Barack Obama Has Proposed New Controls on Firearms
10January 16, 2014 by Aleksandra Łuczak
This post has been prepared by Anna Wąsik from Kozminski University
The Obama administration has proposed new rules tightening control over some aspects of firearms. Recipes limit the possibility of having such weapons by the mentally ill people and improve database to check the people who buy such a weapon.
Such proposals are another step taken by Obama in the direction of tightening the rules governing the acquisition and possession of firearms. The President began work in this area after last year’s tragedy at a school in Newtown, where a madman shot 20 children. The tragedy in Newtown occurred in December 2012. 20-year-old Lanza killed 26 people in school Sandy Hook: 20 students aged 6 to 7 years and six adults, and then committed suicide himself. Before the massacre, murdered his mother. School shootings are still a big problem in the U.S..
The first amendment, drafted by the Department of Justice clarifies who can not possess a firearm because of mental illness and which information relating to such person states will provide federal authorities. The second proposal, the Department of Health and Human Services, provides for the elimination of existing barriers to checking people who want to acquire firearms.
“The vast majority of Americans support the proposals that protect our children and our communities, without prejudice to our rights under the Second Amendment to the Constitution” (Amendment grants people the right to having weapons) – said Obama.
The first proposal, however, has raised objections to some experts, who fear that the mentally ill will not heal fear that information about their health condition was not made available to federal authorities.
Will these changes cause a decrease in the number of shootings and victims? Or maybe the problem is that people can not deal with aggression in a different way?
Have your say!
Category the Constitution, USA, violence | Tags:
Americans are in love with weapons and sensitive to the right to self-defense. In my view, can not be the tightening of rules on the possession of weapons to prevent such acts crazy .. The next step would be intense addressing those who commit such crimes and their potential followers. Frequently, after all these are young men between 18 and 25 years of age who are more or less suffer from personality disorders. I think that, you should pay more attention to the education system, health care system, and treatment of mental disorders in the United States among young people. Unfortunately, fewer weapons will not solve this problem.
Many people, including experts, think that making new rules of tightening control over some aspects of firearms, will not stop tragedies in public places that happened during the last couple of years. There are opponents of any kind of gun restrictions who believe that the new rules won’t stop the violence. People instead of guns will use other firearm such as knives or axes and bring them to school. In my opinion the new rules of tightening control of firearms will not stop definitely the problem with violence in the US. I think the new law of firearms is very important as one of the implements to fight with the problem. The big opportunity to get access to gun is having a police officer in the family or neighborhood. All of these man carry their guns off duty at home. The government should change not only the rules of accessing a gun. They should also think how to check people already having a gun and how to secure firearms in people’s houses so that the children and mentally ill people won’t get access to the gun. To change the situation with violence in US the government need to change and make few rules not only about the access to the guns.
In my opinion I think that the Americans are hmm.. not the smartest nation in the world :). I think that those changes needs to be enforced in order to make America a little bit less dangerous , but.. It is not all about a firearems possession. In Switzerland the citizens are also allowded to possess “guns” and we actually do not hear of many accidents there right ? Does it mean that their firearms are “idiot/ mentally ill – proof “? The aswer is No, the psychology is so much different , that people there are more “aware” of what a gun is and what consequences can it bring if a person will use it in a wrong way :). I think that the tightening of law is one thing but they should also enchance the education about firearms, 95% of children in America past primary school can tell you in a correct order all names of USA presidents (IN ORDER) , they have a really good patriotic education , they sould also try to educate mostly children , bacause many of those accidents took place in schools . The children shoud know that when they shoot their “friend” he is not left with I do not know “3 more lifes ?”!
In my opinion this is really a psychological problem it is not a problem of how is it is to obtain the firearms by itself but the psychology of how weapons can change , and take lifes. The US government should not be afraid of changing the law if it will increase the safety of other people . I think that the law can also be changed to forbidding ordinary people (without some psychology test) to buy a weapon bigger then a ordinary police pistol , the amendment states the right to “keep and bear arms regardless of service in a militia”. Ok so change the law so that you can only have a pistol in you house , IT IS still an firearm, the amendment is not specific about what a “firearm” is so it can be anything that you can use to protect yourself but also something with what you cannot kill the entire school.
It is really hard to say if the new regulations will decrease the numer of shootings etc.
In my opinion american people just love to feel safe and most of them think that the only way to keep your family safe is to have a gun in your closet. It is just rooted deep down in their mentality and one regulation, even if it is proposed by the president, will not change it.
On the other hand it is just too easy to buy the gun in the USA.
I think that this proposal is good but they need to wait a lot of years to see its results.
First of all I would have to say that in United States of America getting a firearm is very easy, to easy in my opinion. Right now we are observing crisis in terms of sense of security among citizens of USA. In recent years a lot of shooting took place, a lot of innocent people especially children died. Now America has to face the problem and the whole world will observe and judge measures that will be taken.
Department of Justice clarifies who can not possess a firearm because of mental illness and which information relating to such person states will provide federal authorities. First of all in my opinion that step will not resolve the problem, because not everyone will admit that he or she has mental illness, we have to remember that people can lie and pretend in front of a doctor in order to get permission to buy a gun. Second of all not everyone is aware of having a mental illness and can get a gun on black market.
I have to say the second proposal, the Department of Health and Human Services, provides for the elimination of existing barriers to checking people who want to acquire firearms, is very risky and not very reasonable. It will only push American citizens to purchase a firearm in order to feel safe. That will only create society full of paranoia, where everyone sees each other as a potential killer. We have to remember that having a gun does not guarantee a safety. It will only lead to situations where someone will use a firearm where it is no necessary, it will create aggressive behavior. In my opinion only people who are prepared physically and mentally can have permission to acquire firearms, such as police.
Existing barriers it is not a solution, it will only contribute financial support to companies producing weapons. What needs to be done is in school teachers should observe more their students and report every disturbing situation, parents have to pay more attention to their children and be more sensitive to their problems. They have to learn how and try to deal with a problem with conversation, using words not gun. And that way we can have a chance to stop terrible event before it happens. Using a firearms in not a solution in any situation, it is act of aggression and as we all know aggression creates more aggression.
Question may be why have they not decided earlier to do any steps towards increase safety of children studying at school and those who work there as these situations have already occured.
I believe that such changes will cause a decrease in the number of shootings and victims, but unfortunately in a small extent. Even if the possibility of having weapons by mentally ill people will be limited do not preclude the use of this weapon by mentally healthy person but frustrated some situation. In the United States of America every citizen has the right to own a gun to defend his property and even a normal person can use it in the worst intended purposes. People are unpredictable.
The fact is that some people cannot deal with agression indeed but if, e.g. parents had more control over children who play shooting games, all days and nights, it would not lead to such situations. Maybe. In such a young body different feelings accumulate, for example agression.
I do not blame games here, because everything is for people but parents make the mistake allowing their teenage children to play with wild abandon which also effects their psyche.
It seems to me that such a restriction on possesion of weapons will not help, because if someone really wants to buy a gun he/she will do it, above all, illegally.
This news made me laugh for at least five minutes. It is an extraordinary discovery that people with mental illness should not posses the firearm. The problem is not only with sick people, the problem is with the wide range of people undiagnosed, extremists, people which where soldiers of special units in armed forces. How to control them? Now I can say that polis system of possessing firearm is far way better than in US. Here you have to go through many tests both physical and mental. Also your skills in using weapon are controlled not to hurt third person or even yourself. I know that in this matter problem is that there is not a lot to do in the area of federal law, because of states autonomy. That’s why I think that this is just the example how Obama want’s to divert the attention of the public opinion from his upcoming divorce.
Shootings and victims are still a minority. Only few people use their weapons not in the proper way, such as self-protection or increase in sense o safety. American people are fascinated on weapons, even hooked on them. I can assume that almost every American has a weapon in his house. They feel much more safe, especially in case of trespass or other emergency, dangerous situation. I think that new legal controls on firerams won’t decrease numbers of shootings and victims. It surely will increase number of frustrated Americans.
In my opinion, making such regulations about the possession of the firearm do not diminish the risk of their use by irresponsible and dangerous people and it won’t turn into the sense of security in the United States. The tragedies occurred not only in 2012, we have heard about it over the years. In my opinion, a limitation of a right to possess a gun has more positive impact if the consequences of using it for inapplicable purpose will be more severe. Identification of mental illness may not be that easy, as government thinks. People are determinated and they can do everything to buy a gun, for example laying to the doctor. Maybe, if medical check-ups are going to be main factor to analyze people predispositions to have a right to possess and use a gun, they should be made more often, maybe once a year to everyone who get this permission.
I think that it is impossible to get rid of all weapons but for sure it is possible to expand current restriction ( what is in common for years ). it is not like that you can buy weapon wherever you are. In some towns it’s completly banned to do it. Good solution could be normalize law in every state but because of people and different view of life it is also almost impossible. So only way could be better backgrounf check at the moment of buying what is also in common use but not respect and not good enough. In my opinion whatever USA goverment will do it will crush of society.