Gun Control Issues between Republicans and Democrats - Term Paper Example

College: Congress-Gun Control Issues between Republicans and Democrats Introduction The controversial issue of gun control is not new in the US. This has been a major controversial issue pitting the two major political sides, Democrats and Republicans, against each other. While there is no absolute agreement on either political side on the issue, there is general consensus that Democrats support gun control while Republicans oppose it. The Democrats support gun control measures such as the adoption of background checks on the basis of creating a safer society where gun violence and related deaths are minimized. On the opposing side, Republicans feel that imposing gun control measures would be contrary to the right to bear and carry arms as provided for in the Second Amendment. While these strong standpoints are quite obvious, a keener look into the gun control debate reveals underlying issues including the role of gun rights groups and gun control groups. The gun control debate can be traced back to theearly 19th century. However, the issue only became an important federal matter much later on as exemplified by the passing of the Gun Control Act in 1968 (Zimring 148). Since then, the issue became a major policy issue at the federal level. A specific legislation that led to the ban of assault weapons was passed in 1994. This gun control measure was signed by former President Clinton as part of a crime bill passed by Congress. This ban affected the manufacturing of 22 assault firearms and guns. The ban was short-lived because it expired in 2004, just ten years after it came into effect. Since then, repeated attempts to renew the ban have been unsuccessful. This incident represents one of the major incidents where the difference between Democrats and Republicans on the gun control issue has been brought out. The gun control debate has been kept alive by various incidents of gun violence where lives have been lost or injuries caused by criminals using firearms. Some of the major incidents that have attracted so much attention include Sandy Hook shootings, Navy Yard shootings in Washington D.C., Colorado theatre shootings, and Arizona shootings among others (Bendery Para 3). These incidents have often re-ignited the debate on gun control. For example, the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut shootings that resulted in 28 deaths led to renewed efforts by the supporters of gun control. Just 100 days after the shootings, President Obama led other gun control supporters in calling for action from Congress and the Citizens for adopting gun control measures including expanded background checks, safety improvement at schools, and laws against straw purchases and gun trafficking (Cohen Para 2-4). Critical Analysis The debate over gun control can be viewed from the two standpoints adopted by the proponents led by the Democrats and NRA (National Riffle Association) against the opponents led by the Democrats and gun control groups. Through the analysis of these two standpoints, it will be possible to unearth and understand the main factors at play in shaping how this debate will proceed in the future and the possible outcomes. This critical analysis will be based on the mass shooting incidents that have become more prevalent in the recent past and influencing the dynamics of the debate. Democrats and Gun Control Groups The democrats’ position on gun control has rather been divided. While the average position is for imposition of gun control measures, the democrats from rural areas have often been passive in supporting this position. This is mainly based on the fact that such congressmen and senators represent people from communities that traditionally value hunting. Therefore, such communities are largely opposed to the gun control measures because they perceive such measures as likely to affect their lives (hunting) adversely. This view is supported by An Associate Professor at the Duke Law School, Joseph Blocher, who argues for a firearm localism approach in the gun control debate. In his argument, Blocher (85) notes that the gun culture in America can be categorised into the rural gun culture and the urban gun culture, which are distinct and hence the need to treat them differently. Apparently, the rural gun culture is characterised by more legal gun use such as hunting and less gun violence compared to the urban gun culture. This argument seems to support a bilateral gun control policy that would give much latitude to implementing gun control measures in risk areas (urban areas) where incidents of gun violence are high. However, for low risk areas (most rural areas), the position calls for limited application of gun control measures as a way of protecting the American gun culture, which has a long tradition from the American Civil War and American Revolution (Lemieux 78). Some of the democratic politicians are also reluctant to come out clearly to support the average party position on gun control because of their political survival. Voters and lobby groups such as NRA have always exerted significant pressure on politicians from both sides to opposed gun control measures. Those that are deemed to go against this position face political retribution. For example, democrats often associate their support for the enactment of the assault rifles ban in 1994 with their loss in numbers in the House (Wuest 4). Yet, the Democrats’ overall position in support of gun control still stands. In the wake of the mass shootings and gun violence incidents across the country, key democratic figures including President Obama have openly made their position clear to the public and Congress. This position for imposition of more gun control measures is based on the argument that such measures would curb gun violence in the country. In deed, various studies conducted in the US and across the world provide support for this argument. For example, a study conducted in the US to determine how firearm regulations impacted suicide rates among males revealed that gun laws that reduce gun availability had a major limiting effect on suicides rates (Lemieux 77). This position by the Democrats and gun control groups was emphasised by President Obama after the 2012 Newtown shootings (see Cohen Para 2-4). Republicans, NRA and Gun Rights Groups Despite the growing incidents of gun violence in America, Republicans and gun rights groups have maintained their overall position in the gun control debate.In the aftermath of the Newtown shootings, polls showed that a slight majority of the public in America supported gun control. Some Republicans and conservative Democrats also declared that they were open to discussions on gun control, which they had hitherto opposed (Castillor Para 2). Yet, this did not change the status quo among the gun rights supporters. The NRA, the largest funder of gun rights, came out clearly and declared that the only solution to the increased gun violence is to arm more security personnel (Castillor Para 3). What this position implies is that the status quo in the gun control debate has not changed a lot. Although the gun violence incidents are likely to cause some softening of positions among Republicans and Conservative Democrats, the hardline positions taken by powerful gun rights groups will prevail. Groups such as NRA have the resources to influence Congress to oppose any attempts to introduce gun control measures. This has been evident in the past with NRA using significant amounts of money to ensure that gun control laws did not see the light of day. The position held by majority of the Republicans and gun rights groups on gun control debate is also rooted to the American gun culture. Already, about 26 US states have already approved the “Stand your Ground” laws (Lemieux 78). With regard to the gun control issue, this adoption of these laws means that people can use self-defence as a justifiable reason to use deadly force including using their firearms. The law is in line with what the opponents of gun control argue about respecting the right to own firearms as a deterrence of crime. Conclusion The gun control debate is a long standing issue in US politics. Despite many efforts to introduce gun control measures, there has been limited progress so far. Even with the increase in gun violence reviving the debate, the Democrats and Republicans continue to hold their positions. A significant implication from this research paper is that the gun control issue needs continued debate on all pertinent issues. Despite the different positions on the matter, at least there seems to be consensus that security of every American is paramount. More research is needed to create consensus. Works Cited Bendery, Jennifer. “Newton Didn’t Change Lawmakers’ Opinions on Gun Control, It Hardened Them.” Huffington Post, 2013, Dec. 13. Web. 7 April 2015. Blocher, Joseph. “Firearm Localism.” The Yale Law Journal 123.1 (2013): 82-146. Castillo, Mariano. “NRA Clear on Gun Debate Stance: Arm Schools.” CNN, 2012. Web. 7 April 2015. Cohen, Tom. “Obama: ‘Shame On Us’ If Newtown Doesn’t Bring New Gun Laws.” CNN, 2013. Web. 7 April 2015. Lemieux, Frederic. “Effect of Gun Culture and Firearm Laws on Gun Violence and Mass Shootings in the United States: A Multi-Level Quantitative Analysis.” International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences (IJCJS) 9.1 (2014): 74-93. Wuest, Michael E. The Great American Gun Control Debate (Not!). Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2010. Web. 7 April 2015. Zimring, F. E. (1975). Firearms and federal law: the Gun Control Act of 1968. The Journal of Legal Studies, 133-198. Read More