Gun control

About: Gun control is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1211 publications have been published within this topic receiving 16516 citations. The topic is also known as: firearms control & gun law.

Politics of Gun Control

Abstract: The new edition of this classic text covers the latest developments in American gun policy, including shooting incidents plaguing the American landscape - especially Sandy Hook, the Colorado theatre shootings and the tragic death of Trayvon Martin - placing them in context with similar recent events. The incidents described in the book sparked a wave of gun control legislation at local, state and national levels, some of which was successful, some doomed and all controversial. At the national level, President Obama put his political capital on the line to push for new gun control measures, only to see them shot down by Congress. Robert J. Spitzer has long been a recognised authority on gun control and gun policy. His even-handed treatment of the issue - as both a member of the NRA and the Brady Center - continues to compel national and international interest, including interviews by the likes of Terry Gross, Tom Ashbrook and Diane Rehm. This sixth edition of The Politics of Gun Control provides the reader with up-to-date data and coverage of gun ownership, gun deaths, school shootings, border patrols and new topics including social media, stand-your-ground laws, magazine regulation, and shooting-related mental health initiatives.

Dangerous People or Dangerous Weapons: Access to Firearms for Persons with Mental Illness

Abstract: The recent attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has once again focused the nation’s attention on the danger of the wide availability of firearms. The Supreme Court has ruled that gun restrictions may only be imposed on those deemed “prohibited persons” under the Gun Control Act of 1968. Although some are easily identifiable (e.g., children, convicted felons), one widely inclusive group is not – the mentally ill.The current system designed to bar the mentally ill from purchasing or possessing firearms is ineffectual due to a lack of reporting and the existence of loopholes. What’s more, no state has developed the capacity to remove firearms from gun owners deemed dangerous post-purchase. As the nation has seen time and time again, categorical gun restrictions do not systematically keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous mentally ill persons. Moreover, these restrictions infringe on individual rights. Attempts to forecast violence not only frequently fail, but also force patients to disclose health status on purchasing forms, thereby compromising confidentiality designed to foster candidacy in seeking treatment.The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment requires that Congress and the states regulate people, not arms. We argue that such an approach will always be problematic – both for the public and individuals. Nonetheless, we suggest four legal changes that the Court would likely uphold, and that may reduce dangerous use of firearms: (1) ban large-sized ammunition magazines, (2) withhold state funding for incomplete reporting or inadequate privacy protections, (3) ensure more rapid and reliable background checks, and (4) close purchasing loopholes.

A call to arms: the emergency physician, international perspectives on firearm injury prevention and the canadian gun control debate

Abstract: There are more than seven million firearms in Canada and approximately 1400 firearm-related deaths per year. These figures are far greater than those for most European countries, but far less than those for the United States. This article will discuss the different classes of firearm deaths and the associated costs. Public health issues will be explored, especially as they relate to the involvement of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, as well as injury control recommendations.

Rethinking the Political Participation Paradigm: The Case of Women and Gun Control

Abstract: Political-participation studies have paid too little attention to the cognitive and emotional motivations for citizen engagement. This study uses a natural experiment in issue-centered mobilization, a women's march for stricter gun control, to construct a fuller model of political participation, one that focuses on the interaction between individuals and issues. I find that reframing political issues to resonate with social roles and responsibilities-in this case, reframing gun control as a child-protection issuelegitimizes participation by new groups of people-in this case, women. The more citizens internalize these frames, the more intensively they participate over time.

The U.S. Gun-Control Paradox: Gun Buyer Response To Congressional Gun-Control Initiatives

Abstract: Many scholars and interest groups in the U.S. advocate for more gun-control in terms of restrictions on sales. Following the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012, The Obama Administration initiated legislation to restrict gun sales. Coincidentally, U.S. firearm sales surged to record levels and ammunition shortages occurred. This article examines the gun control issue in the U.S. in light of the events of 2013, demonstrating the paradox which gun-control advocates face. The authors provide background information on the gun-control debate including the social cost of gun-violence and the U.S. political battle over the issue.