The NRA’s solutions to mass shootings highlight the need for firearm legislation reform
By Harleen Khangura
The recent series of mass shootings in the United States has undoubtedly added to my paranoia of movie theatres and educational institutions. It has made gun activists and the NRA so paranoid that they believe that arming teachers and guards at schools and easing gun laws is the answer to rising gun violence in America.
In the last few months, we have heard about a harrowing number of shootings in America and the number only seems to be climbing up. The latest massacre, which took place on Dec. 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, has revived the gun debate in the United States. Sadly, after decades of this debate, it has yielded little to no resolution. Instead, what has resulted is a wavering battle of the wills between gun right advocates — or rather the Second Amendment advocates — and those calling for stricter gun laws. But it is time for American politicians to stop beating around the bush, and to develop greater restrictions on gun access and ownership in an effort to alleviate gun violence. Looking at Canadian gun laws as an example may not be such a bad idea.
Canadian gun laws are not perfect. We have had our fair share of school shootings in the past — Ecole Polytechnique massacre, Dawson College shooting — and there was a shooting incident at a block party in Toronto as recently as this summer. However, it is also noteworthy that the scale and frequency of these mass shootings are significantly less than the ones in America. For instance, in 2009, the United States had 66.9 per cent of homicides by firearm while Canada’s number was much lower at 32. In Canada, it takes considerably longer to acquire a gun, which serves as a primary deterrent for gun ownership. First-time applicants need to apply for a license (a PAL or a POL), receive safety training, and undergo mandatory background checks as well as a 28- day waiting period (sometimes longer).
On the other hand, obtaining a gun is far less onerous in the United States. Most states do not require a license or a permit in order to obtain a gun; in fact, a personal ID, such as a driver’s license, is often sufficient to acquire and/or carry a firearm. Also, while it is mandatory for federally licensed firearms dealers to conduct security screenings, about 40 per cent of guns are actually sold by unlicensed private dealers, who are frequently guilty of selling guns to individuals without a proper background check.
Clearly, America’s gun laws are full of loopholes that need to be fixed, but this may not be an easy or welcomed task. The latest solution that the NRA has come up with for gun violence indicates that many Americans are reluctant if not terrified to sever ties with their beloved guns. But the upsurge in gun violence also proves that the current gun regulations are a downright failure. If America wishes to protect its citizens, it needs to be proactive in bolstering gun restrictions, mandating licenses and training for gun ownership, and finetuning the security screening procedures. Of course, this may not make the States immune to future gun violence, but it would at least begin to fill in the cracks of a flawed system that continues to senselessly endanger human lives.
