Several problems with trying to control the sale and distribution of guns pop up when government officials try and take action. For starters, “civilians in the United States own about 270 million guns, according to a 2007 report.” That is enough firearms to arm every adult in the U.S. with plenty left over. With this many firearms in the public’s hands it is almost impossible to keep track of where all these weapons end up. Another major problem with gun control is that gun laws change from state to state in the U.S. Portability of firearms is what makes them hard to control as they can be taken from state to state with ease. Criminals and killers will often purchase firearms in other states where laws controlling gun sales and use are virtually nonexistent. For example, some states require that a purchaser must fill out an application and be investigated by local authorities before they are allowed to take the weapon home. This process develops a waiting period …show more content…
In order to make these restrictions similar in every state, the limitations would include the following: thirty day waiting period, extensive background checks, ammunition purchase limit, and firearm purchase limit, along with a “formal list of diagnosed mental illnesses that disqualify individuals from purchasing guns.” Once they have purchased these firearms there needs to be back up checks every several years to determine what the individual did with the firearm. They must inform the federal database on what has been sold and who it was sold to, what they still own, and what they have purchased since their last checkup. This will allow officials to keep track of individuals actions better and be able to detect any red flags produced by those individuals. State laws currently do not keep track of what individuals do with their guns, which is highly