IF LOOKS COULD KILL, BANS ON PHYSICAL FEATURES OF ASSAULT STYLE WEAPONS: CONTRIBUTION TO FIREARM AND GUN VIOLENCE SAFETY OR VIOLATION OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT?
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Date
2020-01-22
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
The number of mass shootings with assault rifles, such as AR-15’s, continue to
make headlines, fuel public concern over gun violence, and spur elected officials to find
solutions for what remains a highly divisive issue in American politics. Recently, it was
reported that in 158 congressional districts at least one mass shooting has occurred in
2019; that is more than a third of the nation’s congressional districts.1 in part because so
many communities are directly impacted by mass shootings, there is growing bi-partisan
support for gun control legislation such as assault weapons.2 Supporters of an assault
weapons ban contend that no one needs such weapons because they are “weapons of
war.” Yet, in truth guns labeled “assault weapons” are merely cosmetic in appearance to
military weapons. The difference is that military weapons are capable of automatic fire
while civilian versions are capable of semiautomatic fire. This makes them similar to
other semiautomatic firearms on the market. This thesis examines whether an assault
weapon ban would likely reduce gun violence and if there are legitimate concerns with
respect to infringement of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Questions that
will be addressed are: What should the criteria be for regulating gun ownership? Should
appearance alone be sufficient grounds to ban one type of weapon over another, i.e., is
there evidence that particular types of guns are more often used in mass shootings? Are
universal background checks or other requirements equally or more important to consider? What would a comprehensive approach to gun control include? For example,
would greater access to mental health programs reduce the amount of gun violence?
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Keywords
Second Amendment, assault weapon, firearms, gun, firearms statistics, demographics, gun control, court cases, Heller, large capacity magazine, hand gun