In the face of a relentless surge in gun violence incidents, with an average of nearly two gun-related incidents every day for the past three years, President Joe Biden is taking a firm stand against the shadowy world of illegal gun selling in the United States. With over 470 mass shootings this year alone, the nation has been grappling with the devastating consequences of lax gun control laws. Now, as a response to this alarming crisis, the Justice Department has unveiled comprehensive regulations to close legal loopholes that allow unlicensed gun dealers to thrive. These new rules are part of the Safer Communities Act, a legislation championed by President Biden and passed by Congress in June 2022, in a concerted effort to curtail the harrowing gun violence epidemic plaguing the nation.
Stricter Regulations to Curb Illegal Gun Sales
The Justice Department’s newly released rules are a significant step forward in the battle against illegal firearms. They aim to eliminate the deceptive tactics employed by unscrupulous gun dealers to evade licensing requirements. One such tactic is claiming not to make a profit from gun transactions or exploiting exemptions based on the lack of a physical storefront or negligible sales volume. These rules are designed to thwart these evasive maneuvers, ensuring that all firearms dealers, whether they operate online or in-person, are held accountable for running background checks on prospective buyers.
The central goal of these regulations, as stated by the Justice Department, is to compel more firearms sellers to conduct background checks through a national database, thus preventing felons and other prohibited individuals from acquiring firearms. Additionally, this initiative will enhance the government’s ability to track registered firearms, enabling a more efficient tracing of weapons from one owner to another.
Steven Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, underscored the urgency of these measures, emphasizing how an increasing number of individuals involved in the firearms business have sidestepped federal licensing requirements to profit from illicit gun sales.
Impact on Gun Violence and National Security
The Justice Department contends that unlicensed gun dealing significantly undermines federal regulations aimed at bolstering gun safety. According to estimates from the Gun Violence Archive, the United States witnessed a staggering 44,374 gun-related deaths last year. Although this year’s numbers have shown a slight decrease, with 28,793 deaths in the first eight months, the gravity of the situation remains unchanged. Shockingly, suicides account for a staggering 55% of all gun deaths, revealing the multi-faceted challenges of gun violence that the nation faces.
These new rules have come into the spotlight in the aftermath of a tragic incident in Jacksonville, Florida, where an armed suspect targeted and fatally shot three black individuals, including a woman, inside a Dollar General store. Sheriff TK Waters, addressing the media, unequivocally stated that the assailant had expressed a vile ideology of hate, and the manifestos discovered by the gunman’s family further emphasized his malicious intent.
Battling the Epidemic of Mass Shootings
Mass shootings have become alarmingly common occurrences across the United States, exacerbated by the easy access to firearms in most states. With more guns than citizens, the nation continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of this gun violence epidemic. Recent incidents, including a mass shooting at a Caribbean festival in Boston, the shooting of two women at a baseball game in Chicago, and a fatal shooting at a high school football game in Oklahoma, underscore the pressing need for comprehensive reforms in the country’s gun control laws.
President Joe Biden’s resolute stance against illegal gun selling and the Justice Department’s efforts to tighten regulations on firearms dealers mark a pivotal moment in the nation’s ongoing struggle to address gun violence. With the Safer Communities Act now firmly in place, the hope is that these measures will pave the way toward a safer and more secure United States, free from the devastating scourge of gun violence.
