Orlando Events may Change the Key Topic in the US Presidential Campaign

• 06.14.2016, 18:06
•  America,  World

wreg.com

American-born Omar Mateen who'd pledged allegiance to ISIS and gunned down 50 people early Sunday at a gay nightclub in Orlando, carried an assault rifle and a pistol into the packed Pulse club.

"It appears he was organized and well-prepared," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said early Sunday. Authorities said they haven't found any accomplices.

In the past two weeks Mateen legally purchased a Glock pistol and a long gun, ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Trevor Velinor told reporters.

"He is not a prohibited person. They can legally walk into a gun dealership and acquire and purchase firearms. He did so. And he did so within the last week or so," Velinor said.

Survey data released in 2014 by the Pew Research Center broke down the demographics of gun ownership.  Overall, about a third of all Americans with children under 18 at home have a gun in their household, including 34% of families with children younger than 12. That’s nearly identical to the share of childless adults or those with older children who have a firearm at home.

The Harvard Injury Control Research Center assessed the literature on guns and homicide and found that there's substantial evidence that where there are more guns, there are more homicides. If guns are available, it is more likely that a violent dispute will become a deadly one, and that a criminal with the intent to kill can find the means to do so.

According to Washington Post, this holds true whether you're looking at different countries or different states, and it's also true, when you take into account factors such as the age of the population, the number of people living in cities, and the overall violent crime rate.

While many Americans strongly support the right to bear arms, they also support specific restrictions, such as background checks, assault weapons bans and a federal database to track guns.

It should be noted that throughout his presidency, US President Barack Obama called for stricter laws on gun sales, but actually very little success was registered in this direction. Obama's initiative to restrict the rules of carrying weapons was largely accused by his opponents. The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution for US citizens.

The discussions around this issue became more active after the attack on an elementary school in Kentucky in 2013, when 26 people died, including 20 children. Restricting the carrying of weapons was the subject of heated debate.

However analysts say that Obama is unlikely to be able now to implement specific restrictions on weapon, but the issue will become central in the upcoming election campaign. The US's two presidential candidates, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have already expressed their position on this issue. Like other members of the Republican Party, Trump also supported the restrictions on the right of weapon, noting that in this way the number of victims will reduce largely. Clinton's position on this issue is not so simple yet. But after Orlando shootings, the Democratic candidate will have to show a clear position on this issue.