Ethics & Religion
Column #1,961
March 21, 2019
Gun
Control Laws Needed
By Mike McManus
The last time Kathy Shott spoke to her son was shortly before Christmas,
2013. She recalled he was sad and going through a divorce at age 31. But
he seemed to be looking to the future and thanked her for socks she had
sent him.
On Christmas Day the Iraqi war veteran shot himself.
In 2017, a stunning 23,844 Americans committed suicide, mostly with
guns. That's way above the 15,919 who were murdered.
Both numbers are far worse than any other country. In Japan only 7
people were murdered with a firearm and only 63 in the United Kingdom.
What can be done to reduce gun deaths in America?
This month the House passed two gun control bills that will help if
passed by the Senate.
By a vote of 240-190 one bill would require universal background checks
for any purchases of weapons. And by 228-198 the House voted to extend
the time for a background check from three days to 10 days.
The odds of passage by the Republican-controlled Senate are less likely
than in the Democratically-controlled House.
Even after the Sandy Hook massacre, President Obama was unable to get
either Republican-controlled chamber to vote for any gun control, which
he called "shameful." Nor did it happen last year when 11 Jews were
murdered in a synagogue - though it was the largest massacre of Jews in
American history.
Since the Sandy Hook massacre of 20 children and six adults in 2015,
there have been
142 more school shootings and an additional 150 mass killings elsewhere,
such as 49 killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando and 58 slaughtered in
Las Vegas.
What can be done to reduce this carnage?
First, the Senate should pass universal background checks. About 40% of
guns sold in America are not sold by licensed dealers, who must conduct
a background check to be sure they aren't selling to criminals or the
mentally ill.
Millions of guns are sold in 3,500 "gun shows" where no background
checks are required. Universal background checks would close that
loophole. This proposal is not controversial. Three-quarters of gun
owners and 97% of American support universal background checks.
It should be noted that the background checks by licensed gun dealers
did prevent the sale of weapons to 2.4 million dangerous people.
Universal background checks could almost double that number.
Second, assault weapons like the AR-15 which transform rifles into
machine guns - should be banned from sale. Guns with high capacity
magazines should also be prohibited. Such a law is likely in New Zealand
where such weapons killed 50 Muslims in two mosques. Eight of 10
American support banning assault weapons, which were used in Sandy Hook
and Las Vegas.
States with the toughest gun laws on gun purchases have a death rate
one-third lower than states which close their eyes.
Third, a three-day waiting period for gun purchases would reduce
suicides. It is shocking that two-thirds of gun deaths in America are
suicides.
What else can be done to reduce suicides in America? First, guns at home
should be locked up, so that a depressed teenager or spouse cannot get
them. Even better, why not get rid of any gun in your house?
There are more than 300 million guns in American homes and sales of 3.5
million per year. Why? For hunting? Only 6% of Americans are hunters.
In Camden, N.J. the Antioch Baptist Church and the Higher Ground Church
of God in Christ proposed to reduce gun deaths by having the government
offer to "buy back" guns using money forfeited by convicted felons. The
state's Attorney General agreed to pay $250 per gun turned in. Result:
1,100 guns were given to the government and will be melted down for sign
posts!
A similar buy-back in Oakland and San Francisco yielded 700 weapons
turned in for $200 each! A Los Angeles "buy back" sparked a return of
1,659 guns.
However, the best such program was in Australia. After a horrific mass
killing of 35 people in 1996, Australia passed a National Firearms
Agreement which banned semi-automatic and automatic rifles and created a
compulsory buy-back program for those weapons.
The stunning results: 700,000 weapons were turned in and destroyed,
about one-fifth of the country's stock of firearms!
More important, the number of homicides involving firearms fell by 59%,
And gun suicides plunged a stunning 74%.
If America launched a similar program, there would be 27,000 fewer
deaths per year!
Let's follow Australia's example!
__________________________
Copyright (c) 2018 Michael J. McManus, President of Marriage Savers and
a syndicated columnist. To read past columns, go to
www.ethicsandreligion.com. Hit
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