Title: Stricter gun control laws needed - The Tartan
Headings: Stricter gun control laws needed
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Stricter gun control laws needed

Content: The government isn’t doing enough in terms of enforcing gun control laws, thus making our streets more dangerous. As of 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that federal law does not prohibit members of terrorist organizations from purchasing or possessing firearms or explosives. Furthermore, the GAO reported that “between February 2004 and February 2010, 1,225 firearm and three explosives background checks for people on terrorist watch lists were processed through the federal background check system, [and that] of these, 91 percent of the firearm transactions and 100 percent of the explosives transactions were allowed.” If guns fall into the hands of potential terrorists, it defeats the purpose of the government’s pre-existing gun control measures. The problem of gun violence needs to be addressed both from a cultural point of view and a political perspective. Guns have always been a part of life, and finding a happy medium for gun control is a daunting task. The matter of finding a solution to gun violence is complicated by the fact that many gun activists believe gun control measures do not provide any proven benefit to the public. However, stricter gun control laws have shown an improved general safety outside the U.S.
Australia has succeeded in implementing effective gun control laws, leading to a decrease in both gun suicides and homicides. The Australian federal government persuaded all states and territories to enforce stricter bans on long guns that could be used in mass shootings. While there were 13 mass shootings in Australia between 1979 and 1996, there have not been any since then, demonstrating how such measures have helped make Australia a safer place to live.