There's no question that this year 2020 has been a very hectic year. This has naturally changed how people act and behave and one of them most concerning changes is the increasing purchase of firearms. This year firearm purchases have increased to unprecedented levels. Increased firearm purchases during and after times of unrest or predictions of restrictions are not a new thing. Such as after Obama calling for more restrictions on firearm sales in 2013 after the sandy hook shooting which increased sales by nearly 1 million in that year. However this is one the first times in recent history where firearm sales have increased despite no new gun restrictions threatening gun ownership with the major reason of firearm sales increasing being to defend oneself with all the unrest from covid-19, and protests. Unfortunately due to the election results being relatively new there isn't new data that shows if the election has had an effect on firearms purchases, but with the president elect Joe Biden surely taking an anti-gun policy into office there will most likely be more firearms being purchased for the months to come. I for one do not own a firearm, but I have known people that do own firearms, and from discussions with them I feel as most gun owners are responsible people that understand proper firearm safety. However this kind of panic buying in amid a pandemic and unrest does have me concerned that there will be many people who buy firearms that are not responsible which may lead to many preventable gun deaths. However I do think there is an argument to be made here that since most people are buying guns in 2020 to either defend themselves or their property in a time of unrest they are exercising their 2nd amendment in a way that it was intended which is true, but already with so much tension in the air a few more mistakes and the unrest could only multiply.
Three million more guns: The Spring 2020 spike in firearm sales (brookings.edu)
Questions to consider
1. How do you think Joe Biden will respond to gun control and sales when he takes office?
2. Are you concerned that with the increasing purchasing of firearms will lead to another mass shooting?
3. Do you agree that people should be able to quickly purchase firearms in times of unrest? why or why not.
Regarding Biden's gun control policies, according to his website, Biden says he will hold gun manufacturers accountable, ban assault weapons, and enact universal background checks, among other actions. These are called common-sense gun safety policies, and it's frightening and appalling that they're not already in place. I am definitely concerned about the increase in firearm purchases leading to another mass shooting, but also leading to more daily acts of gun violence that don't make national headlines. According to Vox.com, "A new report, by the Council on Criminal Justice, found that the homicide rate increased sharply this summer across 27 US cities: 'Homicide rates between June and August of 2020 increased by 53% over the same period in 2019, and aggravated assaults went up by 14%.'" It's inevitable that an increase in gun ownership will lead to an increase in gun violence, which is why I do not agree that people should be able to quickly purchase firearms in times of unrest. Purchasing firearms should never be a "quick" process--lack of background checks and restrictions is how they fall into dangerous hands and cause harm. Also, more gun ownership will only increase the tension and unrest in America. I hope that Biden can stop this trend and make America a safer place, but I know there will be lots of opposition.
ReplyDeleteI agree that buying guns should not be a quick purchase and should take a process in order to buy a firearm such as background checks and Other common-sense gun safety polies. However I feel like what you said of Biden looking to hold manufacturers accountable and banning assault weapons will open a whole new can of worms. firstly holding manufacturers accountable maybe a heated subject because if you can hold someone who makes a gun accountable, then wouldn't a knife manufacturer be responsible for someone being stabbed? I think a better alternative would be to hold the retailer accountable if they sold a weapon to someone they knew was liable to inflict harm onto others. 2ndly I feel as assault weapons is quite a loaded term, many states and people each have their own definition of what an assault weapon is. If Biden does look to ban assault weapons he must have a very clear definition of what an assault weapon is or he may get a lot of criticism of doing too much or too little.
DeleteJoe Biden will respond to this increase in gun sales by implementing harder restrictions on purchasing firearms, as well as trying to up security on state borders to help crack down on the iron pipeline. However, because the Senate currently a Republican majority, these changes may be harder to implement. As Ella said, Biden will certainly implement the common-sense safety policies. I am concerned that the increased purchases of firearms will lead to a mass shooting. All it takes to spark a mass shooting is some anger or hate, and that combined with an armed individual is a recipe for disaster. Additionally, the gun owner is not the only one with access to the gun. If the owner is not the only person living in the house, and the gun is not locked away at all times, anyone at the house can use the gun. For example, if someone buys a gun, their roommate or family member can use it maliciously, so these increased gun sales have a wider ripple affect than previously perceived. People should not be able to purchase firearms during a time of unrest, they never should. If the aggressors are unarmed, then there is no need for anyone to have a gun. If the aggressors are armed, the question becomes where did they get the gun from and why do they have it, and then everyone wants a gun: if nobody had guns then this problem would not exist.
ReplyDeleteI believe that firearms should not be so easily accessible to people. I think a more careful background check should be used for those who chose to buy firearms in America. I feel that when conflict is high and there are commotion is getting violent, locations that sell firearms should be a lot more careful. However, firearm stores/sellers/manufacturers make a lot of money from selling weapons during turbulent times, and I kind of doubt they would want to make it much harder for people to buy guns since they're making so much money. A lot of firearms are also sold illegally and that needs to be handled as well. I don't really believe another mass shooting will occur, but I do believe that harm and violence in general will definitely increase with more firearms being purchased during these times. I hope Biden takes care of these issues by making guns harder to buy as well as restricting where you can and cannot use a gun or be armed. In this process he will definitely have to tackle racism since in some states people accept white people carrying illegal weapons just because they're white.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really take into consideration how racial bias could lead to some areas being ok with White people owning illegal firearms which is interesting. I think if Biden does crack down on illegal firearms he wont have too much backlash and may help strengthen his position as president better aproval from it. However as for background checks I do agree that they have to be more careful but also apply to a larger variety of gun purchases, such as buying firearms in a gun show and not just regular retailers. although I do disagree with the increased harm and violence, if people are buying firearms because they fear for their security. I think that most firearm injuries that come from this wave of new purchases will most likely be from an accident, and although there maybe a rise in gun violence I think it will be small.
DeleteJoe Biden will probably restrict firearms since he was the vice president during the Obama administration and will take up a similar stance. He has been known to be one that will make it harder to buy guys in the future. People who own firearms are generally pretty trustworthy and responsible like the people you know. Yet, there are always people that are also irresponsible, maybe suffering from something that causes them to make irrational decisions. These people can sometimes get a hold of a gun which leads to those major shootings that happen time to time. This is why as long as firearms are being purchased at a high rate I will always be concerned about another mass shooting. It is very important to defend yourself and purchasing firearms are one of the easiest ways to do it but I'm not sure if its the best ways with the possible repercussions. The greatest threat another average citizen can really muster is if they have firearms as those can make anyone lethal and dangerous.
ReplyDeletePeople should not be able to purchase firearms quickly in times of unrest, and really not at any other time. While I understand why a person may desire to own a firearm in a time like this, I think there are people who are not in the right mindset in this unrest and are rash in their thinking and actions. This recklessness can lead to unfortunate outcomes, especially when objects as dangerous as firearms are involved. There have already been many instances where someone who should not have owned a firearm because of mental instability, owned a firearm, ending in mass shootings and many deaths. To purchase a firearm, there should be an extensive and thorough process that takes a person’s background and their reasoning for their desired purchase into account. Firearms alone are scary, but what a person can do with one is far more terrifying. This is why it’s crucial to ensure that a person purchasing a firearm can be trusted to act rationally and use the firearm safely and/or at appropriate times.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Biden will take any defiant steps against gun purchases during his first 6 months of presidency at least, to show that he is solely focusing on the coronavirus. I agree with everyone before me saying that he will eventually make concrete steps towards restricting gun access. Technically this what the second amendment was created for, safety, even though I personally do not think the solution to civil unrest is to kill the propagators of movements. I believe all guns should be outlawed, since they simply make murder more accessible and there is no reason to have them. However, it sounds unconstitutional to restrict this right only when there is panic, because as Pascal mentioned, that's the reason it was implemented in the first place. To make it a long standing law, it needs to be completely outlawed, or larger restrictions on who may posses them, instead of restrictions on the time of purchase.
ReplyDeleteIn comparison to the current gun control policies, Joe Biden will certainly tighten these policies. This may include attempts to ban assault weapons, require stricter background checks, and more. I agree with Darshan’s idea that though Biden may hope to implement these changes, it may not be feasible with a Republican dominant senate. I do not think firearms should be easily accessible to people. While people should be able to protect themselves and this right established in the second amendment, assault weapons ultimately cause more damage as it creates the risk of being put in the wrong hands. Given many people would be unwilling to give up any firearms they already have, I think it is imperative to implement extensive background checks and pan certain firearms in order to mitigate the risk of danger to the population.
ReplyDeleteThinking about guns makes me feel so anxious, and reminds me of how fragile life is. It feels assuring to hear Ella say that Biden will put in place gun control politics, but I agree with Maya that those policies will likely not be in place very soon as Biden will have to focus on controlling the pandemic. I generally think of gun owners as responsible but I think the more people owning guns the more likely another mass shooting will occur. I agree with those that people should not be able to purchase a firearm quickly in times of unrest: I understand the people need to defend themselves but I believe they can do so without a lethal weapon. A lot of civil unrest has been caused by guns in 2020 and hopefully, Biden can limit that with the gun policies he promised to put in place.
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