The massacre in Las Vegas 2 October 2017 again raised questions about the rights to possession of firearms and impose tighter restrictions on its sale.
Over the past month (from 1 September to 1 October 2017) in the United States, there were 29 such incidents. In 15 of those people died, just 86 people, 59 of them during the attack in Las Vegas. All in all since the beginning of the year in the United States occurred 273 such cases — that is, approximately one per day.
Since 1982 in the United States reported more than 90 cases of mass murder with a firearm in these statistics are cases when as a result of indiscriminate shooting at people were killed four people and more.
However, the total number of deaths in this category of crimes is only a tiny fraction of the total number of deaths caused by firearms.
A million citizens in the United States accounts for almost 30 murders by firearm. In Australia, compared to less than half. Even in heavily armed Switzerland, this figure is less than eight.
Popular tradition ascribes the fascination of Americans with firearms power of the gun lobby, represented in the public consciousness of the National rifle Association, greed gunsmiths and respectful attitude of citizens to the Constitution, which since the late eighteenth century allow Americans to own weapons.
In fact, the famous Second amendment to the text of the U.S. Constitution, ratified December 15, 1791, reads: «Because a well-organized militia necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed».
In the case of a meeting with a robber or rapist a chance to disarm him with a kind word, a small, proponents of the right to bear arms. Statistics show that in the first nine months of this year in self-defense, the Americans shot and killed (and got) more than a thousand times — and that’s just the cases that failed to check the police report and media reports.
According to estimates by research center Gallup, the possibility of self-defense moves by a large majority of Americans (60%) when they purchase firearms. Only about one third as the main reason for purchase called hunting and sport.
The view of opponents, the harder it is to buy a gun, the less chance that he will shoot a dozen innocent bystanders, supporters of gun freedoms strongly reject: «the Best defense against a bad person with a gun is a good man with a gun!»
In turn, opponents of restrictions on weapons indicate that the overall statistics of deaths and violent crimes such limitations impact little: the criminal will always get a weapon — not a gun, a knife, and willing to take their own life have no problem finding some other way.
Supporters of gun control argue that the mechanisms of checks when buying imperfect and need revision. At the same time, their opponents nod in the direction of European countries with their rigid control or complete ban on the possession of weapons, which does not prevent the perpetrators of recent high-profile attacks, however, deprived their victims a chance to defend himself.
flickr/cc/Governor Tom Wolf
By the way, the notorious «gun lobby», and the majority of firearms owners and supporters of the rights of citizens to own in principle not against gun control per se.
There is little doubt of the need for more detailed inspections of potential buyers, tighter oversight of the trade from the hands and at various fairs, many support a full ban on the sale of automatic weapons and large clips, people with psychological problems and trouble with the law…
A number of measures related to gun control, the position of the supporters of the two major political parties of the USA are very close, although Republicans traditionally tend to be more liberal rules of gun ownership and the Democrats call for stricter control.
So, they both overwhelmingly support the ban on the sale of any weapons in various «black lists», for example, airlines, and under the supervision of law enforcement. Not controversial, and measures to prevent the falling of firearms in the hands of the mentally ill.
However, further disagreements along political lines become more visible. For example, according to Pew polls of 2017, the creation of a Federal database that registers all sold guns, supported by 84% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans.
After the shooting in Las Vegas, which became the deadliest in American history, the debate about the need for more stringent control over the armed citizens, no doubt, will proceed with new force. Previous experience, however, suggests that no radical changes in this area of American law in the near future will not happen.
flickr/cc/Working Families Party
