Every day, 31 Americans are murdered with guns. In our society, we’re inundated with statistics — but these 31 Americans aren’t just an abstract number. They are our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. They are men, women, and children — people with dreams for the future.
After a gunman opened fire inside a Louisiana movie theater during a screening of Amy Schumer’s film “Trainwreck,” killing two people and himself, the film’s writer and star described the personal connection she felt to the shooter’s victims. In remarks made Monday, she described Jillian Johnson as “a mother, daughter, sister, and a wonderful wife,” adding, “She was an artist. I think we would have been friends.” Schumer conveyed the heartache experienced by those left in the wake of gun violence, but also emphasized the resolve to transform our country’s lax policies. “Unless something is done and done soon, dangerous people will continue to get their hands on guns,” Schumer said.
Weak gun laws are strongly correlated with a higher prevalence of gun violence. As a prime example, Louisiana’s firearm laws are practically non-existent. As the state’s governor, Bobby Jindal, famously proclaimed, “We love us some guns.” This love for firearms directly translates into some of the highest levels of gun violence in the country.
As evidenced by the press conference held Monday featuring Schumer and her cousin, Senator Chuck Schumer, taking action to promote stricter gun laws is no longer taboo. However, these actions must be bold. There are three clear steps that Congress and state legislators can and should take if they truly intend on preventing future tragedies.
- Close the private gun sales background check loophole.
Background checks have been proven to be extremely effective. The Brady Act, authored by Senator Chuck Schumer and passed in 1993, has stopped over 2.1 million gun sales from taking place, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
But we must finish the job that the Brady Act began. The law does not extend to private transfers of firearms. 40 percent of gun sales are considered private sales, which means the buyer isn’t required to undergo a background check. Allowing private gun sales to take place without any type of restrictions only makes our cities more dangerous.
Some cities and states have taken matters into their own hands through the use of ballot initiatives. For example, Seattle’s voters approved expanding background checks to private gun sales and transfers in 2014.
- Ensure that domestic abusers and stalkers don’t have access to guns.
Federal law prohibits domestic abusers from gaining access to a gun — unless of course it’s through a private sale. Although closing the loophole for private gun transfers is key, it is also necessary to mandate a more comprehensive definition of “domestic abusers” under the current law.
For example, the law excludes domestic abusers who are in dating relationships. This is commonly referred to as the “Boyfriend Loophole.” Thankfully, a bipartisan bill has been introduced in Congress to strengthen existing domestic violence prevention laws. This bill would prevent convicted stalkers from owning a gun, as well.
Despite 82 percent of Americans voicing support for the measure, the gun lobby managed to successfully stop a similar bill in Louisiana this year by misrepresenting the effects of the law.
In addition to adding new regulations, we must enforce our current laws. The federal government has failed to take away guns that individuals had in their possession prior to their domestic abuse conviction. This is especially dangerous — as one study found, “perpetrators who continued to possess firearms after they were prohibited from doing so by federal law were more likely to attempt homicide or threaten their partners with guns than domestic violence perpetrators who had relinquished their firearms.”
- Stop open carry laws in every state.
Open carry laws are a direct threat to public safety. As research shows, more guns do not equal a safer society. The idea that we need more “good guys” with guns has proven to be a myth.
Thirty-one states currently allow citizens to open carry without any type of license or permit. Guns in the public space both normalize weapons and violence that can occur with their use. As one Slate author wrote, “If it communicates anything, carrying a gun in public tells bystanders that the carrier is prepared to kill someone.”
From popular chains like Whataburger, to college officials and schoolteachers, people are taking a stand against laws enabling guns to remain a ubiquitous staple in our country. Hopefully, this opposition will reach the halls of Congress as well.
These policy changes won’t stop gun violence completely. But they will provide meaningful first steps in fighting our national gun epidemic, in addition to proving that elected officials are committed to protecting the public safety — as they’ve sworn to do.
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