Why Do We Need Gun Reform

In the wake of numerous mass shooting our national government has responded through protest. The United States of America was decimated by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. This, of course, sparked the great gun debate once again. The President, Congress and the Senate began the arduous process of changing the gun laws nationwide. The typical players got involved; Politicians, Gun Makers, The National Rifle Association (NRA), Anti-gun activists, teachers, parents and gun owners alike. The debate is not whether we need gun reform, the debate is how do we reform current laws on the books and satisfy everyone. The reality is, we may not be able to do that. Proposals for mandatory mental health checks, national gun registration, assault rifle bans, decreases in magazine capacity, stringent training requirements and pistol permit processes that take six months to almost two years have been

Can these proposals be turned into legislation and truly curb gun violence? Shortly after the Newtown shooting, President Barack Obama announced the formation of a Gun Violence Task Force led by Vice President Joe Biden. On February 8, 2013, after consulting with a broad array of interests representing law enforcement, legal, mental health, civil rights, religious, and other interests, the task force presented its recommendations to the President. On January 16, the White House announced an ambitious package of legislation proposals and 23 Executive actions intended to lessen the likelihood of future mass shootings and reduce gun violence generally (Congressional Digest, 2013, pg. 8). The proposal’s would just impact mass shootings scenarios but gun laws across the entire United States to include every major city. The proposals were not accepted or adopted and no new national legislation has been instituted. This did not stop individual states and municipalities from enacting