Gun violence has become a serious issue in recent years, with innocent children and adults losing their lives to senseless acts of violence.
Despite this, some politicians seem unwilling to take any meaningful action to address the problem. For example, the Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives recently voted against an amendment that prohibited minors from openly carrying guns on public land without adult supervision.
This decision is all the more shocking given that Missouri already has some of the most permissive gun laws in the country. A 2017 law allows residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit, safety training, or criminal background check, and there is no minimum age requirement for owning a firearm. In other words, in Missouri, children are legally allowed to carry firearms in public places, with or without adult supervision.
The rejected amendment would have at least required minors to be accompanied by an adult when carrying firearms on public land.
However, even this modest proposal was too much for the state’s conservatives, with just one Republican voting in favor of the ban. This means that minors in Missouri will continue to be able to carry guns openly in public places without adult supervision, increasing the risk of accidents and potentially deadly incidents.
The decision of the Missouri House of Representatives is a sad reflection of the state of gun politics in the United States.
It is well past time for lawmakers to take a serious look at the gun laws in this country and take steps to address the epidemic of gun violence. Allowing children to carry firearms openly in public places is not the solution, and it is the responsibility of our elected officials to take action to protect the safety and well-being of all citizens.
The decision of the Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives to reject the amendment banning minors from openly carrying guns on public land without adult supervision has sparked controversy and criticism. The vote resulted in just one Republican representative voting in favor of the ban, defeating the proposal by 104-39.
“Every time we talked about the provision related to guns, we knew that that was going to be difficult on our side of the aisle,” said Representative Roberts, acknowledging the challenges of addressing gun laws in Missouri.
"Just because a 14-year-old may not have a legitimate purpose for carrying a firearm does not mean they will necessarily harm someone. "
On the other hand, Republicans decried the amendment as an unnecessary infringement on gun rights. Rep. Tony Lovasco argued that just because a 14-year-old may not have a legitimate purpose for carrying a firearm does not mean they will necessarily harm someone. Other Republican lawmakers have criticized St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, elected as the city’s first Black female prosecutor in 2016 and focused on promoting fairness in the criminal justice system.
Despite the controversy, it is clear that the issue of gun violence in the United States remains a pressing concern. Allowing minors to carry guns openly in public places without adult supervision only increases the risk of accidents and potentially deadly incidents. Lawmakers must take action to address this problem and protect the safety and well-being of all citizens.
What are your thoughts on this? Should America make a change when it comes to gun laws?
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