Argumentative Essay: The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

Every time there is a tragic event such as a mass shooting, the idea of gun control becomes the number one topic of discussion. Many forms of gun control have been the result of a tragic event. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, for example, is a result of the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, which left James Brady with disabilities for the remainder of his life. Another example of post tragedy ideas for gun control came as the result of the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. These would include expanding and strengthening the current background check system, as well as instituting federal laws against gun trafficking. Congresswoman Giffords would also like to receive federal funding to research the “Cause and Impact of Gun Violence”. The Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act, or “Brady Bill”, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on November 30, 1993, and it took effect on February 28, 1994—nearly 13 years after James “Jim” Brady sustained his life altering injuries. Once implemented into law, the Brady Bill required that background checks be performed on individuals prior to the purchase of handguns. This law is intended to prevent the sale of handguns to unauthorized persons. Persons who have been indicted or convicted of a crime with a with a minimum sentence of one year, and any person who received a dishonorable discharge from the US Armed Forces are a few examples of an unauthorized person.
Like many US laws, there are loopholes that would allow unauthorized persons to purchase firearms. The Brady Bill is only enforced on federally licensed dealers, firearm manufactures, and firearm importers; and could sometimes take as long as three days to receive affirmation. Unauthorized persons, such as illegal aliens or fugitives, could purchase firearms via private seller without having to undergo the federal background check. Given the date at which this bill was enacted, it was a difficult process to perform the required background check with the available technology at that time. This could have been the reason for the omission of including private sellers. Without enforcing private sellers to perform these background checks, they only had the word of the purchaser to go off of. Firearms defined as Curios or Relics by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, is another loophole in the Brady Law.
Unlawful firearm purchasers could potentially purchase handguns, from a private seller, who is a licensed Curios and Relics collector. There are several firearms that meet the criteria stipulated by the ATF to be considered a Curios or Relic, including various sorts of automatic, semi-automatic, and assault rifles, as well as several types of handguns. Under this provision firearms that were manufactured 50 years or more ago, automatically qualify as a “Curios or Relic”.
January 8, 2011 is the day that Congresswoman Gabriele Giffords life took a traumatic turn. It was on that day the she was hosting her first “Congress on Your Corner” gathering in the Safeway parking lot in Casa Adobes, Arizona. Giffords Gunman Jared Loughner opened fire during the event striking Giffords in the head. During the attack on Giffords, six people were killed, and thirteen additional people were injured. Among those killed were federal District Court Judge John Roll, and nine year old Christina-Taylor
Green.
After the 2011 attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabriele Giffords, she became a devout gun control advocate. Giffords was a representative of the state of Arizona—a state that is known to have the most lenient gun laws in the country. Prior to the attempt on her life, Giffords actually opposed Washington D.C.’s restriction on handguns inside a home. After that tragic day her views changed dramatically. Mark Kelly, Giffords’ Husband, also became a gun control advocate after here attempted assassination.
Congresswoman Giffords and her husband teamed up and started Americans for Responsible Solutions—a reaction to her shooting. The intention of closing the loopholes found in the current background check process by enforcing private sellers to perform the same background checks as licensed dealers is a major priority. Another objective is to include abusive dating partners and individuals convicted of misdemeanor stalking charges on the list that prohibits them from owning firearms. Americans for Responsible Solutions would also like a federal law to be implemented against gun trafficking, as well as increasing the punishment of major gun traffickers and gun dealers who do not follow the current laws. Straw purchasers, an authorized person buying a firearm for an unauthorized individual, will also fall under the gun trafficking portion. Their goal of reducing gun violence is made clear by their propositions.
The topic of gun control is a serious topic that needs attention. Waiting for a horrible act against humanities to occur before discussing gun control is not the solution. The Brady Bill was a reaction to gun violence, however it was not an off the cuff reaction. Almost 13 years passed prior to the bill becoming a law. Also, Americans for Responsible Solutions is a reaction to gun violence, and has some very great ideas for improving the current systems in place. When something as tragic as a mass shooting happens, emotions can cloud rationality, and ineffective forms of gun control can easily be pushed through for the mere purpose of making people feel like something is being done. Gun control needs to be a preventative measure, not a corrective one.