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mercredi 4 octobre 2017

How Hillary Clinton Wanted to Change America's Gun Laws

When Hillary Clinton's new book What Happened hit Audible's digital shelves, I was quick to download. I knew I wanted to hear her story and have her answer the question that titles her book, but I found the reading (or rather, listening) process tough. Just as the US election result made many feel volatile and unsafe, going over what could have been and what is - and realizing that racial and gender equality are moving in the wrong direction - is just as unsettling.

This feeling was especially prevalent when I reached the chapter on Clinton's gun-safety policies. After a day of horrible, heartbreaking details from the Las Vegas shooting, I listened as Clinton narrated a section of the book on the urgency of reforming America's gun laws, and her frustration and sheer bewilderment at the power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the senators who support it. Her words could have been written as a reaction to the Las Vegas shooting, but they were from her campaign, and I couldn't help but think how different that music festival in Las Vegas could have been if she had been given the platform to carry out her agenda.

We obviously can't know for sure what would have happened had Hillary been elected, and thinking "what if" isn't always particularly helpful - but at a time like this, it's interesting to revisit the gun policies she did put forward during her 2016 presidential campaign.

She Didn't Want to "Ban Guns"

Despite being repeatedly accused by the Republican party of wanting to "ban guns" - something that's apparently blasphemous in the US, even though it's been effective in other countries, including Australia - the Clinton campaign insisted she had no intention to do so. Her messaging was all about a) making sure dangerous people didn't have access to guns and b) stopping Americans from being shot. She had the support of the Mothers of the Movement organization, which campaigned for her, and had a strong focus on saving young African-American men for whom gun violence is the number one killer.

She Wanted to Pass Common-Sense Laws to Make It Harder to Buy Guns

The Clinton party promised to strengthen background checks and close loopholes allowing for easier sales at gun shows and online. She specifically wanted to abolish the Charleston Loophole, which allows guns to be sold without an FBI-approved background check if it takes more than three days for the check to be returned.

She Wanted to Keep Military-Grade Guns Off the Streets

The NRA has made it easier for the public to access guns with even more power. Congress shelved a bill that would make it easier to buy a silencer without a background check shortly after the Vegas shooting, but it's just one example. Clinton was completely against this and wanted to hold companies that sell weapons accountable for the damage their products cause.

She Wanted to Keep Guns Out of the Hands of Domestic Abusers, Violent Criminals, and Those With Severe Mental Illness

You can be on the no-fly list in America, but you'll still be allowed to buy a gun. Clinton fought to stop these kinds of allowances and wanted to make it a federal crime for someone to buy a gun without passing a stricter screening process.

She Wanted Military Suppliers to Be Held Accountable For Their Products

In 2005, a law was passed that protects gun companies from being sued when their products cause injury or take lives. When campaigning, Clinton vowed to overturn this immunity.

mercredi 4 octobre 2017