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I. I want to work to solve the issue of gun control in our country by outlawing automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and making the process by which gun licenses are obtained mandated by federal law. Whether cultural, religious, political, or personal debates are occurring, people end up hurting one another. The saying 'guns don't kill people, people do,' is entirely misleading - guns allow people to kill people. On July 27th, 2008, a man walked into a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, Tennessee and fired a shotgun, killing two people and wounding seven others. Although these numbers seem low compared to the other mass shootings that have occurred in the past few years, this particular story hits home for me. Everyone deserves to feel safe while practicing his/her faith, no matter what it is. Jim Adkisson, the shooter, walked into the church and shoved fear into the hearts of all of the young children there, and the rest of the congregation. A more recent example of gun violence is the shooting in Connecticut. Once again, someone walked into a school and opened fire. If the man did not have such easy access to a gun, this would not have happened, and all of those children would still be alive.

II. The Luatenberg Amendment, also known as the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban, addresses gun control related to incidents of domestic violence. This act bans transport, shipment, ownership, and usage of guns/ammunition by individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, or who are under a restraining order for domestic violence in the United States.The act also allows for people living with or associated with such individuals come under great scrutiny if attempting to obtain and own a gun. The provisions of this act are similar to the provisions I hope to make in my bill. I believe that persons who have been convicted of misdemeanors and felonies should not be granted access to any sort of weapon, let alone a gun. Therefore, my bill will also adopt similar provisions for individuals who are associated with individuals who have been convicted of any misdemeanors and/or felonies. The restrictions will be higher on such persons, and the background checks/process for obtaining a gun will be more intricate.

III. The bill will give the federal government the power to issue gun licenses. Therefore, the power will be taken away from the states governments, and the law will be more universal across the country. A commission will make sure that the state governments are properly executing the federal law, and that no loopholes are created and allowed by the state and local governments. This commission will also create the guidelines, regulations, and requirements by which a citizen may obtain a gun license. Because no person can obtain a gun without a license, the guidelines will be reviewed and reissued annually. The commission will look to the measures for acquiring a federal firearms license previously imposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for guidance on approving or disapproving of applications for gun licenses. The commission will also be comprised of a balanced ideological group, so that all opinions are considered. There will be restrictions on who can obtain a gun, and requirements for those who do gain access to a gun. Only legal citizens of the United States may have a gun, no citizen convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony may have a gun, and all applicants for a gun license must undergo an extensive background check (mandated by the commission). There will be a strict process by which someone may obtain a gun, and this process will be run by a federal commission. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons will also be banned in all 50 states. The commission will make sure that state and local governments are properly executing this provision of the bill, and such states that do not abide will have access to new roads and public services cut off from the federal government.

IV. My law should be introduced into the House Judiciary Committee.

V. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/news/local/knoxville-unitarian-church-shooting/ http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/14/nation/la-na-nn-connecticut-school-shooting-20121214
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville_Unitarian_Universalist_church_shooting