POW, POW, POW! You hear a gunshot from a distance but don’t react. You just keep on walking, already used to the sound of gunshots at a young age. Imagine your community the highest death rate of gun violence for almost two decades. Many children in Black communities are victims of gun violence. The legislative branch should carry out more laws on firearm licensing that also involve background checks.
Many children (0-17) in the Black communities are victims of deaths from gun violence. According to “Gun Violence in Black Communities,” “In fact, while gun violence only recently became the leading cause of death for all children in 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for Black children since 2006.” This shows that for 19 years, Black children have been the biggest group of victims of gun violence. According to “The Disproportionate Impact of Gun Violence on Black Americans”, “Among young Black people, the disparities are even higher. Black children (aged 0-17) are over 13.6 times more likely to die by firearm homicide than their non-Hispanic white peers.” Children in Black communities have been through the suffering of firearms.
The legislative branch should enact better laws for firearm licensing that also involve background checks. According to “New Report Highlights U.S. 2022 Gun-Related Deaths: Firearms Remain Leading Cause of Death for Children and Teens, and Disproportionately Affect People of Color,” “To help prevent gun violence, the report authors also recommend implementing firearm licensing that includes background checks and requires safety training; policies that remove firearms from those at risk of harming self or others; and repealing stand-your-ground laws.” That indicates that the legislative branch should implement these solutions so the number of victims of gun violence in the Black community could be reduced, leading to more Black children living and not suffering. According to “Effects of Background Checks on Violent Crime,” researchers found a significant 19-percent reduction in firearm homicides among Black Americans after the passage of universal background check laws for handguns (including gun shows and private sales).” The people who work for the legislative branch should carry out multiple laws that include background checks while licensing a gun; if they carry out better laws, there will be a greater reduction in the deaths of Black youth due to gun violence. According to “Background Checks on All Gun Sales,” “In 2024, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) finalized a rule requiring more unlicensed gun sellers to get dealer licenses—meaning more gun buyers will have to pass background checks and fewer guns will end up in the wrong hands.” This matters because if more rules are better enforced, all buyers of guns will have to go through background checks, leading to a safer environment for Black youth. Also, if unlicensed gun sellers are required to get dealer licences, there would be fewer guns in the hands of the youth.
It should be clear by now that the people who make and enforce laws should make more gun licensing laws, and that includes criminal checks, yet many children of the Black race have experienced the fatality of guns. In the future, I hope children can live the life they deserve without dealing with guns.
