The Path Away From Gun Violence in America
Abstract
This article discusses the issue of gun violence in America and the ways in which we can reduce the crisis. The pillars of reducing the culture and the danger surrounding guns in America are legislation, reframing the way in which we see guns and the perpetrators of gun violence, and the acknowledgment that the penalties of gun violence stretch beyond the physical and mental health tolls that they have an Americans. Through discussions of these three main points, the overall argument that guns and the culture surrounding them in America requires serious changes persists.
Introduction
Mass shootings have been a major issue in the United States for decades. At concerts, parties, restaurants, grocery stores, and schools, it has become increasingly difficult to feel safe whenever you leave your home in America. The answer to the issue of shootings and gun violence in America isn’t black and white, but there are steps that the country can take to put us on the right track to progressing forward and making citizens safer. Important action and recognition like legislation, education, and accepting that gun violence is not just an issue of physical safety are crucial to keep Americans out of the line of fire.
Reframing the Issue
Legislation is the obvious answer to gun control that has been proven to be effective at decreasing gun violence in the United States and abroad. In Australia, a mass shooting in 1996 led to the government buying back hundreds of thousands of guns owned by citizens. Since the government took action, the annual amount of people killed as a result of gun violence has steadily fallen. In the United States, California has the strictest gun laws and despite being the most populous state, has the seventh-lowest rate of deaths resulting from gun violence. The most effective gun laws are also the ones that allow most citizens to own a gun. Universal background checks and bans on violent offenders have seen the most improvement to overall safety surrounding guns when implemented in different states. The most popular argument against gun control is that it infringes on the second amendment rights of citizens, however these two pieces of legislation would not infringe anymore on the rights of citizens than felony disenfranchisement voting laws do which have been in place in parts of America since 1792. Educating Americans about the efficacy of legislation is crucial for progression, but accomplishing clarity surrounding the issues of gun control should not stop at the laws swirling around the situation.
In order to reduce gun violence in America, it is important to debunk the common myths surrounding mass shootings. In response to mass shootings, politicians and citizens often blame mental health as the cause before any information becomes available for the actual motivation behind the shooting. Not only is this assumption harmful to the millions of mentally ill Americans that are not violent or dangerous, but it is also inaccurate. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter was diagnosed with schizophrenia by the media following the shooting, people have been quick to attribute the same underlying cause to the majority of shootings that have followed despite little to no evidence that mental health is the issue leading to these shootings. In actuality, this stereotype about the mentally ill being a danger to society leads to more violence, both due to the distraction of finding a real solution and by increasing the frequency of random acts of violence against the mentally ill. Another common misconception about gun violence and its perpetrators is that the people who carry out mass shootings are easily identifiable prior to the violence. The issue with this perception is that although it is not entirely false, it is very misleading. In hindsight of many mass shootings, it is easy to point to potential warning signs that could have prevented an attack. According to an FBI report on the pre-attack behaviors of mass shooters, on average a shooter would display 4.7 “concerning behaviors.” However, these concerning behaviors that the FBI has identified are behaviors that can be attributed to a massive portion of Americans. For example, some of these behaviors include work performance, school performance, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse, common issues for many Americans who will never carry out a violent attack. The misunderstanding about the identification and profiling of mass shooters prior to their attacks is a dangerous assumption to make which could result in Americans labelling each other dangerous when they present no threat. For many, the toll that gun violence has had on the physical and mental health of Americans is not enough to justify a massive change in the laws and culture of America, but besides health and comfort, there are other incentives to change the way that America deals with guns.
Gun violence has serious economic and financial costs attached to them. According to The Washington Post, gun violence in America costs the economy more than 200 billion dollars annually. The costs of gun violence can be seen both large and small in America. For example, a victim of gun violence can spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on out of pocket medical care. On a large scale, gun violence costs large industries millions. Take the concert industry for example which saw major short term economic losses as a result of decreased demand after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017. For many politicians against gun control, money is a big motivator. The National Rifle Association spends millions lobbying lawmakers to keep them on the side against new legislation, but these millions are minuscule in comparison to the massive losses that the country endures as a result of the current gun laws, measured both in money and in blood.
Conclusion
Gun violence and the means to stop it can’t and won’t come from a simple legislative action. The solution that America can work towards involves education, openness, and recognition that the current system isn’t working for the majority of Americans. The solution to the gun issue in the United States won’t be solved by a single bill overnight but rather by a system put in place which makes gun violence an afterthought in the minds of Americans.
Citations
Silver, James, Andre Simmons, and Sarah Crawn. “A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013.” FBI. FBI, June 20, 2018. https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf/view.
Gun Violence in America: Understanding and Reducing the Costs of Firearm Injuries and Deaths: Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress . , . HeinOnline, https://heinonline-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/HOL/P?h=hein.cbhear/fdsysawkd0001&i=1.
Utter, Glenn H., and Robert J. Spitzer. The Gun Debate: an Encyclopedia of Gun Rights & Gun Control in the United States. Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2016.
Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence: Protecting Our Communities While respecting the Second Amendment: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session . , . HeinOnline, https://heinonline-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/HOL/P?h=hein.cbhear/fdsysarsx0001&i=1.
Singletary, Michelle. “Perspective | The Enormous Economic Cost of Gun Violence.” The Washington Post. WP Company, March 31, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/02/22/the-enormous-economic-cost-of-gun-violence/.
