Introduction
Since the beginning of American history, there have been multiple occurrences of mass murder, most of which go undocumented. Most citizens in America believe that this apparent mass violence poses the chief concern regarding mass killings because it headlines the news, with horrendous murders frequently occurring in schools and public venues like cinemas and malls. A revolutionary study revealed 260 mass murders, with at least three fatalities documented in the New York Times between 1900 and 1975 (Haner et al., 2019). Also, at the New Hope Mobile Home Park in Glynn County, Georgia, close to Brunswick, eight dead remains were recovered on August 29, 2009, which led to the identification of the Glynn County mass murder (Haner et al., 2019). All those are good illustrations of why policies should be amended to address this issue with the utmost prudence and attention.
Discussion
Georgia should impose background checks on all firearm acquisitions to decrease the number of mass murders committed concerning Georgia Carry. Georgia has relatively weak gun laws and is a top exporter of illegal firearms to other regions. In Georgia, there is no vetting process for 22% of all transactions of weaponry (Haner et al., 2019). These are done over the internet, at gun shows, or via mutual acquaintance deals. A program that ensures extensive, well-designed background checks, along with monitoring and reporting by institutions of occurrences, would render it difficult for someone to purchase a firearm and reduce the probability of mass murders. Georgia’s gun laws enacting should take account of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) long-standing position that individuals who have been ascertained to be a danger to themselves or others should not have possession of firearms and ought to be admitted for care in to demonstrate that such a policy will not be opposed by NRA. The NRA still commands undeniable cachet in right-wing circles, and it can convene many of the nation’s top GOP politicians therefore having a policy that is in line with their agenda goes a long way in preventing mass murders.
Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) are not currently in effect in Georgia. By legally barring firearm access for individuals with a high likelihood of injuring themselves or someone else, ERPOs help households and enforcement agencies in averting gun calamities that sometimes lead to mass murders. 6 individuals were murdered, and 14 others were hurt in a violent shooting on the University of California at Santa Monica campus in 2014 (Haner et al., 2019). The attacker, who eventually shot himself that day, had already acted strangely before the tragedy. As a response, California became one of the first states to implement what is now known as extreme risk laws (Haner et al., 2019).
In Georgia, having a policy that allows for the implementation ERPOs will enable the public to take some action through extreme risk laws and assist in the prevention of mass murders. Often employed as designed, ERPOs step in when self-as well as other violence, including mass shootings, is predicted. Even though the NRA has battled red flag laws in at least 17 states, the NRA’s senior lobbyist recently claimed that Congress should fund states to adopt risk protection orders, confirming that implementing ERPOs policies in Georgia won’t face much opposition from the NRA ensuring the seamless incorporation of ERPOs regulations in the region.
Conclusion
Georgia doesn’t have any policy that can limit the capacity of gun magazines. Bidding, transferring, or exchanging magazines larger than the size allowable in certain states is prohibited. Legislation that regulates the number of magazines citizens can own has a significant impact on decreasing the frequency of murders in Georgia in a bid to reduce mass murders. A policy that limits the size of ammunition magazines has been successfully enacted in states like California, and when policies controlling the capacity of magazines are in place, high-fatality mass shootings happen less rarely and result in fewer murders. If these policies were implemented correctly, they could result in a considerable decrease in mass murders.
Reference
Haner, M., Cullen, F. T., Lero Jonson, C., Burton, A. L., & Kulig, T. C. (2019). Price of liberty or never gain: Americans’ views on preventing mass murder. Justice Evaluation Journal, 2(1), 50–72.