OPINION: Chiefs’ Super Bowl shooting further illustrates a need for gun control

Marc Goldstein is a sophomore studying journalism and opinion editor for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

It was shaping up to be a perfect day in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Chiefs won its second straight Super Bowl and third in the last four seasons. Not only that, but it was Valentine’s Day and love was in the air. As the Chiefs rode in through a thrall of fans and onlookers, it felt as if nothing could ruin this day. What comes next is something straight out of a movie; however, that movie was not a rousing feature film, but one of horror. 

After a personal dispute took a turn for the worse, an armed individual began shooting. This person injured at least 20 and killed one. This incident has spurred reactions from across both the political and sports realms, but, above all, has indicated a need for strict gun control laws in America. 

Since the Constitution was ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment has granted American citizens the right to bear arms, more commonly known as possessing guns. While the point of gun control is not to take away guns from Americans. Rather they ensure that the usage and acquisition is done differently. Many across the country, particularly the Conservative side, think that “gun control” means “gun banning”. 

The premise that America needs gun control is far from new. For years, it has been a hot-button topic among the political spheres, one that has split along party lines. Traditionally, Liberals are in favor of stricter gun control while Conservatives prefer the status quo to remain. This has made public safety, a hallmark of any society, a political issue. 

Since the last time the Constitution was amended back in 1992, so much has changed in the way the government works. No longer can political differences be put aside in the spirit of national security or best interests. Seemingly nothing matters besides remaining true and loyal to one’s party. That creates a massive and obvious concern as gun control is a real problem that needs to be handled at a federal level. 

While in the wake of the shooting, President Joe Biden sent another plea to Congress to solve the situation regarding gun control, it seems unlikely that any legislation will pass. Considering the political gridlock and decisiveness of gun control, nothing appears to be in the pipeline to solve this issue. The fact is that even the laws that have been passed have done little to change the overall outlook of how guns impact the country. 

In the defense of the federal government, it is not like there is some magical and obvious solution to this problem. Some ideas that have been brought up have been screenings to buy guns, eliminating open carry for non-law enforcement and active duty military and bans on certain kinds of guns. Some of these proposals have been found in states, but nothing is across the board in the country. The issue is a lack of continuity across the country where one can circumnavigate certain laws depending on the state. This ensures that gun violence will not be going away any time soon under these circumstances. 

The question then becomes what can the federal government even do. The obvious, although unlikely answer, is to amend the Second Amendment. Seeing as though it requires a two-thirds majority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. As long as Republicans are getting donations from the National Rifle Association, there is little chance of them voting to tighten restrictions on gun control. 

Another option with the best interests of the country at the forefront, Biden can issue an executive order, which basically means he creates a law and does not need the approval of Congress. This also seems unlikely to occur as Biden is up for re-election and would not risk losing the votes of Conservative or independent voters who support the Second Amendment. 

Whenever there is a mass shooting, it always seems like there is a cry for relief and gun control for around two weeks in the aftermath then the cries for help turn into whispers and then silence. The cycle continues until the next shooting. The issue is that the desire for change dies down and eventually it becomes a forgotten problem in the country. There is no guarantee that this cycle changes after this shooting. However, Americans should hope that there is real change after yet another shooting left more innocent citizens with lives that have been changed forever.