T
HREE MONTHS after the shooting of 20
first-grade students at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the federal government’s
response remains unclear. ¶ Nervous apprehension has replaced cautious optimism
among gun control advocates. Lawmakers
once hopeful of crafting bills with broad
bipartisan support have been reduced to
scheming out procedural means for passing watereddown legislation through their chambers. Support for a
comprehensive reform remains high. But the urgency to
act is fading as Newtown recedes from the conversation.
Not all hope is lost, though. A
proposal to expand background
checks for gun purchases will be
part of the legislation pushed by
Senate Democrats. Gun control
groups, meanwhile, have grown
more politically active during the
early months of 2013, funding and
organizing campaigns against lawmakers who support the status
quo. They recognize that the politics isn’t just hard, it’s complex
and often unpredictable as well.
The Huffington Post has explored the gun policy issue from
THE URGENCY TO ACT IS
FADING AS NEWTOWN RECEDES
FROM THE CONVERSATION.
several vantage points — legislative, cultural, polling and economic — to better understand the
nature of the debate. A selection
of our work is presented here.
Yes, the gun rights lobby has
applied substantial pressure to
lawmakers, opposing new bills unless they’re watered down to the