( 2 ) Key explanations

Transcription

1 (2) Key explanations

2 (2) Key explanations History & SC rulings aside, the third key factor is the powerful & highly influential US gun lobby (the NRA or National Rifle Association, founded in 1871)! Which can rely on strong membership (4.2+ million)! And has proved very skilled at talking congressmen into blocking any federal gun legislation in past years & decades o NRA rating & funding of congressmen being key, here.

3 (2) Key explanations The NRA not only funds politicians campaigns, but is very influential among voters, who follow the lobby s ratings of politicians Ratings range from: o A+ (progun) o to F (gun control)

4 (2) Key explanations As a result : 100 gun bills have been proposed to Congress since 2011, o none of which passed the floor. Obama once said: o failure to tackle gun crime [was] [his] biggest disappointment (July 2015)

5 Back in 2000, Trump had accused Republicans of walking the NRA line (a rather moderate gun stance, that is) Since then, Trump shifted to becoming one of the most forceful gun rights advocates. o Most likely to stay in line with his (mostly pro-gun) key electorate

6 Following the Vegas shooting, the White House asked Americans not to politicize [the] tragedy As though mass shootings weren t part of the public debate, o but becoming a (cultural?) norm Americans should take for granted (& start getting used to). This reminds of conservative publisher Buskirk s NPR interview, insisting this was a human nature issue, not a federal government one.

7 Shortly after, Trump s spin doctor (Kellyanne Conway) called the Second Amendment: o a bedrock within our Constitution which must be protected at all cost. (This, despite 274 Americans already killed in 2017 mass shootings.)

8 The gun debate then resurfaced with a focus on limiting access to bump stock devices These are used to turn semiautomatic weapons into full automatic ones capable of 800+ rounds a minute (or 100+ in 7 seconds).

9 The Las Vegas shooter (Stephen Paddock) had apparently rigged 12 of his guns with such bump stock devices. Following the mass shooting, supermarket chain Wal-Mart took bump stocks off its shelves..

10 (Suprisingly) the NRA expressed support for the bump stock bill. Democrats are trying to take the gun control debate one step further But bump stocks aside, Republicans aren t ready to compromise on anything else, apparently [! their key electorate being mostly pro-gun]

11 The bump stock bill would be a first step forward, for sure. But such legislation would only take us so far More effective solutions do exist They have been introduced to Congress in later years (to no avail) or experimented with successfully in other countries These include : (1) (more complete) background checks (2) buyback programs

12 Effective, durable solutions would include Mop-up or buyback programs - Buying back the 300+ mn guns in circulation in the US - To avoid second-hand or black-market sales - // Australia 1997, 2003 Effective background checks - Checking buyers background (medical and/or criminal records) - To make sure buyers are fit to possess a gun - Fixing the 3-day-limit loophole None of which seems about to pass Congress anytime soon.

13 If a background check takes more than three days, you can still buy a weapon (!) o The FBI has three days to complete a criminal background check on a person who wants to buy a gun. o If the bureau cannot complete the check in three days because of problems getting records from states, budget shortfalls, or understaffing the person can buy the weapon. o It's a fail-open system, and it makes no sense.! EX. : The Charleston shooter (June 2015) benefited from that loophole. o The Nazi sympathizer who killed nine people at a black church in Charleston should not have been able to purchase the handgun he used because he had previously admitted to drug possession o But the gun seller didn t get an answer back from the FBI background check within three days; on the fourth day, the future killer walked away with a Glock caliber handgun.

14 (4) An overview :

15 (4) An overview :