United States – President Joe Biden promised to bring down crime and the circulation of illegal guns as he was speaking at a gun violence prevention summit on Tuesday, the same day his son Hunter was convicted of perjury and, therefore, purchasing a weapon when on drugs.
Biden provided a written statement that he accepts the verdict of the case, but he never spoke of it during the speech on Tuesday to gun violence survivors, mayors, parents, and educators. Biden was planning to go back to his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, later in the day to see his son, as reported by Reuters.
Acknowledging Gun Violence Survivors
The vice president applauded the survivors of the shooting incidents for their willingness to put much energy into doing something rather than brood over the act.
Biden claimed that from their words and deeds, the survivors reaffirm that “all the victims of the gun violence are not forgotten. They didn’t die in vain”.
The Democratic president stressed the measures undertaken by his administration to tackle crime as he gears up for a battle against his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in the fore-coming November presidential elections. This echoes the date two years ago that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed.
DOJ Charges and Crime Statistics
That act came into existence following deadly shootings occured at an elementary school in Texas and a supermarket in New York. It set up new criminal activities, which included straw purchasing of firearms with different stories as to the actual owner of the gun, among others.
According to the White House announcement on Tuesday, more than 500 defendants have been charged by the Department of Justice with violating a new gun safety law that was enacted two years ago on straw purchasing and gun trafficking.
Biden mentioned preliminary data from the FBI that indicated that in the first quarter of 2024, murders were down by 26%, robberies were nearly down 18%, and overall violent crime was down by 15%.
Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted Biden’s speech. The crowd became more restless; nevertheless, Biden was persistent to wait for the verdict and mentioned that “innocent children have been lost.
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The White House reported that Trump conducted the most significant number of murders of any administration in the United States.
Currently, democrats, in general, support stringent gun measures in the attempt to curb shooting deaths in learning institutions and in towns across the country.
Democrats vs. Republicans on Gun Control
The Republicans, with the backing of a gun rights community known as the National Rifle Association, majorly stand against the passage of more stringent legislation since the possession and use of firearms is a constitutional provision contained in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as reported by Reuters.
Trump, despite last month securing the nod of the country’s premier gun lobbying organization, has vowed to undo Biden’s gun measures.