Historic change in US gun law is being prepared: ‘It will save lives’

We speak with our US correspondent, Erik Mouthaan, about proposed changes to gun laws that are sacred to many Americans. Democrats and Republicans have been arguing about this for years. And now there seems to be a breakthrough.

The United States Senate has decided that a proposal with new measures in the field of armaments can actually be put to the vote. 64 to 34. That means 14 Republican senators voted. Never before has there been such open support within the Conservative Party for changes to the gun law.

numbers

America proudly takes the lead as the country with the most weapons. According to the Small Arms Survey (2018), there are 120.5 firearms per 100 people.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 45,222 people died from gun use in 2020 (last year published). Meanwhile, most of the more than 24,000 are the result of suicides.

‘Huge’

Mouthaan: “The proposal could be formally voted on on Saturday. The fact that so many Republicans voted for it is an encouraging sign. But that could change, the gun lobby is now fully involved. The Republican Party may be under pressure. The votes fell again. But the signs are good. There is optimism.”

The NRA, a powerful gun owners association, immediately opposed the proposals. The organization says in the tweet below that these do not help reduce real crime and can be misused to limit authorized weapons purchases.

Then to the content of the offer. Shortly after the massacres at a supermarket in Buffalo (ten dead) and an elementary school (21 dead) in Uvalde, calls for drastic regulations, such as a ban on firearms, were heard. But Mouthaan says the plans don’t go that far.

AR-15

“With this proposal, no weapon will be taken off the street or banned like the AR-15, a semi-automatic assault weapon. The majority of Americans, the Democrats, want it too, but it’s going too far for the Republicans. † Nevertheless, these plans are going well.” “It affects who can own a weapon,” Mouthaan says.

As an example, he cites what is called an “escape boyfriend” in the United States. Loosely translated: an exception for friend. Mouthaan explains.

boyfriend escape

“Domestic violence is often an indication of whether someone will use a weapon. A large number of women are murdered at home in the United States, which is why the police are allowed to confiscate a weapon in the event of domestic violence. married. No, if you live with your spouse, friend or father of your child. That’s the boyfriend’s vacuum cleaner and now it’s done. The sheriffs have been asking for this for years. This is really important, it will save lives.

It is also better for young people under 21 who want to buy a weapon to check someone’s background. Authorities have ten working days to check a person’s medical record.

“Democrats really want young people under 21 not to be able to buy guns. This is a compromise. There will be a better rating. You can no longer look in someone’s file, for example: “If someone has psychological problems and threatens to shoot, for example, nobody knows about the buffalo hunter who passed the psychological examination, so that changes too.”

buy a gun

The proposal will free up $15 billion to allow states to enact so-called “red flag” laws, among other things. “Someone with a red flag behind their name is someone who can pose a threat. Then a gun can be taken from such a person. A lot of money goes to mental health projects for young people who are also going through difficult times. After all, Republicans, it’s not the guns that’s the problem, it’s the mental state of the users,” explains Mouthaan.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell described the measures as “a package of common sense”. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy describes the bill as “the most significant anti-gun bill passed by Parliament in the past 30 years”. “We didn’t get everything we wanted, but this law is progress and it’s very important,” said his party leader, Chuck Schumer.

A major decision on weapons issues was made in 1994, when President Clinton banned the sale of semi-automatic weapons for a period of ten years. This ban was not renewed in 2004 under President Bush. Since then, the Democrats have tried everything. The big question is: why can something be done now?

Shocking

Of course, there have been two extremely shocking shots recently that have prompted the public for action. But Mouthaan says that the approach of politicians is different this time.

“Every time the Democrats have called for a gun ban, the Republicans have stood up and nothing has happened. Now they pay close attention to what the field wants, what the agents want. For example. much less political.” A compromise is then possible, but for many Democrats it is clear that it has not gone far enough.”

optimism

As mentioned, there is optimism about this eighty-page proposal. But of course it has yet to be officially confirmed. “Now there is this text. Senators will read it, some may want an ordinance. But we hope this will pass soon. It’s this weekend, because after that they go on vacation.”

“From now on, the proposal must also go through the House of Representatives and the president. And if President Joe Biden himself wanted to take further action, he’d be happy to sign it. It needs some good news because it is historically low in the polls.”

Will this ban on semi-automatic weapons return to the US? Mouthaan does not expect this. “This remains a country with more weapons than people. Where gun ownership is a fundamental right. It is not true for Republicans to say, “As a prudent citizen, you cannot own a gun. The house with the gun cannot be changed in this way.

school destroyed

The school building in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old attacker shot 21 people on May 24, is being demolished. The mayor announced that. “You can’t ask a child or teacher to enter this building,” Mayor Don McLaughlin said. In Uvalde there is still great anger against the police, who took a long time to intervene.