Howell and Christmas, LLC On Guns: Part 1 of 2
In lieu of recent tragic events in Arizona, large arms manufacturer Remington coming "Underfire," and the reevaluation of gun laws in the United States, Charleston personal injury attorneys have decided to take a look at the "gun issue."
In regards to the Arizona shootings that caused serious brain injuries to democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords after her being shot in the head, there is much debate as to whether tighter gun control will prevent similar incidents to the Tucson shooting that took six lives of the 19 shot by crazed, indicted gunman Jared Loughner. Now, two weeks after the shooting, Gifford is able to stand, but her rehabilitation is just starting. She will have to relearn to think and to plan, and it is uncertain at this point if she able to speak or how well she can see.
The shooting has left legislators ill at ease, some are concerned for their own safety and some are calling into question the relatively easy process of obtaining powerful assault rifles in the U.S. But, there are those on Capitol Hill who maintain their position that individuals are entitled to bear arms, as the second amendment puts it, and would describe mass shootings like the one in Tucson as an "isolated incident."
While these isolated incidents are no doubt devastating, their seems to be little sustained support for stricter gun regulations. A Wall Street Journal article calls these timely outcries as "blips," as they tend not to materialize into any serious statute reformation. Proponents for lax gun laws and answers to polls support the notion that is not the availability of guns, but rather the mental state of those responsible as the instigator in the Arizona shooting, and that the mental health system is to blame in this and like cases.
Interestingly, the views expressed in polls, which try and account for tragedies like the one in Tucson, have little to do with the political persuasion of a state, whether it be democrat or republican, but rather whether those surveyed reside in urban, suburban, or rural areas. Urban and inner-suburban residents generally favor tight gun regulations, as they feel strict gun control will limit violent crimes and wrongful deaths from shootings. Rural residents and those living in outer-suburban rings tend to be more familiar with guns as a legal way to protect themselves or for recreational activities such as hunting and conservatively views as a basic American right afforded to them by the Bill of Rights.
In the follow-up post there will be further discussion on gun control sentiments and a CNBC report that takes a hard look at major gun manufacturer Remington and the difficulty for government intervention in recalling defective guns.
