The issue of gun violence continues to persist within the United States with mass shootings, while still
statistically low in occurrence, seemingly becoming more commonplace. The nation has recently experienced
several major mass shootings in the past year (Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, TX, Parkland, FL, Santa Fe,
TX, & El Paso to name a few), with several which rank amongst the deadliest having occurred in Texas, a state
which is often synonymous with gun rights. Obviously all are terribly tragic due to the number of innocent
people who lost their lives, but these shootings have stirred the national debate on guns and how to prevent
mass shootings once again. I want you to explore these shootings and determine what, if anything, can
realistically be done to prevent such shootings in the future? Some politicians have renewed calls for extended
gun control measures such as universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and outright bans
on "assault" style weapons and in some cases, bans on all guns in general. Others have pointed out that no
amount of additional background checks would have prevented most of these shootings given that the Vegas
shooter had no issues in his past to prevent him from owning guns, and that shooter in Sutherland Springs had
extensive legal issues that should have prevented him from owning a gun, but the laws that are already on the
books did not work because they were not enforced properly to begin with, and the one which just occurred in
California had signs that were troublesome but nothing blatantly illegal or worthy enough to commit the shooter
to a mental facility against his will.
Also, don't forget about the 2nd Amendment in general (what does it say and are there any restrictions that can
be assumed from reading it), and don't forget that in the case of the Sutherland Springs shooting, it was only a
"good guy" with a gun who prevented the massacre from becoming even worse when he used his own
"assault" rifle to engage and shoot the murderer. What do we do about the mental illness aspect of most mass
shootings? If the mental illness issue is not addressed, then can any amount of gun control prevent sick
individuals from harming innocent people?
Finally, as with the healthcare discussion board, has the COVID-19 pandemic altered your idea about the 2nd
Amendment and what types of weapons citizens should have access to? The pandemic has seen a massive
surge in gun sales and ammo purchases as people fear the worst and attempt to prepare for it by purchasing
firearms with which to protect themselves. With shortages on many basic necessities and supply chains
hanging in the balance, the risk of general societal breakdown exists as people attempt to procure items for
themselves, including via force. What once sounded like something out of a dystopian Mad Max movie is
almost too close to mirroring reality for comfort. As such, should people be able to access AR-15 style rifles
capable or holding a high-capacity of rounds in order to protect their property or loved ones? Please think
deeply on this question and answer accordingly as these tragedies could have easily occurred at a time and
place where you have all been
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