U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to advocate for stronger firearm regulations during her visit to Parkland, Florida, on Saturday. Her focus will be on urging states to enact laws that can remove firearms from high-risk individuals. Harris will meet with families of the victims and tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of the tragic shooting that claimed 17 lives in 2018, according to a White House official.
The initiative emphasizes “red flag” laws, which enable courts to issue “extreme risk protection orders” aimed at disarming individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Six U.S. states currently have “red flag” laws in place and are accessing the $750 million allocated under the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to establish crisis intervention programs, as per the official.
During her visit, Harris will advocate for the remaining 29 states without such laws to enact them, and she will also encourage the 15 states already equipped with these laws to utilize the available federal funds.
While Florida passed a red flag law following the 2018 shooting, it has yet to utilize the federal funding, as noted by the official.
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The Parkland shooter, a former 19-year-old student of the school, had a history of mental health concerns. Following his guilty plea, he received a life sentence for his actions.
The building where the tragic shooting occurred is slated for demolition this year. Despite the passage of time, the structure has remained largely untouched since the 2018 incident, with visible reminders such as bloodstains and bullet holes.
While red flag laws have drawn criticism from some quarters, with concerns raised about potential infringements on the constitutional right to bear arms, proponents argue that they can save lives. Certain studies have suggested that these laws have the potential to prevent fatalities, adding weight to the arguments of gun safety advocates.
President Joe Biden has placed a significant emphasis on addressing gun violence in his bid for reelection in 2024, entrusting Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, with spearheading the initiative. Both leaders have embarked on nationwide tours to engage with individuals affected by mass shootings and offer support to grieving families.
According to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the United States has the highest rate of firearm homicides among high-income countries with populations exceeding 10 million. This troubling statistic underscores the urgency of the administration’s efforts to tackle gun violence and implement effective measures to curb its devastating impact.
President Joe Biden, representing the Democratic Party, has advocated for Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban and to mandate background checks for all firearm transactions in the United States. However, achieving these goals may prove challenging in a politically divided Congress.
On the other hand, Republican candidate Donald Trump has previously expressed support for red flag laws but has opposed broader gun control measures favored by Biden. The differing stances between the two candidates highlight the contentious nature of gun policy in American politics, with significant obstacles to achieving consensus on comprehensive reform.
Article source : www.reuters.com
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