subject: Criminal Gun Laws [print this page] After the recent massacre at Virginia Tech, once again the mammoth issue of gun control has been brought up at full force. Many are highly upset that even after gun control laws have been enacted that the killer in the massacre was approved for a gun and purchased it in less than 30 minutes. Many have speculated that had there been much harsher guidelines in place, that the sale would not have been completed, and it could have potentially saved all of the lives that were tragically lost in the disaster.
The death toll from the massacre has risen to over 30 killed and more than 20 wounded. This is aside from the emotional damage that has been caused to the hundreds who are left grieving in the wake, and those who experienced first hand the trauma of the event. How can such events really be avoided? Is it possible to avoid such tragedy with firmer gun laws?
There are also programs that provide incentives, such as computers, video game systems, or cash, to anyone who turns a gun in to the police. Do these programs help to solve the problem? If there are to be effective gun control laws, there would have to be nationwide agreement about the need for the changes so they could be enacted in a timely manner without years of debate and compromise. There are obviously loopholes in our current gun laws that make it possible for tragedies like that at Virginia Tech to occur repeatedly. Yet it is not possible at the present time for the nation to take the necessary actions to impose tougher laws.
The large number of hunting enthusiasts is the U.S., whose lives involve the use of shotguns and rifles each day, along with the opposing political parties' views on gun control, make gun control to suit everyone's liking extremely challenging. Now think about the fact that many crimes involve guns that have been gained through illegal means, and we have trouble knowing whether stricter laws would truly have an impact. We expect that the upcoming Presidential Primary will give a great deal of attention to this issue, and how to prevent highly dangerous individuals from obtaining guns.
