According to Giffords Law Center, California is ranked #1 for gun safety, with a death rate of 37% lower than the national average. Although California indeed carries the strictest gun laws, this fact has still not deterred mass shootings.
Residents of two separate communities in California are still reeling after two mass shootings in three days already so early into 2023. These tragedies are also amid the news of a mass shooting of three women in the upscale Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, bordering Beverly Hills.
In January 2023, six people, including a ten-month-old baby, were killed execution-style in Goshen, California, by alleged cartel gang members. And although this tragedy has been associated by law enforcement with gang activity, it leaves us to wonder if the firearms used were obtained legally or illegally. Either way, gun control did not deter this unfortunate, heinous event.
While our National Government "talks" about stricter gun laws, the ban on assault weapons, and extending background checks, they may be fighting a futile battle. In at least one of these tragic incidents, the shooter had been prosecuted for illegally possessing a firearm in the past.
If a person wants an illegal firearm, they can acquire one without complication, and we will cover how they do that further in this article.
The Second Amendment reads: "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." Agreed, it does not state that anyone, despite their criminal background or mental health history, has the right to own firearms, therefore, the government has a point in "control." That is simply common sense. However, it was proven again yesterday in Tennessee, where three children and two adults were slain in yet another school shooting; the shooter legally owned the guns that were used to take innocent lives.
Advocates who believe gun control is not the answer often say:
"It is not the gun. It is the person who chooses to pull the trigger."
With Gun Control vs. the 2nd Amendment, many feel the government is trying to take away our "right to bear arms." However, looking deeper into the situation, we see no steadfast resolve. A responsible legal gun owner has the right to protect his property and family owning the firearm concerning the law. While another legal gun owner may go on a rampage that they may never have expected or may have even been planned while going through the necessary processes to acquire the firearm. Not all gun owners are the same, and the war on gun control has many factors to be considered, as they cannot predict who is planning a massacre, and who simply feels a firearm for protection in today's society is a necessity.
Most feel that criminals obtain guns by "stealing them." However, this street wisdom is wrong, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. As an expert on crime gun patterns, one ATF agent states, "Stolen guns account for only 10 to 15% of guns used in crimes. When they want guns, they want them immediately, and the wait is too long for a weapon to be stolen and find its way to the criminal."
Several sources allow guns to fall into the wrong hands; gun thefts are at the bottom of that list. Corrupt at-home gun dealers are accessible avenues. Those licensed to sell guns, known as Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), are a huge source of "crime guns," significantly surpassing the sale of firearms stolen from John Q. Citizen. Gun traffickers are highly interested in FFLs because that's where the guns are, and these guns ultimately wind up sold on the street.
ATF officials profoundly state:
"Let's be honest. If someone wants a gun, it's obvious they will not have difficulty buying one, either legally or through the extensive United States black market."
So, it seems there isn't a resolution, a war with no clear game plan for "control" because it is apparent guns cannot be "controlled." Firearms are going to be obtained both legally and illegally. In either case, if the person behind the trigger chooses to pull it in a criminal situation, it seems we have to blame the trigger finger, not the gun, facts that have been mulled over in our government for years now.
Again, our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones in another shooting yesterday, March 28th, 2023. Change is needed, but is control the answer if anyone can obtain a firearm?
Your thoughts are appreciated, and please register and follow me on Newsbreak by downloading the app. Find something positive in your day, like knowing you are a responsible gun owner. We can't stop crime with guns, but by being responsible, we can continue to own our "Right to bear arms" as the war rages on with no resolve.
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