Debate on Stricter Gun Laws Revisited after Washington Navy Yard Shooting
By Kishan Singh
Twelve people are dead and eight others were injured, after a military contractor opened fire at a Washington navy yard on the morning of September 16th.
It is unclear why deceased shooter, Aaron Alexis, committed the massacre. However, authorities are investigating claims that he may have had psychological issues.
The shooting has reignited the conversation on gun control in the U.S., which has been sidelined in recent months.
"The overwhelming majority of the American people understand that there's some commonsense gun safety laws that we can put in place that could prevent some of this tragedy from happening”, says President Obama after learning about the shooting.
In April, Congress rejected a proposal to expand background checks on firearm sales and ban some semi-automatic weapons.
Many CCNY students shared their thoughts on gun control with The Campus after the tragedy.
CCNY sophomore, Rami Badran says, “I am not sure if gun laws would actually change anything. People who abuse guns are usually people who did not get guns legally anyway.”
Another student, Stanley Fritz, says,“Gun control isn't the issue necessarily. Making stricter gun laws won't stop people from getting shot. We need to put more energy into finding out why these gun related crimes are happening, while also getting illegal guns off the street.”
“It is important to define what we mean by gun control,” says student Evan Mastronardi. “The current outcry for legislation is with regards to tightening the screening process for getting a gun, reducing ammunition capacities, and curtailing the types of guns available to civilians such as military grade assault weapons. It shouldn't be easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver’s license, but, in many ways, it is.”