Washington DC:
Weeks earlier than his time period as US President involves an finish, Joe Biden signed a brand new government order at present to deal with the issue of gun violence within the US.
“Be part of Vice President Kamala Harris and me as we ship remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America,” President Biden posted on social media web site X.
“With a view to finish the issue of gun violence in America, we have to first speak about the issue of weapons in America,” the President mentioned, earlier than he gave a tragic and worrying statistic – that “The primary reason for deaths of youngsters in America is gun violence – much more than illness or accidents.”
“It’s sickening,” the President mentioned.
Be part of @VP and me as we ship remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America. https://t.co/YFGOKtBV2Q
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2024
Earlier within the day, the President shared a put up on his official X account stating that “As we speak, I am going to signal an Govt Order to crack down on rising firearm threats like unserialized, 3D-printed weapons and machine gun conversion gadgets.”
President Biden additional mentioned that the order will “Additionally direct my Cupboard to assist enhance school-based energetic shooter drills,” including that “It’s our job to do higher.”
Knowledge reveals that the common variety of civilian weapons per 100 individuals in America was 120.5 weapons, which is greater than double that of the following nation on that record – Yemen (52.8 weapons).
As we speak, I am going to signal an Govt Order to crack down on rising firearm threats like unserialized, 3D-printed weapons and machine gun conversion gadgets.
It will additionally direct my Cupboard to assist enhance school-based energetic shooter drills.
It is our job to do higher.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2024
AMERICA’S GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM
The USA has a critical gun violence downside, particularly with an ever-increasing variety of college and college shootings. In line with a analysis performed by the American Academy of Pediatrics final yr, baby gun deaths within the US have hit report highs.
In line with the info, 4,752 youngsters died from gun-related accidents in 2021, the most recent yr for which information was accessible, up from 4,368 in 2020 and three,390 in 2019. Actually, gun violence has been the primary reason for demise for kids in the USA since 2020.
The examine additional confirmed that Black youngsters accounted for round 67% of firearm homicides whereas white youngsters made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides.
As lately as a fortnight in the past, at the least 4 folks had been killed in a college capturing in Georgia. The suspect, now arrested, turned out to be a 14-year-old.
The US has seen a whole bunch of shootings inside of colleges and faculties up to now 20 years, with the deadliest leading to over 30 deaths at Virginia Tech in 2007. The carnage has sparked pitched debate over the US gun legal guidelines and the US Structure’s Second Modification, which enshrines the fitting “to maintain and bear arms.”
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
In 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris was given cost of the division which appears into gun laws. She was made accountable to assist curb gun violence in America and to convey an finish to the usage of firearms in faculties and different academic establishments.
Now, six weeks earlier than the 2024 US Presidential election, President Biden has determined to herald a laws by Presidential Order – the very best authority within the US – to curb the menace of firearms and shootings at faculties and faculties.
Underneath the order, the primary half will give attention to “rising firearm threats”, together with machine gun conversion gadgets – which turns a handheld gun or pistol into an computerized firearm or weapon. Such gadgets are already unlawful, however since legislation enforcement companies have discovered indiscriminate use of such tools, the brand new laws will guarantee a crackdown on its availability.
The opposite threats that this laws goals to deal with are unlicensed weapons, or weapons with out serial numbers, which are 3D printed, which have a possible to go undetected even by scanners and steel detectors.
Within the second a part of the two-part Presidential order, Mr Biden has appealed to numerous departments, together with the Division of Homeland Safety, the Division of State and even the Division of Schooling and different key departments concerned to collectively draft Commonplace Working Procedures or SOPs to make sure that there are common drills in faculties and susceptible areas the place comparable incidents have occurred.
Underneath this order, the legislation enforcement authorities within the US may also should test the sale of weapons, ammunition, and different computerized and sub-automatic weapons.
Extra particulars of the the Presidential order will emerge as soon as Mr Biden indicators it and it’s ratified.
AN APPEAL BEFORE THE ORDER
Earlier this month, President Biden known as for an entire ban on assault weapons. “As a nation, we can’t proceed to just accept the carnage of gun violence,” he had mentioned.
He had additionally urged the US Congress to take sturdy motion for gun management within the nation. President Biden even reached out to Republican lawmakers, saying a few of its leaders ought to “lastly say sufficient is sufficient”, including that “Now we have to do one thing collectively. Let’s ban assault weapons.”
He had acknowledged that these steps “will not convey again these youngsters,” nonetheless, it could “assist save lives if we do the issues we’re speaking about.” He additional mentioned, “We will do if we do it collectively…and I actually suppose we will.”
President Biden additionally known as for thorough checks and balances over the sale of arms and ammunition, calling for detailed background checks. He additionally appealed to finish the immunity for gun producers in addition to for fogeys who enable their youngsters to have weapons to be held accountable.
RECENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS
The college capturing in Georgia two weeks in the past was the most recent amongst dozens throughout the US lately, together with lethal ones in Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, Newtown, and Uvalde, Texas.
To date, at the least 385 mass capturing incidents have taken place within the US in 2024 alone, based on the Gun Violence Archive, which considers mass shootings as these by which 4 or extra victims are shot. That is a mean of greater than 1.5 mass shootings day by day in the USA of America.