The recent gun control debate has been fueled by the horrific Pulse massacre in Orlando, but will we finally see positive changes in gun laws and policies? Statistics show almost one mass shooting per day, and a massive increase in gun sales after major mass shootings that received attention in media, according to the New York Times.
Gun laws are often proposed in the aftermath of an attack, but according to the New York Times, the results of laws actually enacted might not be quite what you’d expect.
States with mass shootings saw a 15 percent increase in gun-related bills introduced to their respective state legislatures. States with legislatures led by Democrats, or with the parties divided, saw no significant increase in gun laws enacted. In states with legislatures led by Republicans, the number of laws passed to loosen gun restrictions rose by 75 percent.
The very states that have been home to mass shootings, and saw legislative changes as a result are now the very states in which guns are more easily available. The nature of the changes range from eliminating the waiting period for a gun purchase, or lowering the minimum age to 18-years-old from 21 in order to buy a gun.
The report analyzed proposals following 167 mass shootings, with 1,428 victims in the U.S. from 1989 to 2014. The data consisted of 20,409 gun policy proposals introduced to state legislatures, and 3,199 changes in the law.
The troublesome outcome is due to many gun advocates and conservatives politicians arguing that easier access to firearms is the key to stopping mass shootings.
Presidential candidate Donald Trump (R-N.Y.) embraced the same message in the aftermath of the Orlando mass shooting.
Pew Research Center’s polling confirms that the trend of lax gun control is on the rise. The number of Republicans who favor more gun control fell from 55 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2015. That’s nearly half of the formerly pro-gun control advocates changing their minds.
Among Democrats however, the support for gun control has been a stable 65 to 75 percent over that same period.
What’s worrisome for gun control advocates here is that both houses of Florida’s legislature consist of Republican majorities.
Considering the statistics above, any changes in the aftermath of the Orlando massacre will likely move the state towards easier access to firearms.
Considering the rise of mass shootings to almost one per day since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, and the vast increase of laws passed to loosen gun restrictions since 1989, the frightening conclusion is that new laws can’t help prevent future massacres and current law makes it easier for mass shootings to happen.
For more information on the gun control debate, watch CBS’s report here:
Featured Image A Screenshot Of CBS This Morning Video Via YouTube.
