Debate Over Gun Control Measures example essay topic

They include Cease Fire, Handgun Control and The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, and the Violence Policy Center. On the other hand, Gun Owners of America, National Firearms Association and mainly the NRA are the major enemies of gun control. Interest groups are assumed interested in only one policy. It will offers and provides legislators with campaign resources, in exchange for future services. One can define resource as it is used here: A resource is anything that can be used to sway the specific choices or the strategies of another individual. Thus, resources include money, in kind services, voluntary labor etc.

Gun rights groups made nearly 2.3 million dollars soft money, PAC, and individual contributions during the 1997-1998 election with more that 85 percent of the money favoring Republicans (web). The NRA accounted for nearly 90 percent of the interests giving over the last decade. Gun control advocates contributed 150,364 dollars in PAC and individual donations during the 1997-1998-election cycle, nearly 90 percent to the Democrats (web). One can see from all of this that when dealing with the arguments over gun control issues money talks. The task in front of any interest group to make change and see their ideas implanted looks daunting, but it is especially difficult for gun control supporters in debate over gun control. Congress has been the main focal point in the on going debate over gun control measures.

Presidents have played a minimal role in the politics of gun control, but have expressed interest in the past. The NRA has been the dominant player in the debate over gun control, but their power and influence had been declining since the passage of the McClure-Volker bill in 1986. It is interesting to note the NRA stronghold on blocking many gun control measures, considering the NRA is a minority in the debate, but there achievement can be contributed to there organization and that they are on the defensive on key legislation, which is much better position to be in than on the offensive. In addition, another reason many key gun control measures have not passed is that the gun control supporters are not organized and have been very indifferent to passage of key procedures and measures. Yet, now that is a change in the horizon in the debate over gun control, and this can be contributed to a series of massacres from Columbine to Long Island. This change can be seen in a shift in agenda control in Congress.

From 1968 to 1988, no bill to curb gun control came to a vote on the floor of either house of Congress, but from 1988 to 1994, twenty-seven floor votes on gun bills were taken stemming from bans on assault weapons, banning handgun sales to minors, and of course the Brady Bill. One must think that the United States should follow Maryland example and pass national legislation requiring childproof locks for handguns. This kind of bill has become in the public spotlight since Maryland passed such action. President Clinton declared the new safety law a model for this country and he urges Congress to follow the example of Maryland. The Nra best strategy has always been to keep bills stalemated in the committee, just as long as they do not get to the floor of Congress, where bills get more public attention and there control advocator's are more able to tap into broad popular sentiments supporting gun control measures. For one to see a bill enacted for gun control one would have to make sure that the bill, one to enact safety locks on guns, was not stalemated in committee or in a sub-committee.

If this was the case one would have to attempt to blast it out, so that the bill was giving equal consideration on the floor of the houses so there it would gain even more support. It would be on these stages where an interest group would have to do all the preliminary drafting of the actual bill and all goals one would hope to obtain by its passage. In the preliminary drafting is where all of the groundwork would be layer out for the bill. One would try to have their initiatives take affect as soon as possible, but we also realize that gun makers need time to make this bill a reality.