http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/10/white-house-gun-control-fade/
I thought this article was interesting. As the anniversary of the tragic, Sandy Hook elementary school shooting nears, the Obama administration has little to show for gun control laws. Instead of putting bans on the actual weapons and ammunition itself, the White House has been focusing on a different way of dealing with it. They are putting their focus on the mental health of citizens in the U.S, hoping to have a correlation with a lower number of shootings.
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It is good to see that President Obama is putting politics aside in order to focus on the real issue that leads to mass shootings: mental health problems. It is only when our country begins to take care of those who have these disabilities that we are going to see the rate of mass shootings drop. I wish, however, that the President did not use executive order in order to meet this end—allocating funding is Congress’s job, not the President’s. We are currently in the midst of an “Imperial Presidency”—something that Congress must act in order to resolve.
ReplyDeleteI am a big advocate for stronger gun control, and with this most recent shooting today, I do not understand how more people don't have the same opinion as I do. I believe that President Obama should continue to push for stricter gun control laws because mental health is in no way the only reason for mass shootings. Other things like the availability of firearms and magazine size contribute on a large scale to these incidents. It frustrates me beyond belief when I speak to someone that believes that gun control should simply be mental health checks because someone capable of these disgusting acts may not necessarily have a mental ailment.
ReplyDeleteMental health issues can't be held as the root of the problem when it comes to mass shootings. Often times, the mental illnesses that people have who carry out the shootings are very hard to detect. These people are only diagnosed after the shooting because the shooting is the manifestation of a symptom. Psychopaths, for example, are often very smart and very well integrated into society. Having no previous mental breaks, they could very easily pass a mental check and have access to guns. Not all shooters are mentally ill. Adam Lanza who was responsible for the Sandy Hook shooting did not have a mental illness that was associated with this type of violence. Countries like South Korea have a extremely low rates of gun related violence (only about 50 cases over the past five years). This is because of extremely, extremely strict gun control laws. Stricter gun control laws are the only effective means of preventing tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting that I have seen thus far.
ReplyDeleteI do support more money being allocated to mental health research because it is a factor which contributes to gun violence. But, like Olivia and Ally, I'm an advocate for stricter gun control policies, particularly stricter background checks. However, in come cases, in order to make background checks more efficent, mental illness must also be diagnoses, which can only be done if there is more research. Aside from that though, there are still plenty of problems. For example, if people who want to own a gun and possibly have an undiagnosed mental illness may avoid seeing a psychologist. Also, like Olivia said, it is hard to detect some mental illnesses until after some huge event has taken place. So the end I do support more money being used for research, but stricter gun laws are still needed.
ReplyDeleteI think that just addressing mental health issues will never be enough to stop tragic shooting such as this. But doing what the head of the NRA said to do with having armed guards in schools is not wise either. That will only cause problems. I don't really see the problem with background checks. They should be much more strict. A gun has the potential to easily end someone's life. That power should not be given out so simply.
ReplyDeleteHaving the right to bear arms is a great privilege to have, but this privilege must be taken away when it is abused. This right has been overly abused by far too many people in America. I am at the point where it isn't even shocking for me to hear about a school shooting on the news anymore. Targeting the mentally ill for gun control is just scratching the surface. It is a step in the right direction, but there needs to be more action towards stricter gun laws.
ReplyDeleteI do not see why people have a problem with stricter background checks as a form of gun control. In this case no one is stopping those who can use a gun safely to have one, they just want to keep guns out of the hands of those who might use them improperly. Also why have politicians not done much to support stricter background checks? I feel like they voted for stricter laws when the proposal came up, but when it didn't pass, they stopped working for it. They have checked off that box in the list of things they have proof they support, and now they have moved on to other issues. They need to stop blaming others and take action.
ReplyDeleteI strongly support paying more attention to mental health care in this country, but that's really not enough. Mass shootings, as well as the absurd amount of gun violence we have in the United States, would be limited most effectively by enacting better, stricter gun control laws. Background checks are essential, as is a waiting period before being able to purchase a gun. In my unprofessional opinion, I believe the NRA opposes stricter gun control not because it infringes upon the rights of its citizens, but simples because gun manufacturers want to make money. Less regulation means more sales, plain and simple. It boggles my mind that gun owners can't deal with a few restrictions on gun purchasing if it means saving a significant number of American lives.
ReplyDeleteI am happy with the Obama administration because they have chosen to focus on mental health care rather than gun control laws. I am against any gun control laws because, quite simply, it would infringe upon people's constitutional rights. Not only that, but if we change an ammendment, I believe that takes away from the power of the constitution. Mass shootings can be solved by extremely extensive background checks only.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that mental health care should be focused on and improved to help reduce gun violence, I also think that it's ridiculous that nothing has been done in terms of gun control since Sandy Hook. Extensive background checks for gun buyers should be an obvious requirement, and big guns like assault rifles and machine guns should be banned. Not to mention extended magazines for guns. Look, if the American government wanted to take away all of our freedom and rights, I think they would be able to do that with the weapons they have. A few citizens with assault rifles wouldn't be able to save the democracy.
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