ENFORCING BACKGROUND CHECKS AT GUN SHOWS Did you know that the United States of America has the highest homicide rate in the world? An article by The Guardian reports the United States’ gun homicide to be “25 times higher than other high-income countries” (theguardian.com). Gun control controversies are common place in the U.S., with gun control activists arguing that guns are unnecessary and should be banned, gun rights activists arguing that owning guns is necessary for self defense and is a right according to the second amendment of the Constitution. So, gun shows have become the central debate in recent years because of the overlap of licensed professional dealers and unlicensed private sellers.
While it is true that America is a gun culture and its citizen have the rights to bear arms, it is equally important to acknowledge that gun shows present a opening that makes it possible for guns to fall in the wrong hands. The need to enforce background checks at gun shows is caused by the fact that, gun shows do not require background checks …show more content…
According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, private gun sellers are individuals who do not trade firearms for a living regardless of whether the sale occurs at gun shows or somewhere else ( smartgunlaws.org). Unlike licensed public dealers, the law neither requires private sellers to run background checks on interested buyers nor maintain any records of their gun sales. This creates a situation regularly referred to as the gun show loop hole. The gun show loophole makes it effortless for citizens and criminals alike to have access to and even purchase guns they would have otherwise been unable to get from private sellers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “individuals prohibited by law from possessing guns can easily obtain them from private sellers and do so without any federal records of the transactions”
While it is true that America is a gun culture and its citizen have the rights to bear arms, it is equally important to acknowledge that gun shows present a opening that makes it possible for guns to fall in the wrong hands. The need to enforce background checks at gun shows is caused by the fact that, gun shows do not require background checks …show more content…
According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, private gun sellers are individuals who do not trade firearms for a living regardless of whether the sale occurs at gun shows or somewhere else ( smartgunlaws.org). Unlike licensed public dealers, the law neither requires private sellers to run background checks on interested buyers nor maintain any records of their gun sales. This creates a situation regularly referred to as the gun show loop hole. The gun show loophole makes it effortless for citizens and criminals alike to have access to and even purchase guns they would have otherwise been unable to get from private sellers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “individuals prohibited by law from possessing guns can easily obtain them from private sellers and do so without any federal records of the transactions”