Biden signs important executive order on preventing mass shootings in the US

US President Joe Biden and his "Deputy" Kamala Harris have just announced a new executive order to address gun violence as the issue is a focus of the campaign of the Democratic presidential candidate and his Republican opponent Donald Trump.

The order, announced on September 26, aims to create a new task force dedicated to combating threats posed by emerging weapons in the US, including 3D-printed guns and conversion guns.

The task force will also look at the rapid rise of 3D-printed guns, which are easily printed using internet code and cannot be tracked because they have no serial numbers. The task force must submit a report within 90 days – shortly before Mr. Biden leaves office.

The order also calls on federal agencies to develop guidance for schools on school shooting drills to minimize potential psychological harm to students.

US President Joe Biden signs a new executive order to address gun violence, September 26, 2024. Photo: The Guardian

“The lack of guidance today on how to prepare students while minimizing the trauma caused by mass shooting drills is unacceptable,” Mr. Biden said at a press conference in Washington DC on September 26.

“I never thought I would have to sign something like this, but we have to,” the president said of a new executive order aimed at improving school shooting prevention drills. Biden called the impact of machine gun conversion devices – weapons that can turn a handgun into a fully automatic weapon – “catastrophic.”

Ms. Harris expressed her support for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right of Americans to keep and bear arms, and advocated for an assault weapons ban and the passage of universal background checks, safe storage laws and red flag laws.

“Our nation is experiencing an epidemic of gun violence,” Ms. Harris said at a news conference alongside Mr. Biden. “We know that this violence is widespread and causes trauma that often goes undiagnosed and untreated, which means the consequences are moment-to-moment and last a lifetime.”

Research has long shown that school shooting drills, while common in American schools, can be hazardous to the mental health of participants. A study conducted by Georgia Tech on behalf of the group Everytown for Gun Safety found that such drills were associated with a 39% increase in depression and a 42% increase in stress and anxiety.

“The purpose (of the new order) is to help schools improve their drills so they can better prepare for a mass shooting and prevent or mitigate any injuries that may result from poorly executed drills,” Stef Feldman, director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, told reporters at a press briefing on September 25.

Questions about gun access have also become an issue in the 2024 US presidential campaign, with Mr. Trump claiming during a debate with Ms. Harris earlier this month that his opponent “wants to take away your guns.” Ms. Harris has strongly denied that accusation, noting that she and her running mate, Tim Walz, both own guns.

In a televised interview last week, Ms. Harris said she had no qualms about using a gun to defend herself, saying: “If someone broke into my house, they would get shot.”

Asked about Ms. Harris’s recent comments, a White House official told reporters that they showed that gun ownership is not inconsistent with “common sense” firearms regulations.

“This is really a prime example of what is true across the country: You can be a gun owner and also support gun safety laws,” the official said. “There really is no conflict between owning a gun and being a supporter of an assault weapons ban.”

Minh Duc (According to The Guardian, CNN, DW)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ong-biden-ky-sac-lenh-quan-trong-ve-phong-chong-xa-sung-tai-my-204240927131900273.htm