Gun Control
Paul Santoleri, Michael Bodo, JJ
Clancy
Reasons for Gun Control
• Safety of the Individual
• The only function of a gun it to kill
• Gun ownership by law-abiding citizens
inevitably leads to unnecessary deaths.
• In the case of self-defense,
many accidental deaths are
bound to happen.
Reasons
• Put simply, guns are lethal and the fewer
people have them the better.
• State licensing on gun dealers help law
enforcement crack down on rogue gun dealers
• Lack of gun control is allowing thugs and
criminals to bear arms.
Brady Campaign
• Beliefs- Devoted to creating a gun-free America
where all Americans are safe at school, work, home,
and our communities.
– Works to reforms the gun industry by enacting and
enforcing sensible regulations to reduce gun violence,
including regulations governing the gun industry.
History
• 1974-The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) is
established by Dr. Mark Borinsky
• 1975-DuPont executive Pete Shields retires from DuPont to work
for NCCH full-time, after the murder of his son.
• 1978-Shields becomes Chair of NCCH
• 1980-NCCH is renamed Handgun Control, Inc (HCI)
• 1981-Jim Brady, is shot and seriously wounded during an
assassination attempt on the President.
• 1983-The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (CPHV) is founded
as a sister organization to HCI.
• 1986- HCI successfully lobbies Congress to ban armor-piercing,
"cop-killer" bullets that can puncture bullet-proof vests worn by
police officers.
• 1988-With HCI's support, Congress passes a bill to ban handguns
that cannot be detected by airport x-ray machines ("plastic"
handguns).
History Cont.
• 1989-Sarah Brady replaces as Pete Shields as Chair of HCI
• 1991-Sarah Brady becomes Chair of the CPHV.
• 1992-CPHV launches STAR, a gun violence prevention program for
children, pre-school through high school, and their families
• 1993-The Brady Bill, which requires a five-day waiting period and
background checks on handgun purchases, is signed into law.
• 1994-The Brady Law goes into effect in the 32 states which have no
background check system. President Clinton signs into law the
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which
includes the first-ever federal Assault Weapons Ban, banning the
manufacture and importation of military-style assault weapons.
• 1996-Congress passes legislation to prohibit anyone convicted of a
misdemeanor domestic violence offense from buying or owning a
gun.
• 1997-The U.S. Supreme Court rejects an attempt by the gun lobby to
strike down the Brady background check law.
History
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2000-After two years of court battles, the Attorney General of Massachusetts
becomes the first in the nation to use consumer protection powers to regulate
guns.
2001-The Brady Campaign announces that since the law went into effect, gun
deaths in the United States have dropped 27 percent, from 39,595 in 1993 to
28,874 in 1999.
2003-The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence takes out full-page
advertisements the New York Times criticizing a National Rifle Associationbacked bill that would strip gun violence victims of their right to sue reckless
gun dealers and manufacturers.
2004-The Brady Campaign helps defeat the NRA's top legislative priority, as
the Senate votes 90 to 8 against a bill that would have provided immunity from
lawsuits for the gun industry.
2005-Brady Center launches Gun Industry Watch to systematically expose the
movement of guns from gun dealers into the hands of criminals and the
complicity of the gun industry in supplying the illegal gun market.
2009-Governor Schwarzenegger signs AB 962, a new law requiring
maintenance of purchaser records by handgun ammunition vendors. Local
law enforcement can use these records to track down and disarm prohibited
persons in possession of illegal ammunition and illegal guns.
Bibliography
• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/gun-controlfacts.html
• http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/
• http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_detail
s.php?topicID=33