Gun Safety
Gun Violence in America
Every year, nearly 40,000 people die from firearms in the United States. Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by firearms and more than 200 Americans are shot and wounded. Mass shootings have become tragically common in schools, places of worship, hospitals, movie theaters, concerts, night clubs, and bars in communities throughout our country.
Source: Everytown for Gun Safety. (2020). Gun Violence in America. Retrieved from https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-in-america/
From 2014 to 2018, deaths by firearms including murders, accidental deaths, and suicides have steadily increased 4 out of the past 5 years. Since 2009, there have been 237 mass shootings (where four or more people are killed) in the United States. In an analysis of the past decade, Everytown for Gun Safety pointedly writes:
“The horrific scenes of mass shootings have haunted the nation’s collective conscience.”
Gun violence is also a significant problem in homes and on streets in communities across our country. Gun safety advocacy group, Moms Demand Action estimates that every month approximately 52 women in the United States are shot and killed by an intimate partner.
Research shows that “access to firearms triples the risk of suicide” and that there were 24,432 suicides by gun in 2018. Gun violence has a noted impact on children and teens of color in America. Research indicates that “Black children and teens in the U.S. are 14 times more likely than their white counterparts to die by gun homicide.”
This gun violence needs to stop – the deaths, injuries, and trauma caused by gun violence in this country is not okay. In a report on gun violence in America, the advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety wrote: “the effects of gun violence extend far beyond these casualties—gun violence shapes the lives of millions of Americans who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting.”
The U.S. has much higher rates of gun violence and more guns than other wealthy, developed nations. Research conducted by the Small Arms Survey found that while “the United States has 4% of the world’s population, its civilians hold almost 40% of the world’s firearms” which means that four out of every ten civilian firearms in the world are owned by U.S. citizens.
Source: Gun Violence Archive. (2020, October 6). GVA- Six Year Review. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
Source: Kochanek, K. D., Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., & Arias, E. (2019). National Vital Statistics Reports - Deaths: Final Data for 2017. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf
The Small Arms Survey also found that in the United States, the ratio of civilian firearms to civilians is 1.2 to 1 – this research estimates that there are about approximately 393,347,000 guns owned by civilians in America. Of these nearly 400 million firearms, only about one million are legally registered.
Firearm research by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center concludes that the general consensus of research is that more guns lead to more gun violence.
→ Despite these concerning statistics, Congress has failed to pass any serious legislation to combat gun violence on a national scale. Gun manufacturers, lobbyists, and the NRA have continuously politicized the issue of gun safety to protect their own financial interests and Congress has refused to seriously consider any common sense gun safety reforms.
The majority of Americans are actually in favor of gun safety reforms. In fact, a 2018 Quinnipiac poll found that 67% of Americans support a ban on assault weapons. Currently, about 20% of guns sold in the U.S. are sold without a background check due to easily fixable loopholes in current background check laws, and this number likely does not account for the illicit small arms trade that occurs every day in the United States.
Over 90% of Americans support universal background checks. Overwhelmingly, Americans support strengthening gun safety laws and if Joe Biden is President, he will ensure that commonsense federal gun safety laws are passed.
Everytown For Gun Safety defines a mass shooting as a gun violence incident that kills 4 or more people. Source: Everytown For Gun Safety. (2020, September 23). Mass Shootings in America: All Mass Shootings. Retrieved from https://maps.everytownresearch.org/massshootingsreports/mass-shootings-in-america-2009-2019/
Biden has a long history of standing up to the NRA and fighting for common sense gun safety reforms. He advocated for the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act in 1993, which established a national criminal background check system and implemented a mandatory five day wait period for firearm purchases in the United States. Biden also supported the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act (also called the Federal Assault Weapons Ban) that banned the manufacture, transfer, or possession of certain semi-automatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines for a ten year period.
He worked alongside President Obama to take executive action in response to the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting. These executive actions resulted in an increased number of records in the national background check system and expanded funding for mental health services. Biden’s gun safety policies center around acknowledging and investigating the root causes of gun violence and enact smart, common sense legislation to prevent future injuries, death, and trauma.
Common Sense Gun Legislation Reform
Biden’s long tenure in the Senate has helped inform his gun safety platform and gives him insight into how to effectively advocate for changes in the laws to enhance gun safety.
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Biden will reinstate the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban that prohibited the manufacturer, transfer, or possession of certain types of semi-automatic assault weapons and high capacity magazines, which was allowed to expire in 2004.
For those who currently own these newly prohibited semi-automatic assault weapons, they will have the option to either register them under the National Firearms Act (NFA) or have the government buy them back. This policy will help to reduce gun violence and protect American citizens. A report by the Giffords Law Center found that violence from firearms that are registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) is “exceedingly rare”. Biden’s plan would also limit purchases of firearms to one per month and end online gun sales. He will incentivize state governments to set up stricter licensing programs by providing federal grant funding.
Universal background check policies are proven to decrease gun violence. Biden’s gun safety reforms would also focus on closing several loopholes in the current gun laws, which have allowed firearms to be purchased by those who should probably not own firearms for a variety of reasons. The loopholes that Biden’s gun safety reforms would focus on closing are outlined below:
HATE CRIME LOOPHOLE
This loophole would be addressed by prohibiting those convicted of a hate crime from purchasing or possessing a firearm. Each year more than 10,000 hate crimes involve a firearm, so by closing this loophole it will likely reduce gun violence from repeat offenders.
CHARLESTON LOOPHOLE
Currently, individuals are allowed to buy a firearm without a background check, if the background check is not processed and returned within 3 days of submittal. Biden’s plan will increase that time allotment to 10 days and work with the FBI to make sure that they have the necessary resources to complete all background checks within that 10-day timeframe.
FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE LOOPHOLE
The current administration deleted the records of nearly 500,000 people convicted of or accused of a crime that is evading law enforcement from the National Background Check System for Gun Sales. Biden will restore these records and make sure that wanted persons are barred from buying guns.
BOYFRIEND LOOPHOLE
Current laws prevent domestic abusers from purchasing firearms - but only if the convicted person was married to, lived with, or has a child with the victim. Biden’s policy would prevent anyone convicted of assault, battery, or stalking from purchasing or owning firearms.
Hold Gun Manufacturers & Gun Owners Accountable
Biden believes that reforms can be made to gun policy and law that also respect the 2nd Amendment. It is the responsibility of gun owners and manufacturers to exercise the right to bear arms, while also protecting themselves and our communities.
As President, Joe Biden will repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This law protects gun manufacturers from civil liabilities, which means that currently, gun manufacturers have no incentives to train employees to identify unlawful gun purchases or to enact safeguards to keep guns out of the hands of violent individuals.
Biden’s reforms would make “straw purchases” a serious federal crime.
→ Straw purchases are when a third party buys a gun for someone else, usually because the ultimate recipient of the gun cannot legally buy a firearm or pass a background check. Each year, there are more than 30,000 attempted straw purchases.
Biden also supports a bipartisan law to inform law enforcement when a person fails a background check. He will work with the FBI to establish a protocol that will allow state and local law enforcement officials to follow up with individuals to ensure that they have not obtained a firearm(s) through illegal channels.
Biden’s plans will set our country on a path to having all guns sold in America be smart guns. Smart guns use fingerprint technology to prevent unauthorized users from firing the gun and have gained popularity in recent years. Approximately 59% of Americans looking to buy a new gun is willing to buy a smart gun.
Gun Violence Against Women
Joe Biden has long been a fierce advocate for issues that impact women. In 1994, he wrote and co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act, which was the first federal legislation to label domestic violence and sexual abuse as crimes.
Biden’s policies will address the boyfriend loophole, which is a loophole that allows some convicted domestic abusers the ability to still buy firearms. This reform is critical because women are as likely to be killed by dating partners as by spouses. Biden also acknowledges that gun violence, domestic violence, and online harassment are linked. Biden will establish a Task Force on Online Harassment and Abuse to bring together law enforcement, domestic violence advocates, and local governments to create a policy that addresses the link between online hate and extremism with mass shootings and domestic violence. This initiative would also address stalking, revenge porn, and online sexual harassment.
Public Health Epidemic
Biden has declared gun violence in America a public health epidemic and the increasing rates of death by suicide (especially among young women) and suicide by gun is alarming.
Source: Gun Violence Archive. (2020, October 6). GVA- Six Year Review. Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
In the United States, 6 in 10 deaths by suicide are from a firearm.
Biden’s plans to limit access to firearms, which research has shown can drastically reduce suicide risk. Biden will also put forth a plan to fund expanded access to mental healthcare services and improve educational outreach so that all Americans know about the various mental health resources available to them. He also understands that people and communities that have experienced gun violence are likely experiencing trauma and PTSD.
Biden’s gun safety reforms will help to decrease gun violence from occurring, but he will also establish federal policies to help those impacted by gun violence to cope with the unimaginable trauma that gun violence can cause.
In his first 100 days, Biden will establish federal programs with trauma-informed experts and guidelines, in order to better serve communities impacted by gun violence. Biden will also create a network of flexible trauma care centers for survivors and frontline workers. Biden understands that it is essential that our frontline workers have the trauma-informed training and resources that they need to respond to and support victims and community members, as well as cope with highly traumatic situations. Biden will ban states from using federal funds to arm or train public school teachers to use firearms.