The Revived Debate Over Gun Control and Firearm Possession in the United States

The debate of gun control rose again after the Las Vegas massacre where 58 people lost their lives. The White House and Congressional Officials said they were ready to discuss a ban on “bump stocks,” a mechanism that turns semi-automatic rifles into automatic rifles. In the United States, semi-automatic rifles, for which each pressure triggers only one shot, and automatic weapons have been banned from civilians since 1986.

Since 2013, the United States has experienced an average of one mass shooting per day.[1] Every mass shooting engenders cyclically the same stages: after the horrified reaction comes that of unity in pain, then indignation, political division, and finally... inaction. Despite the widespread public support for taking measures to strengthen the background checks and ban certain types of gun and assault rifles, no action has been taken at the federal level in the lasts decades concerning firearm possession and gun control[2].

511 Days. 555 Mass Shootings.

Zero Action from Congress. [3]

Gun-control groups (e.g. backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg), have become more organized in recent years, attempting to match the NRA's political might. However, as long as pro-gun groups keep racking up electoral victories at the federal, state, and local levels, they will still retain their political force.[4] The NRA refuses to contemplate major gun control, while touting that certain dangers like bum stocks should be subject to “more control.”[5]

According to the NGO Gun Violence Archive, 13,849 people have been killed by gunfire since the beginning of the year 2017 on U.S. soil. This large number of deaths is also the result of the 321 mass shootings that occurred in 2017[6].

Source: Gun Violence Archive[7]

The gun control debate in the United States is also raising comparisons of policies around the world[8]. With 85 weapons per 100 inhabitants, the United States is the western country where the proportion of people shot and killed is the highest. Is access to firearm making people commit gun crime, when they otherwise would not? In order to answer this question, it is relevant to compare the United States’ position on gun control and firearm possession with other countries:

Comparing Gun Deaths by Country: The U.S. Is in a Different World

Source: New York Times[9]

France is an interesting example: France has strict gun control laws – even though illegal weapons are in use, especially in the recent terror attacks. Anyone who wishes to purchase a gun must undergo psychological evaluation before getting a gun license. France also maintains a list of persons who are prohibited from owning a gun.[10]

In January 2016, President Barack Obama took several actions to reduce gun violence and make the communities safer,[11] the scope was very limited and insufficient for strict legislation on firearms, control and sale. By comparison, President Donald Trump defended the carrying of weapons in the aftermath of the massacre of Bataclan in Paris on November 13, 2015: “When you look at Paris -- you know the toughest gun laws in the world, Paris -- nobody had guns but the bad guys. If they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry, it would've been a much, much different situation.”[12]