Man Fires 60 Rounds at Passing Vehicles in Cambridge, Mass.
Are background checks a life-saving necessity or an ineffective burden on law-abiding gun owners?
Above: Cambridge, Mass. on March 7, 2024. Image credit: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
With 393 million guns saturating its streets and nearly 40,000 lives lost annually, the U.S. stands as a global outlier for violent gun crime. Background checks have saved countless lives, but gun control loopholes keep America's status as a country awash in violent gun crime.
Right narrative
Gun control laws consistently fail in practice. A Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that only about 10% of criminals obtained guns through retail sources, meaning expanded background checks burden law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to stop actual crime. The bigger issue is leftist judges who often let violent criminals go free.