Bringing the UK's Gun Laws to the US Term Paper by Nicky

A discussion on how President Barak Obama might adopt a national policy regarding firearms similar to that of the British.
# 150048 | 1,035 words | 5 sources | APA | 2012 | US
Published on Jan 23, 2012 in Political Science (U.S.) , Political Science (State and Local Politics) , Hot Topics (Gun Control)


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Description:

The paper reveals that in the United Kingdom, handguns as an entire class of firearm have been banned for all citizens, although shooting for sportsmanship is still allowed. The paper goes on to consider the political obstacles the President must overcome to create more stringent gun legislation and suggests a two-pronged media approach. The paper asserts that first, he must show that he does support firearms used for legitimate sporting purposes, which does not include handguns or assault rifles, and second, he must dramatically demonstrate the human toll extracted from access to handguns. The paper posits that after a public relations campaign, hearings, and constant efforts to thwart the media blitz of well-funded opponents, Obama might be able to pass strict, U.K-style legislation.

From the Paper:

"When President Barak Obama was a state senator in Illinois, and also during his years as a senator in the U.S. Congress, he supported mainstream efforts to limit access to firearms, such as "better enforcement of existing gun laws, tighter background checks on gun buyers and a permanent assault-weapons ban" (McCormick 2009). Despite Obama's advocacy of relatively moderate gun control policies that would enable more stringent control of illegal gun trafficking yet still allow unfettered access to handguns (provided the citizen pass a background check for mental illness and a criminal record), gun sales and sales of ammunition soared when the President was elected in 2008. In the United Kingdom, in contrast, handguns as an entire class of firearm have been banned for all citizens, although shooting for sportsmanship is still allowed. "The ban on ownership of handguns was introduced in 1997 as a result of the Dunblane massacre, when Thomas Hamilton opened fire at a primary school leaving 16 children and their teacher dead" (Handgun, 2001, BBC).
"To adopt a national policy regarding firearms similar to that of the British, Obama might first be tempted to use the U.S. Constitution and the existing laws of the land as justification for his policy. Of course, despite restrictions upon First Amendment free speech rights, advocates of guns claim that the language of the Second Amendment gives unfettered access to the use of firearms."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Barnes, Robert. (2008, June 27). Justices reject D.C. ban on handgun ownership,The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2009 athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062600615.html
  • British Association of Shooting and Conservation (BASC). (2009). Official Website.Retrieved August 24, 2009 at http://www.basc.org.uk/
  • Handgun crime 'up' despite ban. (2001, July 6). BBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2009 athttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1440764.stm
  • McCormick, John. (2009, April 27). Obama puts gun control issue on back burner. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 24, 2009 athttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-gunsapr27,0,5634133.story
  • Second Amendment. (2009). The U.S. Constitution. Retrieved August 24, 2009 athttp://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment02/

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

Bringing the UK's Gun Laws to the US (2012, January 23) Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/bringing-the-uk-gun-laws-to-the-us-150048/

MLA Format

"Bringing the UK's Gun Laws to the US" 23 January 2012. Web. 25 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/bringing-the-uk-gun-laws-to-the-us-150048/>

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