Sweeping Reform: Biden’s Plan for Ambitious Gun Control Changes
Image Courtesy of USA Today
By Alex Harvey
A school in Parkland, a synagogue in Pittsburgh, a Walmart in El Paso, and now a grocery store in Boulder: these are the sites where a few of many horrific mass shootings have occurred and have directly affected hundreds of innocent American lives in the past two years alone. In his address to a live audience last week, President Biden called to end this violence’s “blemish on our character as a nation” by passing comprehensive and bipartisan gun legislation. And judging from his speech last Thursday, he’s not short on ideas by any means.
In last Thursday’s announcement, Biden discussed major initiatives for curing an “epidemic” of gun violence across the country under his administration. Describing it as an “international embarrassment,” President Biden made it clear in his first press conference that “he got elected to solve problems,” and that’s exactly what he intends to do during this crisis.
While continuing plans to push gun reform through Congress, Biden confirmed that he has requested the Attorney General to identify “immediate, concrete actions” that can be taken by his administration in order to bypass congressional gridlock for the time being. Though it is not explicitly set in stone, his plan consists of regulating “ghost guns,” or easily assembled gun kits that do not require background checks or serial numbers attached. President Biden insisted that these specialty guns should fall under the Gun Control Act, which would effectively register them as most other types of firearms.
While the President insisted that he endeavors to prohibit the sale of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, his vision is no different from many other Democratic politicians in Congress who simply do not have the support or votes to produce such a major piece of legislation.
In addition to preventing mass shootings, Biden also called for initiatives to prevent the number of suicides that occur every year due to the presence of a firearm. In a study released by the CDC, over 23,000 Americans committed suicide through the use of a firearm last year alone.
Advocating for “red flag laws,” President Biden reiterated the necessity for laws that would allow a police officer or family member to have the right to petition the court for the “temporary removal” of another’s firearm. These “red flag laws” would theoretically grant this privilege and prevent massive numbers of Americans from taking their own lives through the use of a firearm.
Ending his conference, not with a message of sorrow, but with one of confidence and optimism for the future, President Biden reiterated “no matter how long it takes, we’re going to get these passed.” With a heavily divided nation and a polarized political environment, however, only time will tell if his vision is fulfilled.
