New Republic

The New Republic is a weekly magazine of American politics, foreign policy, and culture. In the following viewpoint, the editors of the New Republic dispute the National Rifle Association’s claim that federal gun control laws are not being adequately enforced. Federal prosecutions of gun crimes have increased, not decreased, since 1993, they claim. Moreover, argues the New Republic, truly aggressive prosecution of gun crimes requires new gun control laws. For example, loopholes in current legislation allow unlicensed gun dealers to easily accumulate a large stock of firearms, then sell them, often in an almost untraceable manner, to criminals. The NRA’s call for the government to enforce existing law is hypocritical, conclude the New Republic editors, because the NRA has in the past vigorously opposed such efforts.

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