are out there.”
The National Rifle Association is the largest entity standing in the way of Obama’s bill being passed.
Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, does not believe that these regulations should be allowed.
“Law-abiding gun owners will not accept blame for the acts of violent or deranged criminals,” LaPierre said in his statement. “Nor do we believe the government should dictate what we can lawfully own and use to protect our families.”
This issue is currently being debated and could potentially be the biggest change in gun control in the history of the country.