Gun Control Forum

“Democratic presidential candidates reiterated their call for gun control Wednesday in a forum hosted by MSNBC.” (AP News, YouTube)

The left supports stricter gun control laws, but is divided over how far to go.

“The [gun licensing] process… takes about three weeks. Background checks take an average of 108 seconds. If someone is going through a suicidal episode or is a domestic abuser without a record, they could get a gun very quickly and harm themselves or others. With licensing, that person would be delayed and possibly deterred from getting a gun…

“When Connecticut established a licensing law in 1995, it was associated with a 40 percent drop in gun homicides and a 15 percent drop in gun suicides. Missouri had a licensing law for decades but repealed it in 2007. That change was associated with a 17 to 27 percent increase in gun homicides and a 16 percent increase in gun suicides. Background checks are supposed to stop bad people from getting guns, but they often don’t. Licensing picks up that slack.” (Madeline Marshall, Vox)

The right is critical of Biden’s plan and stricter gun control in general.

“Biden wants to create a national gun registry. This is where he is sure to meet the most resistance, and rightly so. The reason is that no sane gun owner will want his or her name on a gun registry after listening to this year's Democratic candidates on the trail… specific Democrats, Beto O'Rourke especially, have clarified and confirmed the real reason for creating such registries. A gun registry is the precursor to a mass gun confiscation. Gun owners are not paranoid for taking Democrats' promises literally on this topic… Gun violence in the U.S. is a small and ever-diminishing problem, but the media give the opposite impression. Last year, according to the FBI, there were approximately 10,265 gun murders in the U.S., down 6% year over year.”
(Editorial Board, Washington Examiner)