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Articles on US gun control

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Reenactments of Old West gunfights, like this one at a tourist attraction in Texas in 2014, are part of the mythology underpinning the United States’ gun culture. Carol M. Highsmith via Library of Congress

American gun culture is based on frontier mythology – but ignores how common gun restrictions were in the Old West

A scholar of gun culture looks at the roots of Americans’ love affair with firearms – and their willingness to accept gun violence as a price of freedom.
Ade Osadolor-Hernandez of Students Demand Action speaks at a rally outside the U.S. Capitol in May 2022. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

US tragedies from guns have often – but not always – spurred political responses

Congress tends to be most likely to act after an assassination or assassination attempt of historic proportions or mass shootings. But sometimes lawmakers do nothing beyond debate new measures.
Restrictive gun laws bring down the murder rate. Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

5 ways to reduce school shootings

Risk assessments and rigid gun laws are among the tools that can help prevent school massacres, a specialist in youth aggression says.
The front page of the local newspaper in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26, 2022. Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images)

Why gun control laws don’t pass Congress, despite majority public support and repeated outrage over mass shootings

The nature of elected office combines with the lasting priorities of public opinion to put gun control on the back burner, even in times when it does get massive public attention.
People hold a vigil for the victims of the Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California, in 2019. Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images

Knoxville school shooting serves as stark reminder of a familiar – but preventable – threat

The pandemic largely gave America a reprieve from school shootings. Two criminologists say gun violence could return to America’s schools worse than before as in-person classes resume.

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