New Jersey lawmakers passed 22 new gun laws on February 28 that focus on gun and ammunition sales, improving mental health services, gun safety, stopping illegal gun trafficking, school security, and stopping gang violence.
Gun control has always been a “hot button” topic, with some saying the Second Amendment allows them the right to own firearms, and some saying that the Second Amendment has been misinterpreted all these years and that it simply allows us the right to form a militia, which we already have in the form of the United States Armed Forces.
In the past two years alone, there have been multiple shootings: the shooting in Arizona at a grocery store where former Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. Eleven others were wounded and six people died that January day in 2011 because the shooter was able to get his hands on a high powered rifle.
When The Dark Night Rises came out in July of last year, James Holmes entered the movie theater and killed 12 people, injuring 70 others.
The most recent mass shooting was Newtown, Connecticut, where Adam Lanza shot his mother, killed 20 first grade students and six teachers at an elementary school, before killing himself. These are just the shootings that were awful enough to make the evening news.
It is precisely these shootings that have people asking for something to be done. It is precisely these shootings; especially the Newtown shooting that has some lawmakers in New Jersey paying attention.
The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence gave New Jersey an “A-” for its already strict gun laws. When ranked with other states in the country, New Jersey falls in the “second-strongest tier,” along with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Only California has stronger gun laws.
Chief William McElrath of the Monmouth Police Department said, “Yes. I believe that tougher gun laws, as they apply to the illegal possession of a weapon, may assist in reducing violence. That being said, gun violence is still much too high, especially in the urban areas of our state.”
A report released by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University found that states that took the time to pass strict gun laws saw less crime and death by gun shots.
However, NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams visited Camden, New Jersey on March 8, and found that 2012 saw the most homicides ever in the city’s history: 67 people were killed. That averages out to “someone being shot every 33 hours.”
So, what’s the deal? Are these laws helping or not?
In 2011, Camden experienced cutbacks in their budget and had to let go of half its police force. According to the report by Brian Williams, that left just 200 police officers to patrol a city of 77,000 people.
Another report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focused on gun-related homicides and suicides found that states that had the most laws pertaining to gun control had 42 percent less gun-related deaths than states that had the least number of gun related laws. This means that even though Camden saw more death last year, the state – as a whole – saw less.
Yet, New Jersey lawmakers are passing 22 more gun prevention laws, despite the lower crime rate and being one of the toughest states on guns. And that is because gun violence is still occurring, and everyone is arguing about why.
Samantha Wilson, a senior criminal justice major said, “I think there are many factors that contribute to gun violence. Currently, I think mental illness needs to be examined as a contributing factor to gun violence. It is easy to blame a gun for violence, but what needs to be examined is the person using the gun.”
Dr. Michele Grillo, assistant professor of the Criminal Justice Department added, “In New Jersey, if you are issued a gun permit, you are not required to take a firearms course, and no course is required to obtain a permit.”
Grillo continued, “However, most citizens of the state are law abiding citizens. Stricter gun control laws would affect those citizens and their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Mental illness is certainly an issue in many states and brought to light after the recent school shootings. I have not heard that this is an issue or a significant concern in New Jersey. But mental illness comes in all forms and degrees, and all it takes is one occurrence for the issue to become a serious one in New Jersey.”
Lawmakers are making sure that examination will happen. Four of the bills signed into law last week are about mental health and background checks.
Chief McElrath said that he thought easy access to illegal weapons was one of the causes of gun violence. “It is far too easy to obtain a weapon on the street corners of our cities than it should be.”
Aaron Goldner, a senior communication major with a minor in psychology, said, “I’m sure gun laws have made some sort of impact on violence in New Jersey, but we still have cities like Camden and Newark where crime is uncontrollable and has basically set up permanent shop in these areas. That’s not going to change anytime soon unless something dramatic is done.”
Goldner continued, “Gun laws might keep the guns out of the suburbs, but in lower income areas where gang life thrives there is still devastating violence where guns are the main weapon of choice to handle a conflict of any kind. So until these crucial areas are addressed tighter gun laws are not going to stop the violence.”
Lawmakers included laws that require ammunition purchases to be made in person, identification to include a picture and for identification of gun owners to be updated every five years. These laws are meant to keep a closer eye on who is buying guns and bullets and to make sure that the purchaser is who they claim to be.
Professor Johanna Foster, instructor for the Political Science and Sociology Department, said that she thinks a lot of things contribute to gun violence, and yes, mental illness is one of them, so is easy access. But she also said, “I do think that one of the major social factors that doesn’t enter the conversation, but does absolutely need to enter the conversation is masculinity. I think that until we’re willing to tackle the meaning of manhood, and the willingness to use violence, and the willingness to seek revenge we will have a tough time stopping gun violence.”
Chief McElrath said, “There is no simple solution to gun violence. Although enforcement is very important, enforcement alone will not solve the problem. There needs to be a broad approach to gun violence that includes education, social programs, along with strong enforcement and prosecution of violators.”
If we want to see an end to gun violence, we all need to step up and take responsibility. We all need to admit that this problem will not be solved overnight. There are so many reasons why gun control is a problem, but it is a problem that needs to be solved.