What is Gun Control Safety?
Some believe that we create a safer, less violent society through the passage of stronger gun control laws.
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Issue
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Gun control is a divisive political issue in the U.S. According to PBS, new laws have been enacted to control the purchase of illegal firearms that many believe to be unconstitutional.
Opponents
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Gun control opponents believe the U.S. Constitution protects a citizen's "right to bear arms," as stated in the Second Amendment, and that laws that limit that right are unconstitutional.
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Supporters
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Gun control advocates argue that a literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, without reference to the reality of increased gun violence, is not what our forefathers intended.
Party Positions
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The Democratic Platform for America pledged to "keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists by fighting gun crime, reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show loophole."
The Republican Party Platform strongly supported the Second Amendment and pledged to "oppose federal licensing of law abiding gun owners and national gun registration as a violation of the 2nd Amendment and an invasion of privacy of honest citizens."
Gun Control Law Loophole
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As of 2010, no decision has been made on proposed federal legislation to close gun control "loopholes" enjoyed by unlicensed gun sellers at gun shows. According to a 2009 report from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, "gun shows are a leading source of guns used in criminal violence in Northern California, the United States, Mexico and Canada."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit a gun image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
