Gun control has been a topic of debate all over the country, especially since the recent mass shootings. Currently California has the nation’s toughest gun control laws. Although California has these tough laws about 40 million people own some sort of gun.  Recently the Los Gatos Town Council decided to pursue an emergency moratorium that would temporarily stop any new firearms dealers from setting up shop. This move was a result of two public hearings, which had an estimated 400 people in attendance. A Councilman in the Los Gatos area stated, “We live in a time that’s very contentious and it’s really difficult for people of differing points of view to sit in the same room and to be in some way civilly engaged with each other.”

Recently the National Rifle Association and California Rifle and Pistol Association have warned San Jose city council members not to consider stricter gun laws. A retired attorney sent in a proposal to tighten control on assault weapons so tragic situations like what happen in Newton, Connecticut would not happen again. Many people have the same opinions and worries as this attorney. Obviously pro gun groups like the NRA were not happy with this proposal hence urging San Jose to reconsider. A lawyer representing the NRA and state Rifle and Pistol Association wrote a letter to the city stating the proposed ordinance conflicts with state law. San Jose is one of many cities that are looking into stricter gun laws. All cities looking into these laws should expect to hear from the NRA and state Rifle and Pistol Association.

There is a controversy that comes along with increasing gun control laws.  That is, will having more gun laws have any impact? A staggering statistic emerged, in California nearly 20,000 people are legally prohibited from owning guns due to criminal or mental health records. These people that are prohibited from owning weapons possess nearly 40,000 weapons. This statistic is shocking because so many people around the country who should not have weapons own them. There is no clear-cut solution to this problem.  Many factors need to be looked at.  Guns, people with mental health issues, violence in movies and video games are all popular topics when it comes to solving this epidemic.