Human Ecosystems and Tech Change

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Human Ecosystems and Tech Change Analysis Paper Issue: Should the United States be more Restrictive of Gun Ownership?

The issue addressed is whether the United States should be more restrictive of gun ownership (Halgin, 2014). A relevant article on the issue that has been selected is “Attempts at tighter gun control laws will make headlines”. The article is drawn from the news journal The Economist and addresses how the increasing ownership of guns will create the need to formulate and implement more stringent measures in terms of gun control in the United States.

The issues that the book addresses include the current gun restrictions in the United States, the threats that gun ownership pose to society, and efforts by the Obama administration to limit gun ownership. Opponents of more restrictions on gun control argue that society would be safer with more guns. However, the proponents of gun control have cited the increasing incidences of mass shooting, necessitating the need to limit gun ownership to prevent further shootings (Halgin, 2014). The article by Bass (2020) resonates with the view that gun control should be implemented.

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The article cites that in 2020, more guns were sold than in any previous year amid the coronavirus and social unrest recently witnessed following the elections. The United States already has the highest per-person rate of gun ownership globally, which is why there are more mass shootings than any other developed nation (Bass, 2020). President Trump pro-gun policies unwound some of the existing restrictions he could, which has raised concerns on the need to implement more gun ownership restrictions to avert mass shootings and gun violence. Bass (2020) argues that with the election of Joe Biden as president, there will likely be more enhanced gun restriction, and more substantive background-check system will be in place. Other anticipated gun violence control measures will include an assault-weapon ban and expanded background checks to close loopholes for gun sales and transfers.

References Bass, A. S. (November, 2020). Attempts at tighter gun control laws will make headlines. The Economist. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2020/11/17/attempts-at-tighter-gun-controllaws-will-make-headlines Halgin, R.P. (2014). Should the United States be more restrictive of gun ownership? University of Massachusetts, Amhrest. P.108 Copy Pasted Article Article Link https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2020/11/17/attempts-at-tighter-guncontrol-laws-will-make-headlines The World in 2021 Attempts at tighter gun control laws will make headlines The fight will move from the White House to the courts

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The World Ahead

Nov 17th 2020

by Alexandra Suich Bass: senior correspondent, politics, technology and society, The Economist DALLAS ACCORDING TO THE Chinese zodiac, 2020 was the year of the rat. In America, it was the year of the gun. More guns were sold in 2020 than in any previous year. Amid widespread anxiety about the coronavirus and social unrest, 5m more guns were sold than otherwise would have been, according to Phillip Levine and Robin McKnight, professors at Wellesley College. In the first nine months of the year, 29m federal background-checks were submitted for firearms, 84% more than in the same period five years earlier. (Not all background checks correspond to a sale.)

First-time gun-buyers waited in queues more reminiscent of rock concerts than retail. On one Saturday in July, the wait to enter the gun show being held at a Dallas convention centre was more than two hours.

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America already has the highest per-person rate of gun ownership in the world. It has more guns than people and more mass shootings than any other rich country. But if 2020 was the year of the gun, 2021 will be the year that gun control gets more attention. There are four places to watch.

First is the White House. As president, Donald Trump played to his pro-gun supporters and unwound existing restrictions where he could. Joe Biden, by contrast, will set his sights on gun control. As a senator in the 1990s, Mr. Biden helped enact the current federal background-check system and the assault-weapons ban, which expired in 2004. As president, he has promised to pursue another such ban, although it would be politically contentious. He is more likely to expand universal background-checks by closing loopholes for gun sales and transfers.

Second, pay attention to the Supreme Court. The newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett, could second-guess many long-standing gun-control laws, predicts Adam Winkler, author of “Gun Fight” and a professor at UCLA Law School. For example, she may call into question state laws that ban felons from owning firearms and remove guns from mentally ill people. This is bad news for supporters of gun control. Historically the Supreme Court has been loth to take up new Second Amendment cases—in the spring of 2020 alone it turned down ten—but this will change with Ms Barrett on the bench.

Third, watch the states. Blue states, like California, will push for more restrictive laws, while red states will try to expand people's ability to carry guns without a permit. Americans' views on guns have shifted after so many mass shootings. This is evident in the unprecedented attention politicians at the state and federal level are giving gun control, says Joseph Sakran, a surgeon and activist.

Fourth, keep an eye on the National Rifle Association (NRA). A powerful force in American politics, the non-profit group has attacked gun-control efforts in the past but will be under attack

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itself in 2021. New York’s attorney-general has sued the organisation and is trying to shut it down, and the Internal Revenue Service is reportedly investigating the NRA’s president for possible tax fraud. This will reverberate in the fight over gun-control policy. No longer does a weaker NRA seem like a long shot.