Aurora shooting triggers gun control debate
A 2008 survey found 17% of those 18 to 29 years of age owned a firearm.
Beyond the shattered lives and the media circus, the Dark Knight Rises shooting in Aurora, Colo., may have legislative consequences for the nation.
The recent spark of countrywide conversation on gun control centers on whether alleged shooter James Holmes’ legal purchase of two .40-caliber pistols, an assault rifle and a shotgun enabled the rampage. With more than 14.6 million people experiencing a screening before purchasing a weapon -- the same check Holmes passed -- in the first 11 months of 2011, guns’ popularity galvanizes arguments for and against gun control.
New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg framed the tragedy as a catalyst for gun control as presidential candidate Mitt Romney urged for cooler minds to prevail. The tragedy has already revived a lawmaker’s proposal to restore the 1994 ban on high-capacity ammunition clips, the type used in the movie theater shooting.
Although FBI records reveal the rate of nearly all crimes fell nationwide in 2011 compared to 2010’s totals, a Gallup poll found 68% of Americans believed crime increased. Virginia, Tennessee and a dozen other states have cited safety as the reason behind efforts to expand guns’ role in everyday lives, but a Rasmussen poll suggests 41% of people believe gun laws need to be stricter.
The current college generation’s attitude toward gun ownership may determine gun control’s future. A 2008 survey found 17% of those 18 to 29 years of age owned a firearm.
Rich Babich, a 22-year-old senior at Concord University, said he is an avid supporter of the Second Amendment. Rushing to regulate gun ownership would not be productive because criminals would prosper as citizens suffered, he said.
“Traumatic events lead to individuals tying emotions to their beliefs, thoughts and actions,” Babich said. “The shooting in Colorado was very serious, but such a ban would be much like the alcohol prohibition in the early 1900s.”
However, almost no civilian should own fully automatic weapons because they are not practical in the modern age, Babich said. Gun safety courses and a three-day waiting period for a background check should be mandatory before purchasing a firearm, he said.
Charlie Christiansen, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said it would be dangerous to crack down on guns because it would empower criminals.
“If the American public were to have their constitutional right to bear arms taken away, what is to stop the crime rate from shooting through the roof now that citizens are sitting ducks?” Christiansen asked.
Christiansen said he suggested more extensive background checks and stronger penalties for illegal gun ownership.
Kathryn Kopania, a 21-year-old senior at Hofstra University, said the Colorado tragedy reaffirms the country’s need for stronger gun control and more oversight for online ammunition sales. Access to powerful weapons is too easy, Kopania said.
“We are allowing people to buy guns used in military situations. ... No one questioned why Holmes needed it,” she said.
Kopania said the maxim “guns do not kill people, people kill people” is misleading because someone intent on mass murder would not attack with a knife. The shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and now Aurora should be a wakeup call for politicians, she said.
“How many innocent lives have to be lost before something is done?” Kopania asked.
Matthew Kenwright is a Summer 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about him here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.