Hillary Clinton’s Plan to Curb Gun Violence

On Monday, Hillary Clinton plans to address the issue of mass public shootings by issuing proposals to curb gun violence. The news has arrived in the wake of the recent shooting that took place at a community college in Oregon that left 10 dead and 9 injured. Clinton will visit New Hampshire to discuss gun control measures and disclose her proposals.

Throughout her campaign to become the Democratic nominee, she has on many occasions addressed the need for the United States to enforce gun control measures. Her rigid stand for more gun control goes back to the Charleston shooting in South Carolina where the shooter killed nine African American congregants.

With the current tragedy, she has called for people to start a national movement to challenge the National Rifle Association that advocates for gun rights. Clinton has a tough road ahead of her, as she will have to battle her stance for more gun control with a Congress led by the Republicans.

In 2012, when a shooter killed 6 adults and 20 children in Newton, Connecticut, Democrats put forth proposals for stricter gun laws, but the Senate, held by Democrats, didn’t give them a stamp of approval. It feels as if a trend began after the school shooting, as the numbers of shootings to occur in the United States have increased since then.

In comparison to the views of the Republican nominees on gun control, Clinton’s views will cause a heated debate amongst the nominees of the two parties. After the most recent incident, she will make gun control laws her main priority. Even though Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is ahead of her in the polls, Democrats have criticized Sanders for his past refusal to pass some gun control laws.

Clinton hopes her new stance on gun control laws will cause a dent in Sander’s popularity, thus gaining her an edge in the polls. In her proposals, she has mentioned thorough background checks conducted by retailers before selling anyone a gun. However, according to federal law, private sellers and sellers at gun shows are not permitted to conduct background checks on the buyer. Clinton plans to change that by using her administrative powers to make this rule a requirement for anyone who is in the business of selling firearms.

Clinton’s use of her executive action will come under scrutiny by people who support the Second Amendment, the right to carry firearms. Her fellow Democratic Party members will support her in her mission to impose stricter gun laws, as they are tired of the constant gridlock in Congress.

Martin O’Malley, another Democratic nominee, has urged both Clinton and Sanders not to exclude the failed federal assault firearms ban. In Clinton’s proposal, she has not mentioned the assault firearms ban, but she has included a law to ban the loophole, which allows the sale of firearms to people who have committed a felony, only if the seller has not completed their background check in three days.

In her defense, Clinton can state the example of the Charleston killer who bought a gun due to that loophole even though he had committed a felony. If Clinton becomes the next president of the United States, she said she would make sure to impose stricter gun control laws.