In the News

The Daily Toreador By: Michael Cantu Actions by U.S. President Donald Trump have come under fire after he directed the Department of Justice to ban devices such as bump stocks from being sold in the country. The decision, made on Tuesday, Feb. 20, came after his administration came under scrutiny for a lack of response to the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 14, that left 17 people dead. The White House has also made comments about increasing regulations for buying assault-style weapons such as the AR-15. Though the sale of automatic assault weapons has been banned in the U.S. there has been a lot of concern regarding the use of semi-automated weapons. Many people took their issues with relaxed gun laws and purchasing regulation to Florida’s capital on Wednesday, Feb. 21, demanding a change to people’s ability to purchase assault-style weapons, according to the Associated Press. Defending his decision Trump tweeted on Tuesday writing, “Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we must now focus on strengthening Background Checks!” The suspect in the murders, Nikolas Cruz, was said to have purchased his Smith & Wesson M&P 15 .223 legally, before allegedly committing the crime, according to USA Today. He was also said to have suffered from mental illness and had numerous encounters with school and medical officials throughout his life. A federal background check bill was put into place in the past, however, to help in eliminating incidents like these, according to the AP. However, there has also been a bill put into law by Congress that has made it simpler for gun owners to legally carry concealed weapons across state lines. Jodey Arrington, congressman for U.S. District 19, has advocated there should be oversight in semi-automatic rifles that could have a device to convert it to an automatic rifle, he said in an official statement to The Daily Toreador. “The bump stock used in the Las Vegas shooting was determined by the Obama (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) not to be a device with such automatic capability. I felt the issue warranted further congressional review. Last year, I voted for legislation that would require the U.S. Attorney General to report to Congress detailing all the facts surrounding bump stocks and their existing legal and regulatory framework. I believe Congress should review these facts, identify any policy gaps and address them accordingly.” http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/arrington-responds-to-trump-s-bump-stock-ban/article_84308642-1781-11e8-9e60-1f374573b954.html