Two Gun Laws Congress Must Pass to Stop Mass Shootings

Why Congress Must Act Now to Protect American Lives

With mass shootings dominating the news, it feels like the United States has turned into a war zone. Now, Congress must act to protect the American citizenry.

The Problem with Current Gun Control Proposals

The publicity that comes with these mass shootings drives a predictable response from politicians, celebrities, and even sports teams — a cry for so-called common sense gun laws. President Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks, and an end to immunity for gun manufacturers. Kim Kardashian and even the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks have also called for more stringent gun laws.

Most of these pleas are uninformed and would do nothing to stop new mass shootings. There are two solutions Congress can address immediately to help stem the tide — eliminate ‘gun-free’ zones and expand concealed carry laws. Liberals don’t want to hear that, but these two moves could go a long way in keeping would-be shooters guessing who’s armed who’s not.

• Eliminate ‘gun-free’ zones
• Expand concealed carry laws

The data do not support the argument for more and more gun control. Only 12% of mass killings are “mass public shootings. Most mass killings are ‘familicides’ (murders of family members or intimate partners) and felony-related killings (robberies or gang-related ‘turf battles’).” In the U.S., mass public shootings account for less than 0.5% of all gun deaths every year.

The Solution: Common Sense Gun Laws

Nevertheless, Congress can and should immediately enact two common sense gun laws that can help reduce the number of mass shootings.

• Outlaw gun-free zones — areas where legal gun owners are prohibited from carrying a gun. Gun-free zones often include schools, stores, movie theaters, and bars/nightclubs. Criminals are emboldened to attack people in gun-free zones for they know they can kill with impunity until law enforcement arrives. Both the outlet mall in Texas and the Christian school in Nashville were gun-free zones. From 1988 through August 2019, more than “85 percent of Mass Public Shootings have occurred in gun-free zones.” Allowing a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun is simply smart legislation that will save lives.
• Allow for universal recognition of concealed carry licenses. If a person is qualified to carry a concealed weapon in Illinois, she is certainly qualified to carry the same concealed weapon in Rhode Island or New York. We do not require a person to have a driver’s license for each state in which he or she drives. Why do we require someone who has passed all the background checks and completed all the requisite training to seek multiple licenses to carry a concealed weapon.

These common sense gun laws will save lives. If the government is going to take action to reduce gun violence, let them take action that will have a positive impact on the nation.

Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in The Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.