Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting sparks Gun Control debate

**Possible trigger effect**

BANG! Everyone starts to panic. “GET ON THE FLOOR!” People screaming, running, hiding, as the man dressed in all black with a mask walks down the hall. With a gun in each hand, he shoots at anyone still standing or running. With each fallen victim, his maniac laughter grows louder and louder, resonating with the echoes of the gunshots and shells hitting the floor. As the sirens of the police grew closer, he makes his final round of shots, and all is silent just before the police reach the scene of chaos. The shooter has ended his rampage with himself, as the last victim.

That was just a fictional scenario of a mass shooting. Many other crimes involving gun violence happen everyday and everywhere. Many gun laws about the obtaining of and owning a gun or any firearms have been implemented, but have the people’s ability in owning a gun do any good in preventing deaths? In fact, I think guns in general usually lead to increased violence and death. That is why gun control laws should be applied to limit the number of guns allowed or even ban the owning of firearms. Yes, many do believe that having a gun is self-defense and is a must in human rights, but think about it: the reason why people own guns is to protect themselves from those with guns, so if the threat has no gun to start with, you wouldn’t feel the need to own a gun to protect yourself with.

However, because guns have not been banned and not much control is put on them, criminals continue to easily obtain guns and commit crimes with them. A recent event involving the death and severe injuries of more than 20 people occurred on December 14, 2012 when a man by the name of Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 students and 6 staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (Wikipedia.com) Lanza was a 20-year old man who had access to his mother’s guns and rifles who was described as a “gun enthusiast who owned at least a dozen firearms”. Before his shooting at the school, authorities have claimed that Lanza had shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza. Now if gun control laws were enforced, Lanza’s mother may not have had possession to so many deadly guns and thus would have prevented her son from killing her and prevented the mass murder.

Examples of the kinds of firearms Lanza used in the shooting. (See a timeline of events by CNN)

Strict gun control laws were not in place at the time of the shooting, however some form of law was implemented that may have helped delay the onset of Lanza’s violent actions. During that time under Connecticut gun laws, Lanza was of age to carry a long gun such as a shotgun or rifle, but he was still underage for owning or carrying handguns. Perhaps due to the law preventing him from carrying a long gun until he was of age, his actions were delayed till then, but because his mother had the full right to own such large quantities of firearms, of age or not, he could have taken the guns and shot anyone up at anytime.

In reaction to the tragic event, President Obama announced a plan for better control of firearms in the United States on January 16, 2013. With the announcement of his plan, the debate on gun control reignited. The President’s plan for improving gun control included proposals for new laws that Congress should pass, along with some that does not need approval from Congress.

Some congressional actions that were proposed included:

• Requiring background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that are currently exempt.
• Passing a new and stronger ban on assault weapons.
• Limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.
• Banning the possession of armor-piercing bullets by anyone except for members of the military and law enforcement.
• A $4 billion administration proposal to help maintain 15,000 police officers on duty.

Some executive actions included:

• Requiring federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
• Addressing legal barriers such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from giving out information to the background check system.
• A rule allowing law enforcement authorities the ability to perform a full background check on an individual prior to returning a seized gun.
• Developing model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

(List provided by The New York Times)

A video of President Obama’s announcement of his plan posted by Whitehouse.gov includes the major points in reducing gun violence and protecting our children and communities is shown below.

See video on YouTube: Now Is The Time to Take Action Against Gun Violence

On April 17, 2013, the Manchin-Toomey Background Checks Bill, a bill that exercised some of the restrictions of gun control, failed to pass the U.S. Senate. In response to the failing of the bill, President Obama expressed angrily in a speech that it was a shameful day for Washington (NYDailyNews.com).

A transcription of Obama’s speech can be found on Salon.com.

The call for action on this issue with gun violence and control has been long overdue. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was another tragedy that could have been avoided. The event was also what opened the eyes of the President to announce a plan for better gun control. That is what restarted the national debate on gun control and possibly a safer future for everyone. Though from the failing of the Manchin-Toomey Background Checks Bill, it is clear that America is far from seeing the requirements it needs to protect its citizens. Gun control laws should be enforced because it will help prevent criminals from gaining access or buying guns, limit the amount of deaths, increase police protection, and decrease gun violence in general. Michael McLaughlin of HuffingtonPost.com, provides a side story of the gun violence in the United States on a given year. He wrote that

“If Americans misbehaved on Jan. 15, 2013, as they typically do, then there were 30 gun-related murders and 162 people wounded by firearms in the country, based on the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On top of that, another 53 people kill themselves with a firearm each day, according to the CDC.
Breaking it down further, three people are killed by a gun per hour and almost seven people are shot every 60 minutes.“ (McLaughlin, HuffingtonPost.com)

McLaughlin’s point provide us with some statistics on the number of deaths resulting from gun violence. Perhaps these numbers will be enough to influence those against gun control laws to change their minds. Not everyone may agree with what I have presented, but take the issue to heart, sleep on it. What would you do to protect those around you? To end the horror that runs wild on the streets; that one day, that horror may end up killing your loved ones, or worse, you. Just think about it.