The latest push by the Biden-Harris administration to address gun violence has once again placed firearms in the center of national debate. President Biden is issuing an executive order that aims to increase the number of background checks to buy guns, promote better and more secure firearms storage and ensure U.S. law enforcement agencies are getting the most out of a bipartisan gun control law enacted last summer.
In this Executive Order, President Biden is establishing an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force, consisting of leadership from key federal departments and agencies. President Biden is directing the Task Force to issue a report within 90 days that includes: an assessment of the threat posed by machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; an assessment of federal agencies’ operational and legal capacities to detect, intercept, and seize machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; and an interagency plan for combatting these emerging threats. The report will include any additional authorities or funding the federal agencies need from Congress in order to complete this work.
Many are questioning the comments made by Kamala Harris in this exchange below.
As of September 2024, the administration has introduced new executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence, including efforts to eliminate gun conversion devices, enhance background checks, and improve school safety measures. But while these initiatives might seem like steps in the right direction, there’s a glaring question that many Americans are asking:
How will this stop criminals from getting guns?
The Biden-Harris Executive Actions: What’s on the Table?
In their latest announcement, President Biden and Vice President Harris laid out several key areas they hope to address through executive action:
Elimination of Gun Conversion Devices: This includes targeting devices that allow firearms to be modified to shoot faster or with more destructive capacity.
Enhanced Background Checks: A push toward universal background checks, tightening up loopholes, and moving closer to a fully comprehensive system, even without new legislation.
School Safety: Increased emphasis on improving school-based active shooter drills, making them more age-appropriate and less traumatic while providing additional resources to schools.
While the rhetoric is framed around reducing gun violence, the real concern among Second Amendment advocates is whether these measures will actually address the core issue: stopping criminals from obtaining guns.
Criminals Don’t Follow Gun Laws
This isn’t just an argument – it’s a reality. Laws aimed at law-abiding citizens often have little to no effect on those who choose to break the law. Criminals have never needed permission or legal means to obtain guns. Despite universal background checks or the elimination of conversion devices, the black market, gun trafficking, and straw purchases will continue to fuel the illegal gun trade.
Take Chicago, for example – a city with some of the strictest gun laws in the country but still plagued by rampant gun violence. Why? Because criminals don’t follow gun laws. Stricter regulations only impact responsible gun owners, while bad actors find their way around these regulations.
Will Enhanced Background Checks Work?
The administration's push for enhanced background checks and a move toward universal checks is intended to prevent individuals who shouldn’t have guns from acquiring them. While this is admirable in theory, the reality is that many criminals acquire firearms through illegal means – bypassing any background check system entirely. Guns are often stolen, purchased through unregulated private sales, or trafficked through organized criminal channels.
While universal background checks may slow down the process for some, it’s hard to see how they will prevent criminals from arming themselves when they have always done so outside of legal means.
Executive Action: The Real Impact on Crime
This brings us to the heart of the debate: Will the new executive actions actually reduce gun violence? Critics of the Biden-Harris plan point out that while the measures might be well-intentioned, they focus on restricting access to firearms for law-abiding citizens rather than targeting the criminal element that actually drives gun violence.
Rather than eliminating conversion devices or mandating enhanced background checks, what’s truly needed is a robust crackdown on illegal gun trafficking, stronger enforcement of existing laws, and more severe penalties for those caught committing crimes with firearms.
Addressing the Root Cause of Gun Violence
The administration has declared gun violence a public health crisis, yet its proposed solutions focus more on the tools (guns) rather than the causes (criminal behavior, mental health, and societal issues). Criminals who obtain guns don’t care about the new rules surrounding conversion devices or stricter background checks. They will continue to acquire weapons through illicit channels, while law-abiding citizens are further restricted from exercising their Second Amendment rights.
To truly address gun violence, there needs to be a shift in focus toward the root causes:
Mental Health: Invest in mental health resources to help prevent individuals from reaching the point of violence.
Socioeconomic Factors: Tackle poverty and unemployment that often lead to gang activity and criminal behavior.
Stronger Penalties: Ensure that gun-related crimes are met with severe consequences, creating a deterrent for those who misuse firearms.
A Second Amendment at Risk?
Second Amendment advocates view these executive actions as part of a broader effort to erode gun rights for law-abiding Americans. While the administration claims these actions will curb gun violence, many believe they will only make it harder for responsible citizens to defend themselves.
The question remains: Will these actions stop criminals from getting guns? The answer seems clear. Criminals will continue to bypass laws and acquire guns through illegal means, while law-abiding citizens will be left navigating increasingly restrictive regulations.
A Flawed Approach
If the Biden-Harris administration is serious about addressing gun violence, their efforts should be focused on enforcing existing laws, cracking down on illegal gun sales, and addressing the root causes of violence, rather than placing more restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.
Gun control may sound like a quick fix, but until the real issues are tackled, criminals will continue to obtain guns – and the Second Amendment rights of responsible Americans will remain under attack.
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