Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
In states that have it, strict gun licensing works
The recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, Tulsa and elsewhere have seen Congress enact legislation encouraging age limits on the purchase of firearms. In Uvalde and Buffalo, the shooters were 18, so many people think that we should raise the minimum age of buying a rifle to 21. This may be effective; according to a government attorney during a court battle between Florida and the NRA, “18-to-20-year-olds are uniquely likely to engage in impulsive, emotional and risky behaviors that offer immediate or shortterm rewards.”
I understand that view. We already limit purchase of alcohol and tobacco products because 18-20-year-olds may not fully understand the problems of smoking and drinking and may get addicted early on, leading to problems in the future. While addiction is not an issue here, older citizens may be more mature and responsible with firearms.
But I don’t think just raising the minimum age will fix the problem. In Tulsa, the shooter was 45 years old. I think, on the federal level, we should require permitting or licensing to own a gun. The state of Massachusetts has a strict process, requiring owners to get a gun at a police office with registration, licensing, paperwork, interviews and a background check. It will take weeks to get a permit, and even if you pass, the police can still deny a license if they think you shouldn’t have a gun.
This process may be in peril because of the recent Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. That’s troubling; because of this strict process, Massachusetts has the lowest gun death rate in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Massachusetts had 3.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2016.” and “Alaska, Alabama and Louisiana, all of which have loose gun laws, each had more than 21 gun deaths per 100,000 people.” Texas, where the Uvalde shooting took place, has 14.2 gun deaths per 100,000 and is a permitless carry state, meaning anyone 21 or older can buy and carry a handgun without a permit and 18 year olds and older can buy a rifle with no permit. The data shows that permits can be effective in preventing gun violence. We don’t need to go so far as repealing the Second Amendment, but we should have stricter laws so that it is harder for a someone with bad intentions, with or without a criminal record, to get a gun.
We should also require gun owners to store firearms safely and report a stolen or lost gun. The police should have the power to suspend a license and remove the owner’s gun if they believe that gun owner is a threat to themselves or others, what is often called a red-flag law — something Florida enacted after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Some gun-rights advocates, including the NRA, believe that a licensing system won’t do anything to promote safety and violates the Second Amendment right. On the NRA’s website the organization states, “Gun registration and gun-owner licensing wouldn’t prevent or solve crimes. Most people sent to prison for gun crimes acquire guns from theft, the black market or acquaintances. Half of illegally trafficked firearms originate with straw purchasers who buy guns for criminals. Criminals wouldn’t register guns or get gun licenses” and “When the Brady Campaign, a gun control group, was known by one of its other names, it said that registration should be the final step before banning handguns.”
But a New York Times article noted that “From 1966 to 2019, 77% of mass shooters obtained the weapons they used in their crimes through legal purchases, according to a comprehensive survey of law enforcement data.”
With this data in mind, I believe that we need gun licensing in this country. It won’t stop shootings, but it will reduce them. Also, licensing is not a violation of the Second Amendment right. Our Constitution protects people’s right to own a gun, but in practice, we already have exceptions, such as for felons or people courts have judged mentally incompetent. It’s common sense to not give these people guns. Licensing would help ensure that people who shouldn’t have guns don’t get them.