Gun violence in the US is still a significant issue that has gotten worse as a result of political inertia. Congress hasn’t passed a significant bill in more than ten years, despite mounting requests for action from individuals, groups, and campaigners. As the overwhelming majority of Americans support background checks on all transactions of firearms, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has been leading the drive in the Senate for additional gun laws.
Senator Murphy has made every effort, but his talks with Republicans have ended inevitably in failure. Even though the discussions are frequently conducted in good spirit, they always come to a dramatic close with no decisions being made at all. The new setback is welcomed by activists since it falls well short of their ideal law requiring universal background checks. Given the GOP’s stance on gun controls, this type of legislation would require modifications to Senate rules, which now seem improbable.
Even while change has been gradual and difficult to achieve, proponents of gun control are optimistic that significant progress will finally be made. It is obvious that the American people want Congress to take action on this matter, even if that action merely entails making little advancements like closing current loopholes or enacting red flag regulations. It’s now up to Congress to take action on behalf of its voters who are tired of the lack of action on guns in America after many states previously took matters into their own hands and enacted red flag legislation and other measures.
In addition to having an impact on public safety nationwide, this problem disproportionately impacts communities of color, which are more likely than most to experience gun violence. These communities will continue to be disproportionately affected by firearm-related fatalities and injuries unless Congress enacts significant gun control legislation, such as widespread background checks or prohibitions on assault weapons. This should be sufficient motivation for Washington’s lawmakers to finally advance with substantive reform as opposed to only relying on rhetoric and meaningless pledges that never actually result in real action being made to reduce gun violence in America.
Our elected officials must demonstrate true leadership by speaking out against gun-related fatalities and injuries, regardless of partisan differences or self-interest. Congress needs to take aggressive action to stop this epidemic by enacting strict rules that protect Second Amendment rights while also making our communities safer. Anything less is unacceptable.
