For years Colorado has been known for its beautiful landscape, ski resorts and even its relaxed gun laws. Recently however lawmakers in Colorado passed laws for stricter gun control. The laws include limiting magazines to a 15 round capacity and background checks before every gun purchase including private sales. These laws are ineffective, despite good intentions, they are very difficult to enforce and are too vague to support. Police officers serve and protect, and if these laws effect anyone more than the public that have to abide the laws its police officers who have to abide them and try to enforce them. “55 of the 62 sheriffs that serve in Colorado have outright refused to enforce the state’s new gun laws”. That’s nearly 89% of the sheriff’s in Colorado. Sheriffs serve and protect the residents of Colorado and the fact that so many have problems with these laws there must be something wrong. I doubt they would try to repeal the laws if they thought the laws would better the community in some way. They like many others believe the laws are too difficult to enforce and many believe that the laws go against the second amendment. I believe that the 15 round magazine capacity is over doing it a little. There is no way to effectively enforce it since larger magazines owned before the law passed are “grandfathered in” meaning they are exempt from the new laws. With stores right across the Colorado border selling the larger and illegal magazines for people that reside in Colorado it is next to impossible to decipher what magazines are new or which ones were grandfathered in. This gives police a very difficult time trying to enforce the laws and not worth the money or resources to do so. Why spend tax payer’s money and police resources to attempt to enforce laws that only rely on the suspect’s word? The law requiring background checks on all gun sales including private sales are equally as difficult to enforce but there has been an increase in private background checks since the law has passed. "Over 70 people have been stopped in the first couple months of purchasing a firearm that they otherwise wouldn't have if they didn't go through the background checks, so we're seeing it work" (Fasano, 2014). The only way to enforce a law like this is for police to set up sting operations to see if the background check is conducted, other than that is impossible to tell. Many more voters support the background checks over limiting the magazine capacity, mostly because it’s the one out of the two laws that are actually making a difference. Since the laws have passed two democrats, Senate President John Morse and Sen. Angela Giron had recall elections and State Sen. Evie Hudak resigned before she could be recalled. People in Colorado do not agree with laws set in place by lawmakers and are not afraid to take action. These laws either need to be repealed or revised in order to gain any support from the people who have to follow them. The laws are too vague for anyone to take serious but the democratic majority senate has stopped multiple repeal attempts. I understand that because of recent mass shootings and chaos that some people believe there needs to be more gun control for Colorado. Steinhaurs (2013) states that “We do know that historically in these instances, amateurs have trouble switching magazines”. If you have to change magazines every 15 rounds fired and you’re not a regular gun user it might be time consuming, meaning added minutes to people’s lives and gives law enforcement time to get to the shooter with the least amount of casualties. This is probably true in most cases for amateurs but if you were going to go on a “mass shooting” wouldn’t you practice? While I was in the military I was required to carry a weapon that used high capacity magazines between 100 and 200 rounds and one thing that always happened with high capacity magazines is they jam the weapon very easily, causing malfunctions with the weapon and problems for the shooter. “The semi-automatic rifle used in the Colorado theater killings jammed during the rampage, apparently because of a problem with the 100-shot magazine feeding it” Candiotti (2012). One man said if the AR didn’t jam he would not be alive today. Changing magazines is expected and anticipated by the operator but a jam is not which creates panic for whoever is behind the weapon, possibly meaning the end of the attack. Granted there are many variables in these situation like how familiar are they with the weapon, have they had professional training, is this their first time shooting a weapon etc. Steinhaurs (2013) says that changing magazines is problematic for “amateurs” but in Colorado with multiple military bases, military academy’s and avid hunter’s throughout the state I would not be shocked to see a situation where simply changing a magazine would not be an issue, and a jam would not be likely with 15 round magazines.
People argue about gun laws constantly but the fact is that the more people with guns the less they are likely to be used. Taking away larger magazines will not stop people from modifying smaller ones to hold more or going across state border to buy larger ones. I thing lawmakers need to focus on how to eliminate mass shooting situation. In reference to the movie theater shooting in Arora, Colorado how long would it have taken to diffuse the situation if more people had weapons for self-defense no matter the magazine limit, 15 seconds maybe 30? I do agree with background checks although there needs to be a way to enforce it.

REFERANCES
Candiotti , S. (2012, July 22). Source: Colorado shooter's rifle jammed during rampage - CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/us/colorado-shooting-investigation/

Chumley, C. K. (2013, December 16). Colorado revolt: 55 of 62 sheriffs refuse to enforce new gun laws - Washington Times. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/16/colorado-revolt-55-62-sheriffs-refuse-enforce-new-/

Fasano, T. M. (2014, January 19). Gun Control Laws Still Hot Topic in Colorado. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu/eds/detail?vid=8&sid=3957b409-c440- 43b6-9179-c61d50190758@sessionmgr115&hid=104&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlP XVybC xjb29raWUsaXAsdWlkJnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU=#db=n5h&AN=2W63881414177

Steinhaurs, J. (2013, February 19). Lawmakers Look at Ban on High Capacity Gun Magazines - NYTimes.com. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/us/politics/lawmakers-look-at-ban-on-high- capacity-gun-magazines.html?_r=0