COVER STORY ‘Wo VIEWS OF i GUN CONTROL: ll Paltcal cartons (ight and acing poe, strate opposing sides the debate. i Why We're Still Arguing About GUN CONTROL i : The tragedy in Las Vegas has reignited the debate _ over America’s gun laws avraraca sum he hol of gute in Las Vegas went on fora fu10 minutes oe f During that time, more than a thousand bullets rained down on a helpless What is gun control? ‘crowd of 22,000 people at an outdoor country music festival. Stephen | ——_______—— Paddock, 64, had turned hs reom onthe 32nd floor ofthe Mandalay Say J Gun controls a broad term that covers Hotel nto aking perch. By the time the onslaught ended, $8 people were | many kinds of restrictions. I can ‘dead and more than 500 wounded in the worst mass shocting in modern US. history. | include regulations on what kinds of enpots aly terme Peet’ om an cove! tha evitecns | fhenms canbe Dough nd nl wo theo reretan2Das econ enacy megtares atin | can gee ol hen an we tbloWowus abe tine else encbarosteck sence ttalinra’ | andhew eyo ser rd Stata etre seats ott eta torte vspn, | Gncanlcn nce he ‘As authorities try to figure out what motivated Paddock, the tragedy has reignited | responsibilities a seller has to check ‘the national debate over the Second Amendment and gun control. The US.has more | a buyer's background and whether | ‘guns per capita than any other developed country—and far more gun vilence. The | a gun sale should be reported to the q ‘question is whether stricter un control laws would help. Congress, ike the nation, has | government. The term also covers Tong been divided, Here's what you need to know to understand the ongoing debate. I limits on types of ammunition and the 6 GheNew ork Gimes verrowr | Watch a video on the Second Aiendment at UPFRONTMAGAZINE.COMsize of magazines (ihe part of the gan ‘hat holds ammunition} In recent years, gun control debates hhave focused on three issues: « background checks for buyers * the laws regulating who can earry ‘weapons in public * the kinds of guns and gun accessories available for purchase. In the aftermath of the Las Vegas. shooting, atention has focused:not only ‘on aésault rifles, which are mlltary- style weapons capable of fring multiple bullets quickly, but also on devices that can be attached to semiautomatic guns to make them fire more quickiy. What's the state of federal gun control today? al law prohibits specific groups Jot people from owning firearms. The fist includes convicted felons, those Jiegnosed with certain types of mental Iness, and undocumented immigrants. sce aa GUN GONTROL © DUNIMIES Since 1994, licensed gun dealers have been required to conduct background checks on potential buyers through an BI. database. This is meant to prevent ‘he sale of guns to someone who's prohibited from owning one, ‘But many small-scale gun sellers claim tobe “hobbyists,” who aren’ required to conduct background checks. Because ‘many ofthese sellers do business at gun shows, this is often referred to as “the gun show loophole.” Another problem: ‘Most people with serious mental ness never recetvea diagnosis, so they can stil own guns legally. Where does the ‘American public stand? Gun control has long been one of the most sharply divisive issues in the U.S. In genetal, Democrats and city dwellers tend to favor tighter restrictions on guns, Republicans and people in rural areas, where guns {are more common, tend to favor protecting gun rights. Before the ereatin fa netlona army, lca mitas provide protection for many Amtccans But following the Las ‘Vegas altacks, a Politico poll found that 64 percent of Americans want tighter gun laws, while 29 percent ‘oppose more regulation ‘There's more consensus on some specific messues: A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 8 percent of Democrats and 81 percent ‘of Republicans support background cheeks forall ‘gun purchases. What are the arguments against gun control? Gun rights advocates see ‘weapons possession as a matter of individual rights. ‘They say that people have the right to arm themselves {for hunting, selédefense, and sport—or just because they want to Gun owners say weapons can actually make society safer by giving people the power to defend themselves, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun isa good guy with a gun,” Wayne LaPlene of the National Rifle ‘Association (NRA, the country’s most powerful gun-rights group, famously said in 2012. ‘The debates often come down to. the Second Amendment, which was adopted in 1791. Americans have long argued over its wording: “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 ingtinged.” For generations, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided answering the question of whether the Second Amendment guaranteed an individuals right {0 bear ‘arms or just the people's collective right, trough a militia, But {n 2008 and 2010, the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an NoveNsER 20, 2017 7individual's right to keep a firearm. But since the Court did say some level ‘of regulation was appropriate, the rulings have only fueled the debate over what limits the government can place on gun ownership. What are the rguments in favor? ‘While gun rights advocates say arming ‘people makes fora safer society, people who favor gun control say the opposite is true: The more people camry ‘weapons, the more likely itis that someone will use one to Kill. In 2015, there were more than _ 36,000 gua-telated deaths in the U.S. Fleelng gunfire at an utaor concertina Vegas in Other 58 pope wee ‘About two-thirds were suicides and ‘about a third were homicides. related homicide rates are more than 25 banning many weapons. It hasn’t ‘Gun control supporters cite figures that times higher in the U.S. than in any other had a mass shooting since, equate high rates of gun ownership with high4ncome country. Gun control advocates say closing ‘more gun violence, According to a200? ‘Supporters say tougher laws gun control loopholes would still allow Tepot called the Small Arms Survey, im other countries Keep gun deaths _law-ablding people to have firearms, ‘here were 89 guns per 100 people in the down. Australia, for example, had ‘while resulting in far fewer deaths. US, more than in any other country. 13 mass shootings from 1979 to 1996. In other words, they argue, i's not 9 (Geman, second on thelist, had 55 guns After a gunmen killed 25 people in question of disarming the public, but ‘per 100 people) Atthe same time, gun- 1996, the country passed strict aws matter of where to draw sensible mit GUN OWNERSHIP BY STATE Overall, about 30 percent of Americans own guns, but the rates vary widely among states oes (| OLess than 20% erent ease 8 EheNewdforkimes uernoNr + uPFRoNTMACAZINE.cOM‘Shooting practic Why are gun laws so controversial? For many poltcians, particulary those ‘m rural states, supporting gun rights is citical to getting reelected. Also, the INRA. and other gun-rights groups are Powerful and well-funded, and many INTRIES WITH THE. AS nari: eine asain’ feracaeemee’ politicians don’t want to anger them. Fearing that any additional restrictions vil Jead to an outright ban on weapons, the gun lobby has become more “unyielding in recent years, opposing measures like more'stringent background checks, which it once supported, ‘Over the past generation, American politics has become mote partisan and regional divisions more rigid. Republicans Ihave become more uniformly opposed to gun laws ata time when they contol Congress and most statehouses. a on have states done? ‘Most gun contzol exist a the state level ‘Some states require a license or petmit toowma gun, but most don‘, Calor, Hawaii, llinois, Maryland, Massachusets, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Istana have the most restrictive laws, Buti other pars ofthe country, many states have recently passed laws making it easier to buy or camry guns. Wisconsin has eliminated its 48-hour waiting period to buy handguns. Ohio novr allows concealed weapons to be brought into day care facilites and airports. ‘The wide variety of regulations in different states allows guns to flow freely across state lines. For example, New York has very strict gun laws, but ‘ore than two-thirds of guns used in crimes in New York City come from states with weaker gun laws, 8 Now what? For decades, any measure to restrict ‘guns as essentially beon eat on arrival in the US. Congress. Republican Jewmakers—often with the support of conservative Democrats—ave blocked any attempt to pass new gun laws, even ‘ater mass shootings at Virginia Tech 42007; at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012; and at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub last year. ‘With the tragedy in Las Vegas, law. rmakers may have found an area of ‘agreement: banning the sale of bump stocke—the device the Las Vegas shooter used to make his seriantomatie gun fre like an automate weapon, (Automatic weapons are much more tightly regulated under federal av.) “Town alt of guns, and as a hunter and sportsman, I think that’s our right as Americans, but I don't understand the ‘use ofthis bump stock," says Senatar John Cornyn, a Texas Republican “It seems lite isan obvious area we ought to explore and see ifs something Congress needs to act on.” Bat gun contol advocates say much broader action is needed. “Most of the gun violence that happens inthis country isnot because of bump stocks," says Chelsea Parsons of the Center for American Progres, a “Washington think tank. “Banning bump stocks isnot a suficint congressional response to this tragedy.” But ina deeply divided Congress, Atmay be te best place to stat. "For decades, compromise between Republicans and Democrats on this issue has been elusive," Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo of Florida told CNN, “This might be a small but 4 very important step.” © With reporting by Sheryl Gay Stlberg, Tfany Fs, and Davi Brooks of The New York Times NOVEMBER 20, 2017 9