F6

I. The Problem
Guns in the U.S. have become a huge issue, especially over the past year. There are over 300 million guns in the hands of civilians and at the rate they are being produced there will be more guns than people in the U.S. in 2018. There were sixteen mass shootings in 2012 in the U.S. (http://www.thenation.com/blog/171774/fifteen-us-mass-shootings-happened-2012-84-dead#) and the only way to prevent more from happening in the future is to ban assault weapons, restrict ammunition and put tighter laws on guns for the use of hunting and sporting.
II. Existing laws
The Second Amendment gives the right to bare arms.
-In District of Columbia vs. Heller the court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm; unconnected to service in a militia and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. 
-In McDonald vs. Chicago the court ruled that the Second Amendment limits state and local governments to the same extent that it limits the federal government.
-Under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, assault weapons were banned in the US, but the act was not renewed in 2004
III. Proposal
I propose that there first be a nation wide buy back of all assault weapons and ammunition (otherwise a law won't make a difference since the guns would still be out there). Next, all assault weapons would be banned, if there are no assault weapons then no one would need one to protect themselves from someone else with one. There would also be a restriction on how much ammunition a single person would be allowed to purchase, with the intention to limit the use of fire arms or at least only make it possible for there to be ammunition for guns used for hunting and sporting. If an individual wants to have guns for the purpose of hunting or sporting they must keep the  guns locked at a shooting range or other gun sporting club while not in use. If they wish to keep them in their house the ammunition must be kept in a place other than their home.
IV. Committee
Homeland security
V. Sources
http://www.care2.com/causes/5-things-about-guns-the-uk-could-teach-the-us.html
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/mass-shootings-investigation