On Monday, April 11th, 2022, President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice announced the implementation of new restrictions on homemade guns, also referred to as “ghost guns.” The new restrictions, once implemented, will “clarify that parts that are readily convertible to firearms are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms.” This means that the makers of gun kits would be required to include serial numbers on the firearms and background checks would also be required when purchasing the firearms from a licensed dealer, manufacturer, or importer. The goal of these new restrictions is to curb the proliferation of these firearms, which are easily acquired by criminals and difficult to trace due to the lack of serial numbers. According to the White House, from 2016 to 2021, the number of suspected ghost guns that were recovered by law enforcement and reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) increased tenfold. In 2021, there were approximately 20,000 suspected ghost guns that were recovered and reported to the ATF. The new restrictions, or final rule, which will “modernize” the definition of the firearm, has been submitted to the Federal Register by the Department of Justice. It is scheduled to go into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Instructors, click on the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt, a debate question, as well as other assessment questions.
Video
Assessment
- Writing: Explain how the new restrictions will curb the proliferation of ghost guns.
- Debate: The new restrictions, or final rule, is a part of President Joe Biden’s comprehensive gun crime reduction strategy. Do you believe that the new restrictions will reduce gun violence and make communities safer?
- Poll: All commercial manufacturers should be banned from making the gun kits that are used to make “ghost guns.” (Agree or Disagree).
- Short Answer: Discuss what a ghost gun is.
Cover Image: iStock/Douglas Rissing