Gun Control 16
Due to the recent rise in gun violence, Gun Control has once again, become a most heated issue in Congress. In 1999 alone, there was Columbine (15 dead, 23 wounded), the Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth (eight dead, seven wounded), the North Valley Jewish Community Center near Los Angeles (five wounded), Atlanta (nine dead, 13 wounded), Honolulu (seven wounded), and Seattle (two dead, two wounded) (Birnbaum "Under the Gun" 34). These events have caused many American people to demand some type of action from the federal government. However, due to the intense competition between both political parties and the vast difference in opinions held by each side of the debate, little progress is being made. Today, passing any type of legislation on gun control is like trying to squeeze water out of a rock. Yes, Republicans and Democrats have been debating the issue for decades now and still each side believes as though their ideas regarding the issue are the solution to the nation's so called problem of gun violence. According to recent polls, the majority of the American citizenry approve of stronger gun control. Eighty one percent of the public see the availability of guns and the increase in the number of guns as the root
The Democratic position, as a whole, calls for more restrictive measures governing handgun regulation. Democrats want to have a gun show provision added to the gun control legislation. They believe that there should be a mandatory background check with any gun purchase, even those purchased at gun shows. The background check could last as long as three business days after the purchase of the firearm (Taylor A24). Democratic leaders also are looking to extend background checks on all gun purchases, private or regulated (Hyde 23). President Clinton stated, "we need Congress to help us keep guns out of the wrong hands" (Schmitt, "Clinton" 22). cause of increasing gun violence in the nation ("Support"). After a six year old shot and killed Kayla Rolland at her school in Michigan, with a gun he had taken from his home, many ask, what measures might have kept the gun out of the hands of this child. Still others suggest that it is too soon to consider what went wrong in this situation. State Rep. Laura Baird concludes, "I know it is not too soon to consider these things. Instead, it's about five days too late." (Baird 11). http://www.gunfree.org/csgv/csgvsumm.htm "The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence". 11 April 2000: The heated issue of gun control is torn in two by the two political parties in Congress. With interest groups pouring massive amounts of money into the elections and spending countless hours lobbying Congress to win the continuous debate across the nation, no clear end to the gun control issue is in sight. One longtime NRA supporter on Capitol Hill explained the future of the gun control debate: "We are engaged in a very long, very grim, very hard fought war. If we are successful, the gun control issue will be plaguing our kids and grandkids. If we aren't successful, they won't be dealing with it because we will have lost" (Birnbaum "Under the Gun" 34). "Guns- On the Issues". 25 November 1999:
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2299
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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