Vice President Biden announced two new policies in regard to gun control on Thursday, August 29. While the White House has been busy dealing with issues in the Middle East, Biden has introduced the policies in the form of executive action.
Obama’s pursuit of stricter gun policies was sparked in the wake of the Sandy Hook School shooting last December, when armed gunman Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 students and teachers, as well as his own mother.
As Obama stated in his speech at a vigil following the shooting, “Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?”
While major gun control policies were shot down by congress in April, Obama hopes to use his rule-making powers to pursue stricter gun control.
The first of the new policies is set to halt weapons of military-grade either sold or donated to U.S. allies from returning to the country. The second will require those purchasing guns through trusts and corporations to provide fingerprints as a background check. This is meant to stop those who are ineligible of purchasing guns from getting around the law by buying through corporations.
The first policy will mainly affect antique guns and weapons from the World War II-era, which has gun collectors irritated. Though the policy will help stop these guns from entering the country, research shows that re-imported firearms are not a main source of weapons for criminals looking to skirt the system.
“The Obama administration has once again completely missed the mark when it comes to stopping violent crime,” said a spokesperson from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
However, gun control proponents call the new policies necessary steps to keep serious weapons off our streets.
While bigger steps must be taken in the eventual elimination of illegal firearms from getting into the wrong hands, the Obama administration continues to press on in the goal for stronger gun control in the future.
Sources: AP, FOX News, CNN, Usnews.com
Grace Nealy 
Jason Karch 
Josh Steen