Three Topic Research Paper

Topic: California Proposition 63 Background checks to purchase ammunition

Brief Overview

California Proposition 63 proposes the idea of having to have a background check to buy ammunition for firearms. People who want to sell ammunition through a business or just personally will now have to apply for a license through the state that will only be good for one year. If a person buys ammunition in another state they can bring it into California without having to go through a dealer but starting in 2019 that is going to change. Within the next three years it is going to be extremely hard for people who want to buy ammunition for a firearm to obtain it in a timely manner due to all of these new laws. This is the only other firearm related measure that will be presented to voters since Proposition 15 in 1983.

2. Personal Interest

I chose this topic because it will affect me greatly. I have grown up my whole life around guns whether it was just shooting or hunting. In order to hunt or shoot you need ammunition and it is already scarce enough as it is. This proposition is just going to be another step in the road for going hunting since there is already laws in place to regulate the type of ammunition you shoot such as lead or copper bullets. This matters to me because now if i want to go hunting i will have to wait for a background check to clear just to get ammo instead of just going into the store and buying it. Other people who enjoy to hunt or shoot guns will be affected by this laws the same way.

3. Competing arguments/interests/claims

There are two sides to the proposition: Yes on 63, and No on 63. The California Democratic party is one of the groups that is for Proposition 63. That is not unusual since most democrats want stricter gun laws across the country. Many medical organizations are for Proposition 63 such as The California Medical Association, the California American College of Physicians, and the California American Academy of Preventative Medicine. Their opposition is the Coalition of Civil Liberties, the National Rifle Association, and the California Rifle and Pistol Organization. The organizations that are voting yes on 63 have raised and spent more than 4 Million dollars on the measure while the No on 63 organizations have only generated around 500,000. If the bill is passed the California People will have a much more difficult time buying and selling ammunition than there already is. As we discussed in class, California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States.

4. Identifiable special interests/lobbying or public interest, political ideologies, agendas

This subject is related to politics in many ways. It is a Proposition so that means people are going to vote on it when the date comes which is November 8, 2016. This topic also relates to the presidential election that is happening right now because one of the issues that is being dealt with is gun control. The Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, wants stricter gun control in the United States which goes along with the California Democratic Party. The people who are for Proposition 63 say that this will make the streets safe and protect the public because of how much harder it will be to obtain ammunition. There are organizations such as the San Francisco Chronicle that are heavily pushing towards passing the bill into law. Groups like the San Francisco Chronicle are gaining support from people in the town which helps them make money and gain readers since they have the same views as the readers.

5. Relatedness to Course Material

Since our book has a California section in the back i found this to be very closely related with the material. One of the first things that we talked about and was assessed in the lectures was gun control. California has some of the most strict gun laws in the United States. This year is also an election year and one of the topics that is being discussed in the debates and on the news is gun control. This Proposition will affect many people including myself and I believe that it is a relevant topic that should be looked into more. This all relates to the course in the sense that it has to do with our state government which we discuss but is also a national level concern that is being debated on as a serious issue.

6. Identify additional questions, subsidiary issues or implications

There are many questions that should be raised whether you are for or against Proposition 63. The first question that should be asked is, How much would the gun and ammunition trade on the black market rise if this proposition is passed? People would be more willing to try to get around this law if it is passed which will lead to a spike in crime. It could possibly lead to more guns and ammunition on the street because of how much more people will be wanting to acquire ammunition without having to have a background check. I believe it is necessary to know how much this will affect law abiding citizens by making them wait to buy ammunition because of a background check. This would also lead to the question of reloading your own ammunition because that is a possibility. Would you have to have a background check to by gunpowder, ballistic tips, and rifle brass? These would all affect the bill in various ways.

7. Write an annotated bibliography

Schatz, B. (2016, September 29). What you need to know about California's bullet ballot initiative. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/california-proposition-ammunition-guns-gavin-newsom

This is an article that provides viewpoints from each side. They discuss pros and cons of both sides of the argument. They also give groups that support and oppose the issue. This page seems to be unbiased and give neutral ideas that involve Proposition 63.

Beran, J., & Bryne, R. (n.d.). California Proposition 63, Background Checks for Ammunition Purchases and Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban (2016) - Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_63,_Background_Checks_for_Ammunition_Purchases_and_Large-Capacity_Ammunition_Magazine_Ban_(2016)

This article gives information on every aspect of the proposition. They give dates, history, opposing companies, supporting congressmen, and graphs with the money spent on the issue. On this website there is many different viewpoints and ideas being shared. It provides loads of information of the subject of Proposition 63.

Chronicle, S. F. (Ed.). (2016, September 12). Chronicle recommends: Yes on