Death by firearms is one of the most common causes of death. In addition to the recent attacks in the Netherlands and new Zealand, especially the United States are affected. Often in the centre of the debate: gun laws.
Worldwide, more than a quarter of a million people die each year as a result of firearms injuries. According to a study by the prestigious American research Institute “Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation” at the University of Washington in Seattle have been killed in the years 1996 to 2016, the more people in the civilian sector by firearms as a result of armed conflicts or terrorist attacks. Given the dramatic Numbers have a Trend to sharper weapons seems the world is slowly laws emerge.
New Zealand: shock following the attacks in Christchurch
The new Zealand government has spoken out in the past few days, clear for a tightening of gun laws. On Monday gathered, the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern her Cabinet to an emergency meeting, of the gun control laws prepare. While there are in new Zealand more restrictive than, for example, in the United States, however, there has been, in most cases, there is no provision to mandatory gun registration. The law moves in this direction had been blocked by the national-populist coalition partner New Zealand First (NZF), on the Ardern’s along with the Green is dependent.
However, a rethink is indicated with the NZF. Vice-head of government, Winston Peters, with the words, quote: “Our world has changed forever. As a result, change our laws.” From today to tomorrow, this will not happen, however. With all the horror wants to take the new Zealand government for the next ten days to clarify the Details. The Prime Minister Ardern: “We want to make the time to do this right.” A cynical side-effect of the announced legislative projects is already visible. New Zealand media reported that the sale of weapons had increased at the weekend by leaps and bounds.
USA: a Sad number 1
So many people die anywhere else as a result of gun violence in the United States. Alone in the year 2018, were killed in the United States, according to the “Gun Violence Archive” a total of 14.717 people by firearms. In the year 2019 until the beginning of March already 2.248 recorded deaths caused by firearms. But the political landscape is in motion. At the end of February the US house of representatives voted for a tightening of the arms law. The opposition from the Democrats controlled Congress chamber voted for a law that requires almost all of the weapons sales, a background check of the buyer. So far, buyers have to be according to the Federal law only on the possible criminal background checks, if you purchase your firearm in a gun shop. But that is not true in the case of private Online arms sales or arms fairs. However, it is considered unlikely that the law controlled the Senate also gets in the Republican majority. Many Republicans, as well as influential gun lobby groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) rely in their defence of the lax regulations, regularly on the Constitution. The second amendment guarantees the right to private gun ownership.
USA: Too many students, as it is here in Wisconsin, go against the lax gun laws on the road
Germany: rethinking since Winnenden
Since the amok run in Winnenden in March 2009, in which a 17-year-old offender to 15 people and finally himself shot, have been tightened the German gun laws several times. Since the end of July 2009, gun owners have to expect, for example, with unannounced inspections. Without concrete suspicion, it can be checked whether or not pistols, revolvers, or rifles are kept safe from unauthorized access. This is not the case, could face up to three years in prison. Similarly, the age limit of 14 rose for dealing with large caliber weapons to 18 years. In the year 2013 was also a “national weapons register”, the private weapons and weapons covered, as well as their owners. With a view to the so-called Reich citizenship and the extreme right-wing NSU terrorist cell, the Federal Council has been trying for years, that the Review of weapons owners, and also to the constitutional protection requested may be so far in vain.
Mid-2017 more stringent, the legislature of the weapons law on again. In this example, the safety standards have been adapted for the storage of new technical developments. Currently, the Federal government will examine whether the EU Directive requires that by may 2017 the Changes in German laws. As a response to the Paris terrorist attacks in January 2015, the European Union had banned, that private people are not allowed to own certain semi-automatic weapons.
Australia: a model for the world
That it is possible to convince a weapons lovers society, stricter gun laws, shows the example of Australia. Similar to the attacks of Christchurch the fact of a 28-Year-old in the Tasmanian Port Arthur shook more than 20 years ago the “big brother” of new Zealand. The offender had opened fire in a Cafe in a hail of bullets from his semi-automatic rifle killed 35 people. The conservative Prime Minister John Howard brought in the connection face of massive resistance from the world of politics and society, a stricter weapons law through Parliament.
Not even two weeks after the massacre, the country adopted the uniform rules, which introduced a complete prohibition of fully-automatic and semi-automatic rapid-fire rifles, shotguns, and “Shotguns” and strict checks for all the other weapons. Each weapon must be individually and in a Safe kept registered. The tightening of laws alone was not the government enough. In order to reduce the number of weapons in private hands, bought by the state of about 650,000 weapons from their owners, and tens of thousands more were voluntarily surrendered and scrapped. The result is remarkable: The number of firearms deaths has decreased since then, in Australia, half.