Prohibition against Importing, Ownership, Transportation - Essay Example

? Prohibition against Importing, Ownership, Transportation and Use of “Assault” Type Rifles Capable Of Firing in Semi-Automatic or Automatic Modes Name Institution Introduction In the wake of consistent killing and shooting incidents that involved semi-automatic rifles in American streets, many questions have been raised over the impact and significance of the existing gun control laws and regulations. American street have in the recent days turned out to be free-fire zone as criminals, terrified citizens and police engage in deadly gun shots (Kopel, 2012). A good number of untimely unnecessary killings in the United States of America’s streets have been associated with misuse of assault rifles by civilians. Moreover, increased cases of mass killings in America have raised social distress and concerns. As defined, assault weapons are semi-automatic weapons that incorporate features of military weapons. Assault weapons also entails all forms of “avotomat kalishnikovs” commonly referred to as “AK-47 S”. Security experts, scholars, and the general public have called for an instant action from House of Representatives, federal and states government to come up with a practical policy that would completely ban the sale and importation of paramilitary weapons to civilians (Roberto, Meyer, Johnson, & Atkin, 2000). This essay aims at offering a reasonable alternative policy to the current control laws. Policy The existing laws, policies as well as regulations that prohibit sale and misuse of assault weapons have in the recent past turned out to be ineffective and unnecessary in United States of America. The increasing cases of misuses of firearms in the country have as a result called for the introduction of instant policy to counter the vice. The current legislation has misleading and incorrect definitions and explanation of the concept of assault rifle. The misleading and confusing definition has resulted to the emergence of serious setbacks in the effort of eliminating assault weapon in public sphere. As a result, to achieve the best outcome from the existing and new policies and regulations, the house of representative should provide a clear definition and explanation of the concept assault weapons. There is need for the house of representative to pass an assault rifle provision that will criminalize the misuse of firearms. The policy should as well impose very severe sanctions to individuals who are found in possession of illegal arms. The house of representative should propose to the federal and state governments to finance the appointment of one assistant United States attorney in each district to prosecute felons who are found to poses assault rifles. Moreover, the appointed attorney should as well be given the mandate and responsibility of executing the relevant sanctions to offenders (Hardy, 2002). To counter the misuse of firearms, the federal government and other stakeholders should ensure consistent enforcement of the existing policies and laws specifically in the context of drug-trafficking crimes. The house of representative should as well consider passing a provision that will facilitate the creation of level III prison facilities as well as minimum security in every state. Prison facilities will play an incredibly effective role in ensuring that, criminals who are convicted for illegally possessing and misusing firearms serves their sentence as prescribed by statute. Minimum security will on the other hand help in undertaking comprehensive investigation. In addition, the house of representative should as well create a legal task that will be mandated with the responsibility of exerting informal and formal pressure on the entertainment industry to take immediate measures to minimize the extensive misuse of firearms in their areas of coverage. The entertainment officials should as well be encouraged by the new policy to reduce the portrayal of misuse of military-styles semi-automatic firearms. Mass media should as well be encouraged to educate the public on the contents of the existing legal policies and regulations as well as the prescribed sanction for possessing legal firearms. Furthermore, the established task forces should as well be given the legal mandate of drafting voluntary guidelines to limit the misuse of military-style semi-automatics. The task forces will as well have the responsibility of ensuring that, the entertainment industry officials comply maximally with the existing firearm policies and regulations (Konig, 2012). Rationale or Purpose The ever-increasing shooting and killing incidences in United States of America has demanded for the introduction of an immediate and practical policy and action to counter the menace. The proposed policy seeks to unearth the main causes of the increased number of firearms that are illegally possessed by civilians. The policy will introduce bodies and institutions that will be granted with the responsibility of addressing the misuse of semi-automatic rifles in the society. Moreover, the policy seeks to tighten the sanctions that are linked with the misuse of semi-automatic rifles. A part from addressing illegal possession of firearms, the policy seeks to promote public safety in United States of America. In addition, the policy will as well promote social, political, and economic development. The policy will on the other hand prevent the increasing cases of mass killing in the United States of America streets. The policy is as well aimed at minimizing the mass killing of innocent children in the society. The policy should be considered a sound public policy as it would be used to protect the public against the misuse semi-automatic rifles. Moreover, the execution of the policy will also involve the contribution and opinions of the members of the public. Stakeholders Among the stakeholders in an alternative to the current gun control, laws include the politicians themselves who are divided either as Republicans or as Democrats. They have a major stake in the debate since they have the numbers in debating the proposed law or policy in Congress that will be an alternative to the current gun control laws regarding the assault type rifles. Other major stakeholders are the people of the United States since they have the supreme power over all the governing bodies and the proposed alternative laws and policies to the current gun control laws will have a direct impact on them. Other stakeholders include the gun-control proponents and gun-rights proponents who have always held diverse opinions and are usually sharp divided. Generally, the stakeholders will ultimately include the government, the courts, the National Rifle Association that comprises the gun-owners and, the anti-gun groups (Carter, 2012). The sectors that will benefit most from the proposed law or policy that will be an alternative to the current gun control laws are the government, the federal agents, the gun-control proponents and the anti-gun groups. They will immensely benefit since the proposed legislation will serve their interests whereby their objectives will have been accomplished. This group of stakeholders has always had the opinion that stricter laws and policies are the only way out in ensuring that guns are used for protection purpose only. They will have a field day having won their struggle towards a regulated gun industry (Siegel, 2012). The sectors that will potentially be harmed by such a policy include the National Rifle Association with its members who are the gun-owners, the gun-rights proponents and the gun-sellers. This group will feel neglected since the proposed legislation will infringe their rights as stricter conditions will be put in place particularly regarding gun ownership and usage. Before the implementation of proposed policy, this group has always had an upper hand concerning gun ownership. Gun-sellers will be at a loss since sales will definitely take a dip since owning a gun will be not be a walk in the park. Additionally, membership to the National Rifle Association will also be affected since its members will consider the association as not having the powers to protect their interests (Siegel, 2012). In accordance to Pressman and Wildavsky (1984), the ultimate solution will be to include all these interest groups in public debate to essentially draft and implement a law and policy that will be an all-inclusive legislation. A public debate will enable all the interest groups to air their views and opinions to amicably chat the way forward. Consultation will enable a law and policy that will incorporate all the interests of the divergent groups. A common ground will be reached whereby all interest groups will compromise their stands and agree on a common law and policy that will be implemented. This will ensure that the proposed law will be implemented smoothly and without opposition. This will also lead to an effective policy or law that will be well harmonized. Analysis Using the strategic triangle tool to analyze what the proposed law or policy would achieve, there will be three elements that will be incorporated, mainly the political and legitimacy political sustainability, administrative and operational feasibility and the creation of public value. Since the proposed legislation will be debated in Congress, it is paramount that the politicians discuss the bill with the outmost sobriety that it deserves. There is a public outcry in regarding the current law and therefore due to a humungous public interest, it is best that the proposed law takes into consideration this paramount factor. The legitimacy of the proposed law will ensure that all the rights are incorporated and that the proposed legislation does not infringe the rights that are contained in the constitution. This will greatly enhance proper implementation of the proposed law thus ensuring that the United States is a safe country and to its population. The proposed law will ensure that it creates public value to its population and therefore, people will trust the various agencies that will be tasked with its implementation (Moore, 1997). According to Pressman and Wildavsky (1984), the proposed law or policy will effectively work at the implementation stage that comprises the operational and administrative stage since during its drafting consultation was done. During the drafting stage, all the stakeholders held various forums and a consensus were reached. Due to this consensus, the implementation stage will be effective and the proposed law will be operation without much opposition. Among the agencies that will be tasked with the full implementation of the proposed law or policy include the federal agents, the various state administration departments and the courts. Other agencies will include the National Rifle Association that will be tasked with educating its members one the new legislation and the gun-sellers who will be required to adhere to the legislation. The various state administrations will ensure that the new legislation is enforced both to the spirit and to the letter. The effectiveness of the proposed law or policy will be subject to an annual evaluation that will comprise of all the stakeholders. This will be done after a year of the proposed law’s enforcement. A comprehensive research will be conducted in order to have the true picture on the effectiveness of the already enforced law or policy. The government in order to evaluate and make any necessary adjustments to the proposed legislation will facilitate an annual forum. This would ensure that the proposed legislation achieves its intended purpose. Various statistics will have to be analyzed so that to come up with the correct figures regarding any benefits to the already enforced legislation. Since the forum will be a consultative affair, all opinions and views will be put into consideration so that any amendments will be done harmoniously (Moore, 1997). References Carter, G. L. (2012). Guns in American society: An encyclopedia of history, politics, culture , and the law. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Hardy, M., (2002). Teaching firearm safety to children: Failure of a program. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 23 (2) 89-102. Konig, D., (2012). The Second Amendment: A Missing Transatlantic Context for the Historical Meaning of ‘the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms, Law and History Review, 22(1) 91 123. Kopel, D. B., (2012). Japan: gun control and people control. Retrieved January 12th, from http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Foreign/Japan-Gun-Control-and-People-Control.htm Moore, M. (1997). Creating Public Value: Strategic Management in Government. Cambridge, Harvard University Press. Pressman, J & Wildavsky, A. (1984). Implementation, 3rd Ed. Berkeley, University of California Press. Roberto, A., Meyer, G., Johnson, A., & Atkin, C. (2000) Using the parallel process model to Prevent firearm injury and death: field experiment results of a video-based intervention. Journal of Communication, 50 (12) 23-91 Siegel, L. J. (2012). Criminology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Read More