Access to a gun is something that is becoming more easily
accessible. In today's world buying a gun is just a few clicks away, and guns
are being sold and bought by individuals who are not legally authorized to have
possession of a gun. According to The Second Amendment of the US constitution” A well-regulated
Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of
the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." But what
if this right is impeding on the human right to life? What if this right is
leaving school children and grocery store shoppers in a constant state of
anxiety since they could never know if they may become a victim of the next
active shooter event? All in all, the central question is with accessibility to
firearms being so easy, how do we protect our nation from the dangers of
misuse? With the recent active shooting events reflecting a misuse of firearms,
and gray areas in the governance of firearms, gun control has proven
itself to be the most pressing issue in world politics.
Living in Cincinnati, Ohio just shy of a year,
I resided in the city at a critical time, which has been considered one of
Cincinnati's most violent year regarding gun violence. One thing that saddened
my heart about this reality is the simple fact that many of the faces shown on
news station were people of color. Many of the guns involved in these deadly
gun crimes were committed using guns that were illegally accessible on the
streets. Week after week, the community suffered more deaths and dangerous altercations,
and no one could seem find a solution for the violent episodes. The main
conclusion the city has come to is the fact that the root of all the violence
starts at home, and many of the people involved in shootings are from
populations more susceptible to a lack of direction, support, education, and
mental health issues. One solution to this could be the
government requiring certain gun education and awareness to be taught in
school, which would establish a culture of gun safety, and equip families with
the proper resources to encourage safer home environments. This would help
prevent and heal community trauma (Prevention Institute).
Observing the gun-laws in countries with the
lowest rates of gun violence should guide the U.S in a direction in which
gun-violence decreases in the U.S. In Japan, which has the lowest rate of guns
owned, as well as the lowest rate of gun related homicides, a way that Japan
achieves this low rate is through strict restrictions on specialty weapons
(CFR). This restriction decreases the opportunity an active shooter would
have to carry out a malicious plan because he or she would lack the proper
resources. Another good example of strategic gun control leading to a decrease
in gun-related deaths is the UK's Firearms Amendment Act, which tightened the
weapon list, and banned some semiautomatic guns (CFR). The government's choice
to do so has proven to have had a positive impact on the amount of gun violence
the country has experienced since.
Another solution to the issue of gun violence
would be more government funding for mental health in communities and for
individuals. In many of the U. S’s deadliest active shooter incidents there was
a disconnection "from healthy relationships and from belonging to a
broader community" (PBS). The shooters were lacking an important
aspect of the human existence, and in many cases were left feeling unfulfilled
and angered because they feel they deserve the same human experience as a human
with healthier human interactions. If more funding was allocated to mental
health by the government, then people would have the opportunity to learn more
about building healthy relationships and balancing mental health. People
dealing with diagnosed mental illnesses may even develop the courage to
stand up. Ultimately, all lives matter, as well as all rights matter,
and this fact would be better reinforced and supported by the American people
receiving more support from the government to combat the ill
consequences of poor gun control. To conclude, changes to gun control laws
in the U.S would lead to a controversial political shift, and a fight for what
many American see as a violation of their second-amendment rights.
Sources:
One other way that I think could reduce gun violence in the US, would be to have better education about it. If kids in school learned about the gun violence statistics in the world and how other countries are dealing with it, people would be able to make more educated choices regarding guns, and it doesn't even have to be anti gun, just more educated.
ReplyDelete-Eli
I agree with your statement. I feel that with the prevalence of gun ownership, and the pro-gun culture that exists in the U.S our children should be educated on the topic. I even think that we could even take it as far as implementing gun awareness in school curriculum or as required learning units that teachers must cover.
DeleteWhen I was back in Japan, I had so many chances to see gun violence news in the United States in TVs, which would never happen in our country. So as an international student from Japan, I am personally so happy that you chose this topic as one of the most pressing issue in the world today. I have heard (I forgot where...) that the reason US allow citizens to possess guns is to create equality among the citizens and the political people such as the senators. If the reason that I proposed is true, I have not heard of a case where people have used their guns to show their right of freedom of what they want to say. I think that many other countries are also wondering why the US is not making any actions to solve this problem, and I hope that gun violence issues will be solved as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you liked that I mentioned it. I like how you mentioned the impact of being in the position where you have an outside perspective of the U.S. I've also experienced being able to see the U.S from an outside perspective. I was in Morocco during the original Trump campaign, and when the heat of the Black Lives Matter movement was at its prime. Watching the outside news coverage of the US during this time was like seeing some extreme reality TV show or Apocalyptic series. Its a very valuable experience and perspective because it is one you can only understand as an outsider looking in.
DeleteI hope we are able to find a healthy solution for our gun issue here in the U.S.
All of my international friends proclaim shock when they talk about America's gun violence rates. Quite frankly, with everything else going on with America's foreign relations, our gun violence is yet another embarrassment. I agree with your solutions, and I share in the frustration of many young people today in the lack of substantive action done on the subject.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed embarassing! I remember asking one of my international friends what his greatest fear was when he first stepped foot in the U.S. He quickly responded describing his fear of being shot and killed. This is a concern that even I as an American has been a bit nervous about. All we can do is be hopeful for positive change in the future.
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