JESSICA MACKEY
Staff Writer
President Obama’s and Vice-President Biden’s plan for gun control is a complex policy that encompasses multiple angles and proposals.
The first pitch under the President’s plan is to require background checks for all guns.
However, there are a few exceptions in this plan, including transfers between family members and temporary transfers for hunting and sporting purposes.
President Obama’s second proposal is to strengthen the background check system for gun sales. Under the current background check system, over 1.5 million guns have been kept off of the streets; however, under the new design, the background checks would have access to complete data about potentially dangerous individuals.
Another possible provision the President wants to enforce is to pass a new, stronger ban on assault weapons. This is a direct result of the shootings in Aurora, Colo. and Newtown, Conn. in which the shooters used semi-automatic rifles.
Of all motions, this proposal will be the hardest to pass through Congress because of the current debate over the interpretation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Those who support the ban believe people have the right to own handguns, while those who oppose the ban believe that people have the right to own guns equivalent to militia strength weapons.
“I think that the right to own guns should be left unchanged,” said freshmen Troy Aubut. “I feel that if we let the government take away a Constitutional right, then what’s going to stop them from taking away another one if an appropriate situation arises? I understand the feelings people have about guns especially because of the massacres that have been occurring lately, but it’s not the guns, it’s the person using them.”
Other changes under the president’s gun control plan include a limit on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds and banning the sale of armor-piercing bullets from the streets.
Another policy change is to give law enforcement additional tools to prevent and prosecute gun crime. This would include passing stronger laws to stop those who would put guns into the hands of criminals, keeping more cops on the street and eliminating restrictions that keep federal law enforcement from doing its job.
The president’s plan intends to end the freeze on gun violence research which Congress has restricted from being done for years. Also, it seeks to make our schools safer with new resource officers and counselors, better emergency response plans and more nurturing school climates. This would include hiring more officials for schools in positions including school resource officers, school psychologists, social workers and counselors. In addition, it is intended to curb current social issues in schools such as violence, bullying and drug abuse.
Lastly, the president’s plan wants to ensure quality coverage of mental health treatment, particularly for young people.
“A gun is a tool. No better, no worse than any other tool: a pickax, a shovel, a screw driver or anything,” said sophomore Brian Drake. “A gun is as good or as bad as the man or woman using it. Our founding fathers knew this and they understood that in the preservation of peace a rifle and a pistol are both equally indispensable.”
Although President Obama’s plan is thorough and encompasses numerous angles in regard to gun purchasing and regulation, many of these proposals are unlikely to pass, or at least not in the full context the president’s plans include because of the beliefs of members of Congress.
