The American 'Gun-Law Reforms' Drama -- Congress At Logger Heads While Lives Are Lost With Each Passing Day!

Despite the challenges of: Climate Change, terrorism, drought/ famine, civil unrest, epidemic outbreaks, racism and others numerous to mention, currently besieging International frontiers; the United States, sure has its hands full with Internal issues.  Chief, of which is the popular debates on 'gun-law' reforms.  

Photo: Matt Bors

                                         
Debates in the '90s', on the availability of firearms and gun violence in the United States, saw two major opposing groups canvassing for the responsibility of the government, to meet the needs of the citizens; to prevent crime and death on one hand, and the right to bear arms, as seen in the second amendment of the constitution. Thus gun control and gun right groups have lobbied the Congress, for decades, to enact legislation in favour of the respective views.

In 2008, the U.S Apex Court, in a case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court ruled that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to own a gun, for personal use. However, the 5-4 decision failed to address local and state laws, as it applied only to  'Federal Laws'. To clear the air on this, the Supreme Court in July 2012, ruled that the Federal right to bear arms, equally applies at the State and Local levels, thereby lifting an almost 30-year-old Chicago Gun-ban.

Addressing this burning issue right after the Colorado theater, and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in 2012, Michael Shank, an adjunct Professor at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution - Washington Boulevard, suggested that "while the US protects freedom of speech for self-proclaimed skinheads and white supremacists such as Army veteran Wade Michael Page, it must also protect the public from any 9/11 and war-induced post-traumatic stress disorder that turns violent".  

Mass-shooting in the United States continues to snowball since the 18th century, as individuals, either motivated by some extreme groups ideologies, or frustrated, and needing psychiatric evaluation, go on shooting rampage, and 'copycats' tend to replicate these shootings in some other parts of the country. The ugly part of this trend, is the alarming increase in the pace and age grade of perpetrators, who turn out to be mostly youngsters. From the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, to the Colorado theater shooting, the 2014 mass killing at the University of California - Santa Barbara, the Amnicola Chattanooga, the Tennessee mass shooting, the Philip Barbour high school in Philippi - West Virginia,  the Hallwood Drive in northern St. Louis County - Missouri, the Virginia T.V journalists shooting, and the list goes on and on. 

The United states President, Barack Obama, has been pushing for tougher gun Laws, this efforts, along side those of other well- meaning U.S citizens, seemed to meet brick-walls, as the Congress is obviously divided in views, and appear more interested in politicizing the issue.  Answering audience questions about gun violence during a campaign event in Las Vegas, Democratic Presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton, stated that she supports stronger, more balanced gun control laws. 

In the face of this crisis, how long will it take, till all stake-holders put aside their differences and pride, and realize that lives are being snuffed out of human beings on a daily basis, that this situation requires urgent implementation of effective measures to address it. This reminds me of the popular saying about Empro Niro, who was purported to have been: 'playing his lyre while Rome burned". 

All we see on the Media are heated debates, and campaigns in favor or against gun-law reforms, thereafter victims' relatives are pulled in to bolster these campaigns. Nothing concrete is done. Before you knew it, another shooter gets hold of a gun, and goes on a more heinous rampage. 


Obianuju Mbanusi writes.