America, don’t be the neighbor who fuels gun violence in Mexico

Last week’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether Mexico can hold American gun manufacturers liable for firearms that end up in the hands of violent Mexican drug cartels is a moment for America to reflect on what kind of neighbor it is, and what kind of neighbor it should be. are.

Mexico says that between 70% and 90% of weapons recovered from crime scenes within its borders are brought in by traffickers from the United States, where it is simply too easy to buy weapons. It is estimated that between 200,000 and more than 500,000 firearms, purchased at gun shows or from private dealers in America, are transported to Mexico each year.

Is that how America wants to be seen by its neighbors to the south – a place that spreads the tools of violence, crime and sorrow? Did he contribute to the death or disappearance of thousands of Mexicans?

It is very difficult to legally buy a gun in Mexico. The country is not peppered with gun shops and dealers, and each purchase involves paperwork and registrations that can take months. But that hasn’t stopped the cartels from getting their hands on weapons, including high-powered ones. There are countless places in America where straw buyers can easily stock up on firearms and sell them to the cartels.

This is not a gun rights issue in America. There are numerous ways in which the sale of guns can generally be restricted to those who safely and legally own them. But in too many jurisdictions, it’s easy for criminals to buy any number of guns that end up across the border, perhaps trafficked to cartels for fentanyl and other illegal drugs shipped north.

Too few states have followed Illinois, which has made concerted efforts to find ways to reduce gun violence. Legislation that gun safety advocates hope to bring up during the General Assembly’s veto session would strengthen the requirement to report lost and stolen guns and require the safe storage of guns in households with someone under the age of 18 (instead of 14 under current law), someone at risk or someone who is not allowed to carry a weapon.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the Mexican lawsuit in January and reversed a lower court ruling, but it is too early to know where the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the legal issues.

However, it is not too early to realize that the flood of weapons crossing the border into Mexico is a stain on America’s image.

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