In the USA, firearms are ubiquitous, with an estimated 120 firearms for each 100 individuals, in keeping with the Small Arms Survey. This widespread availability of weapons has led to a excessive charge of gun violence, with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) reporting that almost 40,000 individuals die from gun-related accidents every year. Whereas there are a lot of components that contribute to gun violence, some of the vital is the convenience with which individuals can get hold of weapons. On this article, we are going to discover the assorted ways in which individuals can get weapons in the USA, and we are going to talk about the implications of this for gun violence prevention.
There are a selection of ways in which individuals can get weapons in the USA. One of the crucial widespread is thru licensed gun sellers. Gun sellers are required to conduct background checks on all prospects earlier than promoting them a gun, however these checks should not all the time efficient in stopping individuals from shopping for weapons who mustn’t have them. For instance, a research by the Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO) discovered that almost 2,000 individuals who had been prohibited from shopping for weapons had been capable of buy them from licensed gun sellers in 2015. Along with licensed gun sellers, individuals may also purchase weapons from personal sellers. Non-public sellers should not required to conduct background checks, and this makes it simpler for individuals who mustn’t have weapons to acquire them. For instance, a research by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) discovered that almost 20% of gun homicides in the USA are dedicated with weapons that had been bought from personal sellers.
The convenience with which individuals can get weapons in the USA has various implications for gun violence prevention. First, it makes it simpler for individuals who mustn’t have weapons to acquire them. This contains individuals who have been convicted of a felony, people who find themselves mentally in poor health, and people who find themselves topic to a restraining order. Second, it makes it simpler for individuals to purchase weapons with no background test. This can be a explicit concern for people who find themselves attempting to keep away from having their legal historical past checked, or for people who find themselves attempting to purchase weapons for another person who’s prohibited from shopping for them. Third, it makes it simpler for individuals to purchase weapons in bulk. This can be a explicit concern for people who find themselves planning to make use of weapons for legal functions.
