Written by Amanda Angulo
Nearly two decades ago, California had added a new firearm to their ever-growing list of measures to gun control. Yet it was not for any reason that occurred specifically in California but in a Chicago suburb.
When an engine factory employee opened fire and killed four people, it caused California to become the first in the nation to create a database in which identifies thousands of people who had legally purchased guns but were now deemed as too dangerous.
As a result, the state’s legislature wanted to give state and local authorities the ability to strategically remove firearms from the individuals who the government now deemed dangerous. Due to violent crimes and mental health issues, those that do not fit that description lose their right. However, it does not seem to be effective in achieving its goal.
Today, California is having a hard time recovering thousands of guns from people who have been ordered to give them up. In the beginning of this year, the state Department of Justice increased its list of individuals to 24,000 and this pandemic did not help the situation due to the pulling of agents from the field enforcement.
Julia Weber, the former supervising attorney for the state courts’ and now working for gun policy issues has stated that “it’s disheartening. It’s a failure of the promise of the system”.
But the weapons don’t seem to be the issue. There is a deeper issue than that, in which the government has no interest in resolving and instead on the violation of our second amendment right.
Photo via OC Register
