Several lawsuits have been filed against the state, from groups including the NRA, now-underage gun buyers, and gun shop owners who argue that raising the minimum age infringes on their Second Amendment rights. Five other states–California, Florida,...
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Several lawsuits have been filed against the state, from groups including the NRA, now-underage gun buyers, and gun shop owners who argue that raising the minimum age infringes on their Second Amendment rights. Five other states–California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, and Vermont–have raised the minimum purchasing age for long guns (which includes semi-automatic rifles) to 21, according to Giffords Law Center, while 17 states and DC restrict the sale of handguns to those over 21.

There are roughly 393 million guns in the United States, about 120 guns for every 100 people, giving America 45% of the world’s total guns (and 4.3% of the world’s population). The United States has 2.7 gun-related murders per 100,000 people, ranking it #59 out of 145 countries evaluated. 

 (via New Gun Control Laws Shunned by 13 County Sheriffs in Washington State - ProCon.org)

Source: procon.org

All 50 states and DC allow the concealed carry of firearms. Ten states allow concealed carry without a permit, eight states have some discretion in approving permit applications, and the rest issue permits to all applicants who meet the requirements.
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All 50 states and DC allow the concealed carry of firearms. Ten states allow concealed carry without a permit, eight states have some discretion in approving permit applications, and the rest issue permits to all applicants who meet the requirements. 

 (via State-by-State Concealed Carry Permit Laws - Concealed Guns - ProCon.org)

Source: concealedguns.procon.org

According to an Aug. 2018 study of 195 nations published in JAMA, “Global Mortality from Firearms, 1990-2016,” the two countries with the highest 2016 firearm mortality rates were Brazil (43,200 deaths) and the United States (37,200 deaths), which...
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According to an Aug. 2018 study of 195 nations published in JAMA, “Global Mortality from Firearms, 1990-2016,” the two countries with the highest 2016 firearm mortality rates were Brazil (43,200 deaths) and the United States (37,200 deaths), which together accounted for 32% of all global gun-related deaths that occurred outside of armed conflict. The study offers the first-ever assessment of firearm deaths worldwide, with the primary objective of comparing patterns in gun-related mortality to information about the availability of firearms.

In 2016, an estimated 251,000 people worldwide died from gun-related homicides (64%), suicides (27%), or unintentional injuries (9%). Each year between 1990 and 2016, more firearm deaths occurred outside war zones than in areas of armed conflict, with the exception of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

The six countries with the highest number of firearm fatalities in 2016 (Brazil, United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guatemala) accounted for more than half of all global gun deaths, despite holding less than 10% of the world’s population. Worldwide, the annual rate of firearm deaths decreased from 4.2 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 3.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2016. The study’s findings supported the hypothesis that the availability of firearms and the extent of gun controlpolicies at the national level are reflected in differing levels of violence between countries.

The researchers noted that “Although public perception is frequently focused on the use of firearms in homicides, particularly mass shootings, suicides involving firearms greatly outnumber firearm homicides in many countries. Among these countries, the presence of firearms in the home has been directly linked to their greater use as a means of suicide, as well as to increases in unintentional firearm injury deaths.”

In an editorial article about the study published in JAMA, Dr. Frederick P. Rivara of the Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of Washington wrote, “For individuals living in the United States, where the national policy debate has focused largely on interpersonal violence, the study provides a reminder of the importance of firearm suicide. In 2016, there were 2 firearm suicides for every firearm homicide.”

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), firearms rank 12th on the list of the top 20 leading causes of death in the United States; the top three causes are heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

In terms of civilian gun ownership, the United States ranks #1 in the world with 120.5 guns per 100 people, representing 45.88% of the total number of privately owned firearms in the world.

The United States has 120.5 guns per 100 people

Proponents of more gun control often want more laws to try to prevent the mass shootings and call for smart gun laws, background checks, and more protections against the mentally ill buying guns. Opponents of more gun laws accuse proponents of using a tragedy to further a lost cause, stating that more laws would not have prevented the shootings.

Source: gun-control.procon.org

In the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, in which more than 50 people were killed and over 500 injured in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, the debate over gun control has been reignited in Congress. On Oct. 4, Senator Dianne...
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In the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, in which more than 50 people were killed and over 500 injured in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017, the debate over gun control has been reignited in Congress.

On Oct. 4, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and over 30 cosponsors introduced the Automatic Gun Fire Prevention Act to ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of gun accessories such as bump stocks and trigger cranks. These accessories modify legal semi-automatic weapons to fire like illegal fully automatic weapons; the Las Vegas shooter used bump stocks to modify his assault rifles.

Some Republican members of the Senate, including John Cornyn (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Ron Johnson (R-WI), indicated their openness to holding a hearing on the issue of regulating or banning bump stocks. While talking to reporters, Senator Johnson stated that “automatic weapons are illegal,” and “to me, that [modifications that allow guns to function as automatic weapons] is part of that same process. So I have no problem banning those.” The National Rifle Association said in a statement that it “believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.” By contrast, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) cautioned against moving too quickly to ban bump stocks, because “most people including myself didn’t know what a bump stock was, now we’re finding out about it and there are people who want to rush to judgment.”

Some Democratic senators urged Congress to take action. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), stated that “it is positively infuriating that my colleagues in Congress are so afraid of the gun industry that they pretend there aren’t public policy responses to this epidemic. There are… It’s time for Congress to get off its ass and do something.” Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), urged his colleagues “to be bold and fight to break the cycle of what can only be described as a callous disregard for the victims of gun violence. More talk and more prayers will not save lives. Only action and real changes in our federal and state laws can.” Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) sent out a number of tweets advocating for specific gun control measures, including expanded background checks, closing the gun show loophole, preventing domestic abusers from obtaining guns, banning assault rifles, removing gun manufactures’ immunity from civil liability, and funding the CDC to study gun violence as a “public health crisis.”

One day after the shooting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), stated on the Senate floor that “this is a moment for national mourning and for prayer.” During a press conference the following day, McConnell said, “I think it’s premature to be discussing legislative solutions if there are any.” President Donald Trump told reporters that “we’ll be talking about gun laws as time goes on.”

The mass shooting in Las Vegas was the deadliest in modern United States history, occurring just over one year after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, which had been the deadliest mass shooting in United States history until then. According to the Small Arms Survey, between 2010 and 2015, the United States had the 59th highest firearm homicide rate out of 195 countries with 2.70 murders per 100,000 people. Honduras had the highest recorded rate with 67.19 firearm homicides per 100,000 people.

(via Gun Control Debate Reignites after Las Vegas - ProCon.org)

Source: procon.org

United States Supreme Court denied an appeal in a gun control case in a 7-2 vote on June 26, 2017. The case, Peruta v. California, challenged California’s concealed carry law, which allows local sheriffs to ask concealed-carry permit applicants to...
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United States Supreme Court denied an appeal in a gun control case in a 7-2 vote on June 26, 2017. The case, Peruta v. California, challenged California’s concealed carry law, which allows local sheriffs to ask concealed-carry permit applicants to demonstrate the necessity or “good cause” of their desire to carry a concealed firearm, such as a well-documented need for “personal protection.”

The Justices did not provide a reason for choosing not to hear the case. However, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, issued a dissenting opinion on the refusal. Thomas wrote, “The Court’s decision to deny certiorari in this case reflects a distressing trend: the treatment of the Second Amendment as a disfavored right…the Framers made a clear choice: They reserved to all Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense. I do not think we should stand by idly while a State denies its citizens that right, particularly when their very lives may depend on it.”

By denying the appeal, the Court upheld the 2016 ruling issued by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which stated, “the protection of the Second Amendment — whatever the scope of that protection may be — simply does not extend to the carrying of concealed firearms in public by members of the general public.”

(via Gun Control Law Upheld by Supreme Court in Concealed Carry Case - ProCon.org)

Source: procon.org

A medical marijuana card holder can be denied gun purchases, according to a 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling (3-0) on Sep. 1, 2016. S. Rowan Wilson was not allowed to purchase a gun on the basis of a federal ban on the sale of guns to users of...
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A medical marijuana card holder can be denied gun purchases, according to a 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling (3-0) on Sep. 1, 2016.

S. Rowan Wilson was not allowed to purchase a gun on the basis of a federal ban on the sale of guns to users of controlled substances (18 U.S.C. § 922 of the 1968 Gun Control Act). While medical marijuana is legal in Nevada, where Wilson lives, marijuana is a Schedule Icontrolled substance and illegal under federal law. Wilson states that she obtained a medical marijuana card in solidarity with those who need to use the drug, but denies using the drug herself. Because Wilson is a medical marijuana card holder, regardless of whether she uses the substance, she was not allowed to purchase the gun.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) released a letter to firearms dealers on Sep. 21, 2011, which states, “any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana, regardless of whether his or her State has passed legislation authorizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.” Fred Hauser, the gun dealer from whom Wilson was trying to buy a gun, knew Wilson and knew she was a medical marijuana card holder. Because of Hauser’s perceived obligation to federal law, he denied her purchase.

As a result, Wilson filed the lawsuit on Oct. 18, 2011 against Eric Holder (then US Attorney General), BATFE, and the acting director and assistant director of BATFE, stating that the policy violates her Second Amendment rights. On Dec. 17, 2012, Wilson filed a First Amendment Complaint (FAC), stating that the ban was a violation of her Second Amendment rights, the Equal Protection Clause and procedural Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, and the First Amendment.

The federal government filed a motion to dismiss the case on Jan. 31, 2013.

On Mar. 18, 2014, US District Court Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed the lawsuit and quoted US v. Dugan, which upheld the constitutionality of § 922 in 2011: “[h]abitual drug users, like career criminals and the mentally ill, more likely will have difficulty exercising self-control, particularly when they are under the influence of controlled substances.”

Wilson appealed the case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on July 21, 2016. The Court ruled on Sep. 1, 2016 that the BATFE’s rules are constitutional. The ruling applies to nine western states, eight of which have legal medical marijuana(Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington).

Chaz Rainey, the lawyer who represented Wilson and plans to appeal the 9th Circuit ruling, stated: “We live in a world where having a medical marijuana card is enough to say you don’t get a gun, but if you’re on the no-fly list your constitutional right is still protected.”

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 25 states. See what the 2016 presidential candidates think about medical marijuana and gun control.

(via ProCon.org)

Source: procon.org

On June 15, 2016, Senate Democrats, responding in part to the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that left at least 49 people dead and over 50 people wounded, filibustered for 14 hours and 50 minutes until Senate Republicans agreed to vote on new...
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On June 15, 2016, Senate Democrats, responding in part to the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that left at least 49 people dead and over 50 people wounded, filibustered for 14 hours and 50 minutes until Senate Republicans agreed to vote on new gun control laws.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) announced via Twitter, “I am proud to announce that after 14+ hours on the floor, we have a vote on closing the terror gap & universal background checks.” Murphy, who launched the filibuster around 11:21am, ended the filibuster by stating on the Senate floor, “I have been so furious since those days following Sandy Hook. I have been so angry that this Congress has mustered absolutely no response to mass shooting, in city after city that is plagued by gun violence.”

The NRA tweeted in response to the filibuster, stating “All gun owners ACT NOW to save their #2A rights!” and linked to an article stating that the organization “has just learned that Senators Schumer, Feinstein and other anti-gun elected officials are going to offer several anti-gun bills and amendments this week in the U.S. Congress, possibly as soon as today! These measures are wide-ranging and include an attempt to reinstate the failed federal ban on semi-automatic firearms, commonly referred to as the ‘assault weapons ban.’ …We must defeat every one of these anti-gun proposals. We can’t let them succeed in this depraved attempt to politicize a tragedy so they can destroy our freedoms.”

Of the 2016 presidential candidates, Gary Johnson believes that people on the no-fly list or terror watch list should be able to purchase guns. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump believe that people on those lists should not be able to purchase guns. Jill Stein has no found position on this issue.

In general, Clinton, Sanders, and Stein are pro more gun control laws, such as universal background checks, while Johnsonand Trump are con more gun control laws.

(via ProCon.org)

Source: procon.org

Gun Control Executive Actions Announced by President Obama

imagePresident Obama announced a series of new executive actions ongun control, including the closing of the “gun show loophole” by expanding background checks on gun buyers.

In addition, President Obama announced: the hiring of 200 new ATF agents; increased mental health care funding; $4 million to enhance the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network used to link crimes in one jurisdiction to ballistics evidence in another; the creation of an Internet Investigations Center to track illegal online gun trafficking; a new Department of Health and Human Services rule saying that it is not a HIPAA violation to report mental health information to the background check system; a new requirement to report gun thefts; new research funding for gun safety technologies; and more funding to train law enforcement officers on preventing gun casualties in domestic violence cases.

In his speech announcing the executive actions on gun control, President Obama stated that “every single year, more than 30,000 Americans have their lives cut short by guns.” While reiterating his support of the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, the President explained that the United States is “the only advanced country on Earth that sees this kind of mass violence erupt with this kind of frequency,” and stated that “[w]e do not have to accept this carnage as the price of freedom.”

Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Martin O’Malley all made statements in support of President Obama’s executive actions on gun control.

Source: procon.org

Gun Control and Lower Suicide Rates Linked in New Johns Hopkins Study

Researchers at John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health issued a new study that concluded gun control was associated with lower suicide rates.

The study, “Effects of Changes in Permit-to-Purchase Handgun Laws in Connecticut and Missouri on Suicide Rates,” found that state requirements to license gun ownership are linked with lower rates of suicide by guns.

In 1995 Connecticut passed a law requiring a background check before someone could receive a handgun license. In contrast, Missouri removed its restrictions for gun ownership in 2007. The Johns Hopkins researchers looked at rates of suicide in those two states and found that firearm suicides in Connecticut had been reduced by 15.4% since passage of the 1995 law and that firearm suicides in Missouri had increased by 16.1% since it repealed permit regulations in 2007.

According to a press release for the study, states with laws requiring a special license or permit for someone to own a gun, “tended to have lower suicide rates than states without such laws after controlling for differences across state populations.”

Source: procon.org

Gun Control - Pro Con

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The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total and per capita number in the world. 22% of Americans own one or more guns (35% of men and 12% of women). America’s pervasive gun culture stems in part from its colonial history, revolutionary roots, frontier expansion, and perhaps most importantly, the Second Amendment, which states: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Proponents of more gun control laws state that the Second Amendment was intended for militias; that deadly, senseless, and costly gun violence would be reduced; and that a majority of Americans, including gun owners, support new gun restrictions.  

Opponents say that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns; that guns are needed for self-defense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; and that gun ownership deters crime rather than causes more crime. Read More…

Source: gun-control.procon.org