“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This is a statement from the second amendment of the Constitution, the very document on which all United States’ federal and governmental laws are based on.
Every person has the right to own weapons in order to protect themselves; however,when these weapons are turned against others in irrational acts of violence and hatred,we as a nation may find ourselves questioning if what began as a safety measure is actually a safety hazard.
Outbreaks of gun violence have become all too familiar in the U.S. From 1966 to 2012, nearly a third of all mass shootings worldwide have taken place in America. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are wounded or killed. Based on this definition, there have been 136 mass shooting in the year 2016 alone. There is a high death rate associated with guns: when averaged, statistics show that nearly thirty people are killed by a gun each day.
The statistics are undeniable and extremely frightening. No other Western country has numbers that come close to the amount of lives taken by guns in the U.S. But why is this important now? Why are people just beginning to pay attention to this apparently obvious data? This issue came under the spotlight just recently with the murder of Christina Grimmie. Then, only a few miles away and a short period of time later, the shooting in Orlando occurred.
On June 10, Christina Grimmie, the 22-year-old singer who became popular after participating in The Voice, was killed after a show at the Plaza Live Theater while she was signing autographs. Kevin James Loibl, a 27-year-old man, opened fire on her, and Grimmie was rushed to a hospital, where she soon passed away.
A little over 24 hours later, on Sunday morning, there was a mass shooting at a gay Orlando nightclub called the Pulse. This was the largest mass murder in American history, leaving over 50 people dead, including the gunman, and at least 53 injured. The gunman, Omar Mateen, had pledged his allegiance to ISIS, making this event the biggest terrorist attack and hate crime since 9/11.
Loibl was armed with two shotguns, and Mateen was in possession of an AR-15 type semiautomatic, both of which have been used in several different mass shootings. In Florida, where both of these events occurred, guns are easily accessible. Had they not been so easy to acquire, these events, among many others, may not have happened.
Now that such well-publicized events have occurred, will stricter gun control laws come about? Will the government finally take the necessary action to prevent such horrific crimes? Probably not.
Recall the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, San Bernardino, Colorado Springs, and countless others. Even after these events, which cost many lives, including those of children, strict gun policies were never enforced, mainly due to the pro-gun policies of many members of Congress, the National Rifle Association, and the American gun industry. For them, more guns simply meant more money.
Now, faced with the recent tragedies, perhaps Congress will finally take steps needed to prevent guns from getting into the hands of dangerous criminals such as Mateen and Loibl. In fact, the debate over stricter gun control has reached Capitol Hill, and a nearly 15-hour filibuster to push a vote on gun control legislation led by Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has captured the attention of the nation. This impressive stand has raised awareness of the current state of America’s gun control policies, or lack thereof. As a result, several bills will be debated and voted on.
Many of those who fear the recent gun violence have called for background checks to be conducted, not only at gun shops, as is currently the case, but for all sales of guns, including those at guns shows. In addition, they believe a psychiatric test should be given to potential buyers. Presumably, the latter would be a big factor in preventing shootings that occur due to the mental instability of the assailant.
For the United States, the establishment of stricter gun policies must be taken into serious consideration, as they would help prevent serious crimes, such as the shootings that took place in Orlando.