Since the birth of our nation, the right to own and purchase firearms without government intervention has been one of the most fiercely protected ideals in American political history. Many gun owners refuse to even entertain the idea of gun control or regulation, seeing it as a direct violation of their Second Amendment rights, and the federal government, by and large, has been content to leave gun regulation laws alone.
However, as guns become deadlier and easier to obtain, and as more and more mass shootings occur every year, it’s time for our country to take a step back and look at the realities of our current policies on firearms.
First of all, the mass shooting issue is exponentially more pronounced in America than in other developed countries. According to Vox media, in 2018, the United States fell victim to 328 mass shootings, in which 365 people were killed and over 1,300 were wounded. In addition, the US has the highest gun violence rate of any first-world nation; our gun homicide rate is 29.7 deaths per million people, while Switzerland, the next-deadliest developed country, has a rate of only 7.7 deaths per million people.
Even when politicians recognize the problem, they all too often point to the wrong causes. Despite what our President claims, violent video games and movies are not the reason for this major spike in violence. In fact, over 230 scholars from universities around the globe have concluded that violence actually decreases in the weeks after popular violent movie or video game releases. Violent media may be an easy scapegoat for politicians opposing gun control, but they fail to consider that other developed countries have the same violent games and movies yet are vastly safer to live in than the United States.
These safer countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, did not achieve peace through a video game ban, but rather through a strictly regulated firearms industry. For example, in Sweden, to obtain a license for a firearm, a person must be a member of a shooting club for at least six months, as well as pass both a physical health test and a mental background check. Then, once the Swede has passed the test and acquired the firearm, they are legally required to keep the weapon in a locked safe at all times, except when in use. To top it all off, all types of assault and automatic rifles are strictly banned in Sweden, and citizens are only allowed to own a maximum of six hunting rifles.
This system is similar to those used in many other European countries and is the reason for the continent’s low homicide rate compared to other parts of the world. These governments’ ability to tightly regulate the firearms industry has made them some of the safest countries in the world to live in, with a gun homicide rate many times smaller than that of America.
Compared to the sensible and efficient method of gun control practiced in Sweden, the United States’ regulation is almost laughable. In 38 states out of 50, at certain events like gun fairs or expositions, anyone of any age can purchase any type of gun with cash. To buy alcohol, cigarettes, or even lottery tickets, a person needs a valid I.D. and must be at least 18 to 21 years old. However, any 17 year old with 2,000 dollars can walk into a gun expo and buy an assault weapon. With these reckless laws concerning firearms, it becomes obvious why gun violence has plagued our country so severely.
At the end of the day, the solution to decreased violence is no secret. Firearms are by far the most prominent weapon of murder in our country according to BBC news, and with our current laws, anyone who wants a gun can easily get one. In order to truly make America safer, it’s time to implement a new set of nationally recognized and practiced gun laws. In order to purchase a firearm in our country, a citizen should have to obtain a firearms license from a police station and be subjected to an extensive mental health test and background check. Guns should be legally required to remain in locked safes while not in use, and assault rifles and automatic weapons should be completely banned. In addition, private citizens should be banned from selling guns to other private citizens, and all business involving firearms should be done through licensed gun dealing companies. This system of gun control isn’t new or untested and is almost identical to many of the European gun control systems that have been so successful.
Though this system is undoubtedly better than the one we have now, it would be foolish to think that everyone will be happy with these laws or to think that all gun-related crime will suddenly stop. There are around 120 firearms for every 100 residents in our country, as well as up to four million AR-15 assault rifles. Obviously, even if bans on guns were enacted tomorrow, there would still be a massive number of guns on the street, and they could still be circulated and used. To combat this problem, the US government could offer a buy off option. Our government could use tax dollars to purchase guns from the populace, decreasing the gun concentration while at the same time giving money to citizens. A similar option was used in Australia in the 1990’s, in which the Australian government responded to its first mass killing by enacting a mandatory government buyoff of all automatic weapons. In addition, since the majority of gun owners are concentrated in poorer areas of the country, a buy off option could kickstart the economies of inner cities and rural communities all over the country.
In an ideal world, we could legally sell and use any kind of firearm, and those who use weaponry responsibly and intelligently wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences brought on by deranged killers. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in, and no amount of responsible use can make up for the senseless violence taking place in our country. Gun control is essential for our country to maintain itself as the land of the free and the home of the brave.
However, as guns become deadlier and easier to obtain, and as more and more mass shootings occur every year, it’s time for our country to take a step back and look at the realities of our current policies on firearms.
First of all, the mass shooting issue is exponentially more pronounced in America than in other developed countries. According to Vox media, in 2018, the United States fell victim to 328 mass shootings, in which 365 people were killed and over 1,300 were wounded. In addition, the US has the highest gun violence rate of any first-world nation; our gun homicide rate is 29.7 deaths per million people, while Switzerland, the next-deadliest developed country, has a rate of only 7.7 deaths per million people.
Even when politicians recognize the problem, they all too often point to the wrong causes. Despite what our President claims, violent video games and movies are not the reason for this major spike in violence. In fact, over 230 scholars from universities around the globe have concluded that violence actually decreases in the weeks after popular violent movie or video game releases. Violent media may be an easy scapegoat for politicians opposing gun control, but they fail to consider that other developed countries have the same violent games and movies yet are vastly safer to live in than the United States.
These safer countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, did not achieve peace through a video game ban, but rather through a strictly regulated firearms industry. For example, in Sweden, to obtain a license for a firearm, a person must be a member of a shooting club for at least six months, as well as pass both a physical health test and a mental background check. Then, once the Swede has passed the test and acquired the firearm, they are legally required to keep the weapon in a locked safe at all times, except when in use. To top it all off, all types of assault and automatic rifles are strictly banned in Sweden, and citizens are only allowed to own a maximum of six hunting rifles.
This system is similar to those used in many other European countries and is the reason for the continent’s low homicide rate compared to other parts of the world. These governments’ ability to tightly regulate the firearms industry has made them some of the safest countries in the world to live in, with a gun homicide rate many times smaller than that of America.
Compared to the sensible and efficient method of gun control practiced in Sweden, the United States’ regulation is almost laughable. In 38 states out of 50, at certain events like gun fairs or expositions, anyone of any age can purchase any type of gun with cash. To buy alcohol, cigarettes, or even lottery tickets, a person needs a valid I.D. and must be at least 18 to 21 years old. However, any 17 year old with 2,000 dollars can walk into a gun expo and buy an assault weapon. With these reckless laws concerning firearms, it becomes obvious why gun violence has plagued our country so severely.
At the end of the day, the solution to decreased violence is no secret. Firearms are by far the most prominent weapon of murder in our country according to BBC news, and with our current laws, anyone who wants a gun can easily get one. In order to truly make America safer, it’s time to implement a new set of nationally recognized and practiced gun laws. In order to purchase a firearm in our country, a citizen should have to obtain a firearms license from a police station and be subjected to an extensive mental health test and background check. Guns should be legally required to remain in locked safes while not in use, and assault rifles and automatic weapons should be completely banned. In addition, private citizens should be banned from selling guns to other private citizens, and all business involving firearms should be done through licensed gun dealing companies. This system of gun control isn’t new or untested and is almost identical to many of the European gun control systems that have been so successful.
Though this system is undoubtedly better than the one we have now, it would be foolish to think that everyone will be happy with these laws or to think that all gun-related crime will suddenly stop. There are around 120 firearms for every 100 residents in our country, as well as up to four million AR-15 assault rifles. Obviously, even if bans on guns were enacted tomorrow, there would still be a massive number of guns on the street, and they could still be circulated and used. To combat this problem, the US government could offer a buy off option. Our government could use tax dollars to purchase guns from the populace, decreasing the gun concentration while at the same time giving money to citizens. A similar option was used in Australia in the 1990’s, in which the Australian government responded to its first mass killing by enacting a mandatory government buyoff of all automatic weapons. In addition, since the majority of gun owners are concentrated in poorer areas of the country, a buy off option could kickstart the economies of inner cities and rural communities all over the country.
In an ideal world, we could legally sell and use any kind of firearm, and those who use weaponry responsibly and intelligently wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences brought on by deranged killers. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in, and no amount of responsible use can make up for the senseless violence taking place in our country. Gun control is essential for our country to maintain itself as the land of the free and the home of the brave.
By Saint Carmichael
