United States president Joe Biden waded into the contentious issue of gun control by calling for the country’s Congress to pass ‘common-sense’ firearm legislation.
This was done through a statement on 14 February – Valentine’s Day – which commemorated the murder of 14 students and three educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. The shooting was carried out by a lone gunman. Lawyers for Nikolas Cruz, who has been charged with the act, have indicated that he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence as opposed to the death sentence. The case remains unresolved.
Mass shootings like the one in Parkland in 2018 have sharpened and polarised public debate on firearm ownership. Concerns about the availability of firearms in the country are countered by the fact that firearm ownership has historically been seen as a civic freedom in the US.
President Biden indicated that his administration would demand action on this.
‘This Administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call,’ he said.
‘We will take action to end our epidemic of gun violence and make our schools and communities safer. Today, I am calling on Congress to enact common-sense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. We owe it to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change. The time to act is now.’