The debate over gun regulations has been ongoing for decades now as the Supreme Court strives to define what our forefathers might have meant by the Second Amendment's "right to bear arms" edict. In 1934, the National Firearms Act established strict registration laws and hefty taxes on short-barreled long guns and machine guns. In 1968, the Gun Control Act prohibited mail-order sales or interstate transfers of firearms, prohibited transfers to minors, limited new assault weapons and added penalties and licensing requirements for dealers. Here, we'll take a look at those who call themselves "anti gun," and are opposed to the individual's right to own guns.

The Brady Center claims to be "the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence." The anti gun campaign is named after Jim Brady. He was Ronald Reagan's press secretary and was shot during the 1981 assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr. Left permanently disabled in a wheelchair, Brady became a key figure in the gun control debate. His wife became actively involved a few years later when she found her six-year-old son playing with a relative's loaded handgun. It's important to note that the campaign isn't advocating a ban on all guns, but rather more comprehensive gun regulations to keep these weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals and shady dealers.

One of the major successes for the Brady anti gun lobbyists is the 1993 passage of The Brady Bill (H.R. 1025), which is also called the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. The Brady Bill Act required purchasers to wait up to five days for a background check before they could purchase a handgun from licensed dealers. The Centers for Disease Control statistics indicate that, since its passage, the number of gun deaths has plummeted 26% over a decade and the number of gun homicides decreased more than 38%. The Brady Campaign proudly declares they have prohibited 1.4 million unqualified purchasers from taking home guns for sale.

Anti gun campaigns often tie the gun issue with other sub-topics, like child safety and women's safety. In 2006, 2,225 children were murdered with guns, 763 committed suicide with guns and 154 died in accidental shootings. The CDC also reported that 82% of murder victims ages 12 to 24 were killed by guns shooting, thus making firearm homicide the second leading cause of death for young people (after auto accidents). That same year, 1,905 women were murdered by guns. From 1990 to 2005, over two-thirds of spouse and ex-spouse murder victims were killed by guns ammunition, according to the Bureau of Justice. These statistics are often cited as compelling reasons to consider keeping guns regulated so women and children will not be victimized.

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