Lately Americans have endured a mass shooting nearly every week. Whether it is Sandy Hook, Aurora, San Bernardino, Colorado Springs, or Orlando, Americans cannot break this cycle of violence.
These shootings may have been prevented if the U.S. established universal background checks. Other than Sandy Hook and Columbine, every firearm used in major mass shootings was bought legally by a perpetrator who displayed noticeable warning signs. The February 14, 2008, shooting at NIU may have been prevented if the perpetrator had undergone more extensive background checks.
A New England Journal of Medicine poll claims 74% of NRA members and 90% of Americans support expanding background checks. Universal background checks should not to prevent healthy, law abiding citizens from buying firearms. Rather they can prevent people with mental illness, a history of violence, a restraining, and people on the terror watch-list from buying guns.
So why isn’t Congress creating stronger background checks? One answer points to the National Rifle Association. After major mass shootings, the NRA claims that it is too soon to talk about firearm legislation. When the U.S. faces regular shootings, will it ever be time to talk about such legislation? The NRA’s agenda asserts that the government will take away guns from healthy law abiding citizens. None of that agenda is true.
We need to pressure our members of Congress to create responsible solutions that represent us rather than the gun lobby. The time for action is now.
I’m Jacob Marx, and that’s my perspective.