Gun Control Essay - 2,411 words

Gun Control Columbine tragedy and countless others have added momentum to proposed gun control measures pending before
Congress. Policy makers and legislators have made this issue a top priority, and are currently debating over controversial gun
control policies and initiatives. The controversy over gun control revolves around two interrelated questions of government
authority: does the government have the right to impose regulations; and, assuming the existence of such a right, should the
government regulate guns? There have already been numerous gun control measures taken from Capitol Hill to the local level.
Groups in favor of gun control are lobbying for mandatory child safety locks, tougher background checks, and other controls that will
curb gun-related violence. On the other hand, gun right supporters say that these measures and legislation would infringe upon their
second amendment rights to bear arms as law-abiding citizens. However, statistics taken from polls in view of all the recent shootings
show little support for these gun rights.

Statistics show that deaths from gun injuries are much higher in the United States than any other industrialized nation
(www.oregonlive.com). In addition, this numbers show that in 1996 handguns were used to kill 9,390 people in the United States,
compared with 106 in Canada and 30 in Great Britain. (www.oregonlive.com). Judging from these numbers and many similar
statistics around the world, clearly something more has to be done in the United States to stop all of the gun violence. Even though
control has been stymied on Capitol Hill, it is now time to get these new polices enacted in a form of legislation to curb all of this
useless violence in this country related to guns. For gun violence to decrease in the United States, someone must push for changes in
policy. Polices are made and enforced by means of administrative agencies of government, constituted in large part a body of law
usually called rules, regulations, or general orders which public administrators promulgate or execute within authority legislators
delegated to them (Boyer 267). The policy making process can be thought of on terms of five steps. They include 1) initiating, 2)
preliminary drafting, 3) public participation, 4) final drafting, and 5) reviewing (Boyer 267).

For an organization to succeed and get its policy endorsed, it first must have an initiative, but even before it can think of an initiative,
it must have money. Gun rights groups made nearly 2.3 million in soft money, PAC, and individual contributions during the 1997-98-
election cycle, with most of the money going to the Republican side. In contrast, many groups who are lobbying for gun control must
realize that raising money may be a very rigid task. One would also face the challenge of the immense organizational power of gun
rights lobbyists. The National Rifle Association (NRA), who makes up nearly 90 percent of the all gun rights efforts, is more
organized, more powerful, and wealthier than all gun control interest groups combined. The NRA spends millions each year on not
only political contributions and lobbing expenditures, but the NRA is a key special interest group that spends millions of dollars on
independent expenditures and special communication costs.

With this in mind, interest groups must know who is on their side, meaning we must form collations with our allies for financial
support, and one must know who our enemies are. For many years, several key groups have been the driving forces behind gun
control measures. They include Cease Fire, Handgun Control and The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, and the Violence Policy
Center. On the other hand, Gun Owners of America, National Firearms Association and mainly the NRA are the major enemies of
gun control. Interest groups are assumed interested in only one policy. It will offers and provides legislators with campaign
resources, in exchange for future services. One can define resource as it is used here: A resource is anything that can be used to
sway the specific choices or the strategies of another individual.

Thus, resources include money, in kind services, voluntary labor etc. Gun rights groups made nearly 2.3 million dollars soft money,
PAC, and individual contributions during the 1997-1998 election with more that 85 percent of the money favoring Republicans
(www.policy.com). The NRA accounted for nearly 90 percent of the interests giving over the last decade. Gun control advocates
contributed 150,364 dollars in PAC and individual donations during the 1997-1998-election cycle, nearly 90 percent to the Democrats
(www.policy.com). One can see from all of this that when dealing with the arguments over gun control issues money talks. The task in
front of any interest group to make change and see their ideas implanted looks daunting, but it is especially difficult for gun control
supporters in debate over gun control. Congress has been the main focal point in the on going debate over gun control measures.

Presidents have played a minimal role in the politics of gun control, but have expressed interest in the past. The NRA has been the
dominant player in the debate over gun control, but their power and influence had been declining since the passage of the McClure-
Volkmer bill in 1986. It is interesting to note the NRA stronghold on blocking many gun control measures, considering the NRA is a
minority in the debate, but there achievement can be contributed to there organization and that they are on the defensive on key
legislation, which is much better position to be in than on the offensive. In addition, another reason many key gun control measures
have not passed is that the gun control supporters are not organized and have been very indifferent to passage of key procedures
and measures. Yet, now that is a change in the horizon in the debate over gun control, and this can be contributed to a series of
massacres from Columbine to Long Island. This change can be seen in a shift in agenda control in Congress. From 1968 to 1988, no
bill to curb gun control came to a vote on the floor of either house of Congress, but from 1988 to 1994, twenty-seven floor votes on
gun bills were taken stemming from bans on assault weapons, banning handgun sales to minors, and of course the Brady Bill.

One must think that the United States should follow Marylands example and pass national legislation requiring childproof locks for
handguns. This kind of bill has become in the public spotlight since Maryland passed such action. President Clinton declared the new
safety law a model for this country and he urges Congress to follow the example of Maryland. The NRAs best strategy has always
been to keep bills stalemated in the committee, just as long as they do not get to the floor of Congress, where bills get more public
attention and there control advocators are more able to tap into broad popular sentiments supporting gun control measures. For one
to see a bill enacted for gun control one would have to make sure that the bill, one to enact safety locks on guns, was not stalemated
in committee or in a sub-committee. If this was the case one would have to attempt to blast it out, so that the bill was giving
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