After some in-depth discussion during class, I have concluded that my paradigm shift will focus on the shift in political ideology due to a sharp increase in mass shootings. Throughout the past 2 decades, Americans have seen an incredible increase in mass shootings, primarily starting with the Columbine shooting in 1999 up until the Parkland shooting in Florida this past February, with plenty of other tragedies in between with equivalent weight. These mass shootings have caused many politicians to float towards changing gun laws. The 2nd Amendment states that citizens have the right to bear arms, but when hundreds of lives are being lost due to shootings, does the government have to step in and regulate this right?
Prior to the shift, many people were very pro-2nd Amendment. There were a lot less restrictions on gun ownership and a lot less paperwork to go through to own one. Background checks were easy to pass; if you were of the age and didn’t have a criminal record, you were pretty much good to go. The problem with these background checks is they do not account for family history; they do not ask if there are people in the household that would cause issues if they got their hands on the firearm. There is also this problem where people can purchase weapons under the radar through unlicensed sellers or a black market. The columbine shooters got their firearms from their friend who purchased them at a gun show from an unlicensed seller. There were several rallies following the shooting; people demanded change in Washington. All the shootings that followed had the same general pattern, except each one after showed increasingly more support. This change in support shows a significant shift in overall political ideology on gun control.
It’s no doubt that background checks need serious improvement, but that’s not where the issue really lies. The issue is within the fact that people have access to these underground markets where they can purchase weapons with no background checks whatsoever. Politicians can do what they can to regulate legal gun purchasing, but there is no legislation that can be passed to decrease illegal gun purchasing. In fact, if there is a significant increase in background checks and paperwork for legal gun ownership, more people are going to start purchasing guns illegally simply to avoid the hassle of doing it legally. This puts politicians between a rock and hard place: Do we increase gun control and allow the illegal market to flourish, or do we leave things the way they are, not solving anything? Regardless of the situation, there has certainly been a significant shift towards increased regulation of guns due to these awful acts of violence.
I’m doing gun violence as well, so I definitely would agree there has been a major shift in the occurrences of mass shootings and casualties. The factor of background checks in gun violence is definitely important and plays a major role. Overall, this looks like it’ll come together nicely with good sources and content.