As shootings continue to have a negative impact on the country, US President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that has been referred to as a gun safety bill.
The law, which was signed early on Saturday, goes into force one month after a gunman opened fire in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers. The attack sparked protests against gun violence and political inaction around the country.
According to the most recent statistics from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 21,000 gun-related deaths and 281 mass shootings in the United States so far this year.
Before departing for a trip to Europe, Biden remarked from the White House, “I realize there’s much more to accomplish.”
The law strengthens background checks for those purchasing guns between the ages of 18 and 21, makes straw purchases and gun trafficking illegal, and defines what a federally licensed firearm dealer is.
Additionally, it contains money for states to administer “Red Flag” legislation, which permit law enforcement to temporarily seize firearms from anyone believed to be a threat to themselves or others with a court order.
A New York state law that establishes restrictions on carrying a concealed firearm outside the home was invalidated by the US Supreme Court two days prior, which is expected to make efforts to reduce gun violence more challenging.
In a statement on Thursday, Biden expressed his “deep disappointment” with the Supreme Court’s decision. This decision should cause great concern for all of us since it goes against both common sense and the Constitution.
The political and social discourse of the United States is heavily influenced by the issue of guns.
Because of its constitution’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms and lobbying by gun rights organizations, the United States has more guns than any other country in the world, and that number keeps rising.
A 2018 study by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey found that American gun owners hold 393.3 million firearms, or 120 firearms for every 100 residents.
