US Gun Control: Take Steady Steps to Stricter Laws

President Obama has announced his plan for new laws that strengthen gun control, which were enacted through an executive order and include required background checks for the online purchase and sale of guns and more. Because the opposing Republican Party is against gun control, he was previously unable to make progress. But it is clear now what stance he is taking: He intends to use his executive power to directly break through the process, without waiting for legislation.

While the Republican Party opposes abuse of one’s rights, the U.S. is in an abnormal, persistent situation where roughly 30,000 people die in gun-related incidents every year. Strengthening gun restriction should be a natural step. I support Obama’s stance.

The new countermeasures require gun retailers to acquire licenses regardless of business conditions, as well as requiring background checks on buyers prior to their purchase.

Currently, retailers who own stores must acquire a license and conduct background checks, but this practice overlooks online businesses and exhibitions, among others, creating a loophole when dealing with personal transactions — over which these new policies cast a wide net.

They also include required reports should guns go missing in their delivery from manufacturer to seller, and strengthened background checks by increasing FBI personnel assigned to these duties.

Because there is no legal support, the practicality of these laws does feel uncertain, but we must we take even one step toward decreasing the number of victims that die in gun-related incidents.

In the U.S., each time a gun-related crime happens, the Democratic Party calls for more gun control. However, a prominent lobbying organization called the National Rifle Association, as well as the Republican Party, oppose it, using as their shield the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. Thus, they have left the matter unsettled.

In December 2012, 26 people were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in eastern Connecticut. In response, President Obama set out to enact comprehensive gun control laws, but this too was set back.

According to an analysis by NBC News, counting over a span of three years and only children under 12 years old, one child has died every two days in a gun-related incident since the shooting in Connecticut. Given this situation, the number of voices calling for more control has increased recently among citizens. Last October, in a public opinion poll published by Gallup, the percentage of American citizens who responded that stricter gun control is necessary climbed to 55 percent, rising by eight points in one year.

This time, the stricter laws are nothing more than a minimum restriction meant to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t use them. Since a shooting last December in California, there has been an increasing worry that guns are related to terrorism. In order to truly nip this tragedy in the bud, and also spread understanding to citizens, the U.S. must make steady progress on enacting countermeasures.