(DeFrancis and …show more content…
Persons 18 years and older can purchase a rifle or shotgun in any state. Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment of one year or more, fugitives from justice, unlawful users of certain drugs, and those deemed legally incompetent are among the list of persons that are ineligible to purchase or possess a firearm. Persons that have renounced their citizenship, dishonorably discharged from the armed services, and persons convicted of domestic violence are also ineligible to possess a firearm. To purchase a firearm, a licensed dealer must fill out a federal form, which requires information about the buyer, along with the make, model and serial number of the firearm being purchased. The dealer will then initiate a background check on the purchaser to ensure he/she is eligible to own a firearm. The background check can take up to three days to complete. It is illegal to purchase a firearm through the mail or from another state, however, ammunition can be purchased without any state boundaries.
Federal law permits a person to transport a firearm, in a vehicle, from one state to another, provided that the firearm is unloaded and in the trunk of the vehicle. This federal law supersedes any state or local law. Any person wishing to travel with a firearm must be aware of any governing state, city and local …show more content…
Trayvon Martin was a teenager who was shot in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer, named George Zimmerman. The incident took place outside and Zimmerman could have retreated, but under state law he chose to “stand his ground”. Zimmerman used the Florida’s stand your ground law by stating that he feared bodily injury and had a right to use force. Zimmerman was acquitted.
The gun control laws that currently exist do not necessarily keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, nor do they prevent mass shootings. In the case of James Holmes, who massacred 12 people and injured 58 in a theater shooting, there were no gun control laws in place that could have prevented his deadly rampage. He legally purchased a .40 caliber pistol, a tactical shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle and thousand of rounds of ammunition. If gun control laws requiring a thorough background check and purchase history of firearms had been in effect, perhaps this horrific act could have been avoided.
The Federal Assault weapons ban has not been reenacted and had it been in effect it could have prevented one of the most deadliest mass shootings in the history of the United