Glossary of Terms You Should Know Before Entering the Gun Control Debate
After a mass shooting, several things are unavoidable. Nationwide discussions about possible gun control measures will heat up and stockpiles of guns and ammunition will rise as investors say people are looking to either protect themselves or get their hands on guns before a possible ban. Bans seem unlikely at best, of course. Gun laws in America have hardly changed in the 10 years since the murder of 20 children and six adults in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and despite calls for political action online, they seem poised to remain unchanged after this week’s murder of 19 children and two people. adults in Uvalda, Texas. This rampage itself followed a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York just 10 days later.
So far this year there have been 27 school shootings and more than 200 mass shootings . Each leads to devastating, tragic loss of life and heated debate about what can be done to prevent it from happening again. The desire to join this debate is understandable, so if you’re so inclined or just want to better understand what people are talking about, here are a few key phrases and concepts you should know.
Second amendment
At the heart of the gun control debate is the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. Like the First Amendment , it can be cited politically and socially and is widely discussed. Here’s what it says exactly:
“A well-organized militia is essential to the security of a free state; the right of the people to keep and bear arms must not be violated.”
Those who oppose gun control measures often argue that the amendment explicitly gives Americans the right to own any type of firearm, but things get murkier beyond that. Gun control advocates point out that when the Founding Fathers wrote 2A in 1791, they had no idea what gun ownership they were protecting. They had muskets with single-shot magazines. We have access to weapons with high capacity magazines and much more power. The AR-15, a type of rifle used in many mass shootings, rips human body parts apart when hit by a bullet, something a musket could never do. Reporters at the scene of the elementary school shooting this week said parents waiting to learn about their children’s fate have been asked to provide DNA to make identification of the bodies possible.
Semi-automatic and automatic shotguns
A semi-automatic weapon fires a single shot when the trigger is pulled. An automatic weapon fires continuously as long as the trigger is pulled. Semi-automatic weapons such as pistols, rifles, or shotguns can still fire quickly – the number of bullets fired in a given amount of time simply depends on how quickly the shooter can pull the trigger again after releasing it. The popular AR-15 rifle mentioned above is a semi-automatic weapon.
Some semi-automatic weapons were considered “assault weapons” during the administration of former President Bill Clinton and were subsequently banned. This ban expired in 2004.
Federal law restricts the sale of fully automatic weapons. Anyone seeking it must obtain a special permit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, undergo a thorough background check and pay $200. Some states also prohibit private ownership of these weapons.
Background check
Federal law currently requires background checks for sales by licensed gun dealers, but does not require them for sales by unlicensed dealers. Unlicensed sellers can sell guns at shows or online, making it easy for buyers to skip background checks. According to the gun control organization Everytown, 21 of the 50 states require a background check and/or a permit to purchase a firearm.
The function of background checks, if they exist, is to determine if someone falls into one of the categories that prohibit them from owning a gun. If they have been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, are a fugitive, illegal use of controlled substances, found to be mentally handicapped, or committed to a psychiatric hospital, are undocumented immigrants, dishonorably discharged from the military, abandoned their former American nationality or subject to a restraining order, they may not legally acquire or possess firearms. The same goes for anyone convicted of a petty crime of domestic violence: they may not receive, possess, ship, or transport any firearms or ammunition.
These provisions come from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives , but again, there are easy ways for individuals looking for weapons in these categories to bypass background checks. The bill, known as HR 8 or the Bipartisan Background Verification Act, passed the House of Representatives in March 2021 but was not put to a vote by the Senate. This will close the background check loophole by requiring them to do all their arms sales. After the Uvalda elementary school shooting, Democratic Senatorial Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he had no plans to introduce gun control measures because he did not expect to garner enough Republican votes to pass such measures.
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association (NRA) boasts millions of members. Many gun control advocates blame his lobbying body for slow progress on gun legislation as it donates millions to politicians, especially Republicans, and gives each elected official a letter score for their varying stances on gun control and ownership.
The NRA is a strong supporter of the people’s right to bear arms. He called the AR-15 “the American rifle”.
Raise the shares
As of 2019, bump drains are federally banned. These attachments allow shooters to continuously fire semi-automatic rifles with a single pull of the trigger, essentially turning the weapon into an automatic weapon.
By March 2019, anyone with a jackhammer was expected to destroy it or turn it over to the government. The deadliest mass shooting in American history, which took place in Las Vegas in 2017, was partly carried out using weapons equipped with stocks.
Large capacity magazine
In a general sense, any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds is considered a high capacity magazine. Nine states and Washington D.C. have passed laws banning them, but there are calls to extend these bans nationwide, believing that while a ban can’t stop mass shootings, it can reduce casualties while shooters stop to reload.
mass shooting
Definitions of what a “mass shooting” is tend to vary, but the Congressional Research Service classifies it as any shooting involving four or more victims in one or more locations close together. The total number of victims should exclude the perpetrator in case he shoots himself. There is controversy over whether shootings involving more than four people but in which fewer than four people are killed count as mass shootings. This kind of debate makes it difficult to determine exactly how many mass shootings occur in any given year, although when they do occur there is often a general consensus about it. They are tracked by a number of organizations, and the Gun Violence Archive describes them for the most part as an “American phenomenon”.
Despite differences in definitions, there have been more mass shootings in the United States than in any other developed country.
school shooting
Like much else involving gun violence, there is debate about what constitutes a school shooting. For example, should suicide be counted in schools? Should there be random shots?
School shootings are broadly defined as shootings that take place in a school setting and meet the criteria for mass shootings. This week, ABC News explained the school shootings and the total death toll as follows: “If a mass shooting is defined as resulting in four or more deaths, not including the perpetrator, 169 people died in 14 such US-related events. schools and colleges, from the 1999 Columbine High School massacre to Tuesday’s shooting in Texas. This is stated in a database compiled by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, as well as in other AP reports.
Open carry
Open carry is the public carrying of weapons in a conspicuous place. In 31 states it is allowed without a license or permit. It is noteworthy that in some cases the weapon cannot be loaded. Long guns can be carried openly in 45 states, with the same loading restrictions in some cases.