Gun Control Across the Globe

To the surprise of many, the United States does not top the list of firearms related deaths from a global perspective. South Africa, Brazil and Mexico all rank higher than number 12, the United States, when looking at this issue. When it comes to the regulation of guns, there is a wide variety of laws, or lack of laws, enforced, or not so enforced, in countries around the world.

South Africa is under great scrutiny in current news because of the tragic death of Reeva Steenkamp, whom was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Olympian Oscar Pistorius, with a handgun. In recent years, South Africa was seen as a model for gun laws after a great gun-related violence drop was seen since 2004 with the enactment of gun laws that required a two-stage license application process. With this tragedy though, these laws are being aggressively criticized.  

On the flip-side, Japan has very relaxed gun laws that are not strongly enforced and still has one of the lowest gun related death-rates in the world. Other countries such as Russia and England all but prohibit the ownership of guns by individuals. 

Firearm related violence and deaths are seen greatest in countries with high concentration of gang activity and drug cartels even if the country employs very strict gun control laws. Central American countries such as Guatemala and Mexico are especially struggling with issues of this type.

-Ashton Theiss
Gun Regulation 
Blog Post Two 

Texas Up In Arms Over New Gun Legislation

A historically conservative, Republican state, Texas is full of Second Amendment supporters that have begun bearing arms with the recent Obama administration push for stricter gun control across the nation.   

On January 16, 2013, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Obama announced a plan that would implement “mandatory background checks for all gun purchases, including private sales; reinstate a ban on some assault-style weapons; ban high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds; and crackdown on illicit weapons trafficking.” 

Texas legislators, particularly Republicans, have responded loudly to this announcement in a variety of ways with the approaching legislative meeting this spring. Texas State Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, plans to file the "Firearms Protection Act" that would “would make any federal laws that may be passed by Congress or imposed by Presidential order which would ban or restrict ownership of semi-automatic firearms or limit the size of gun magazines illegal in the state” with beliefs that these new gun control policies utterly violate American Constitutional rights. Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, along with 13 other co-authors filed Senate Bill 182 that addresses concealed handguns on campuses of higher education. Another bill filed by Texas legislators is the “Second Amendment Preservation Act”. 

Organizations such as the National Rifle Association-Institute of Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) have also become, as expected, large players in this controversial legislative time. Over the next few months, gun regulatory laws are certain to be a hot topic of conversation at both the state and national level.

For information on more bills up for legislation, click here. 

Photo credit: chron.com 

Ashton Theiss
Post 1
Topic: Texas Gun Legislation