Gun control has remained a controversial issue in the United States over the past years. The debate has been stirred up by several shootings done by gunmen in different civilian settings. For instance, in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary school killings that left about 20 students dead in 2012 prompted a need for debate over the existing gun laws.
Nevertheless, the question of gun ownership by civilians has received criticism especially from those citizens who feel gun control is depriving their rights as stated in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The legislation that aimed at banning of semiautomatic assault weapons was defeated in the Senate in the year 2013, despite them having extensive public support. In spite of the defeat, debate and various criticisms, United States has managed to institute some changes to the firearm policy over the past decade.
Some of the changes that have been made to the firearms policy include the minimalist federal statutes that were enacted during the Roosevelt administration. This was followed by the gun control act of 1968 which were enacted after the assassination of John and Robert Kennedy and has since been adopted as a major federal law. This act prohibited ownership of firearms to various categories of people including under eighteen, mentally disabled, individuals with criminal records, dishonorably discharged military persons, and unlawful aliens. During Clinton’s administration, the legislation was able to enact the Brady act which calls for background checks on unlicensed citizens before being allowed to own a gun from a licensed gun dealers. Other effort made with respect to gun control include President Obama’s series of executive actions that required firearms sellers to obtain federal licenses so as to reduce gun violence.
Conclusively, despite the efforts the US government is making to reduce gun violence, there are various barriers hindering their development including the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Therefore, to implement the gun control policy effectively, the government should come up with policies that well address the societal problems and practice community policing. Also, the U.S government should grant security agents federal license to enable them conduct random checks so as to crack down those individuals with firearms illegally.
