The following is a response to a previously published column by this author.
Last year, I wrote a column on why gun control should be enforced in America in issue one of last year’s paper. However, seeing that the U.S. Government is currently not doing anything to help enforce such an important measure, I decided it would be a good time for a follow-up.
Since I first wrote my column, over 374 mass shootings have occured in the US according to gunviolencearchive.org, and the number continues to grow. As someone who used to live in a town shattered by the effects of one of the most infamous school shootings in history, Sandy Hook, this information upsets me greatly. Even with the introduction and growing impact of pro-gun control groups such as March for Our Lives, Moms Demand Action, or Everytown, the leaders in the government are still completely oblivious to the benefits of gun control, and are too stubborn to change their minds about the issue.
One of the reasons the US has had an issue with enforcing gun control is the second amendment, which gives the right to bear arms. However, guns from 1776, when this amendment was written, are very different from today’s models. In the 1700s, guns had to be loaded with gunpowder and only a trained soldier could fire up to 12 to 15 rounds per minute. But today, a semi-automatic rifle can fire 45 rounds per minute, competitive shooters upwards of 120 rpm, and it only takes a second to reload, as Slate magazine states . The society of colonial/revolutionary America was also far different from what we are seeing today. With what seemed to be constant war over land and the British, guns were important for staying alive. They also did not have the amount of control over wild animals as we do now, and again, they needed guns for more hunting purposes than what we have today. But now, in today’s America, guns are mainly used for either hunting or recently, violent crimes that can lead to the death of hundreds. Some use the argument for carrying them for ‘self-defense,’ however, there are more less-deadly ways we can defend ourselves from the outside horrors. For example, pepper spray is extremely painful for those who have had it sprayed into their eyes, and are sometimes more effective than guns in certain situations.
Whether you are on the far left or far right, it is an undeniable fact that the U.S. has a problem with guns. Adding more guns in the US won’t help, either. Compared to other countries, the U.S. has done nothing to attempt to resolve this issue. For example, when The United Kingdom and Australia had a single school shooting in 1996, they banned all assault rifles and handguns to the general public. These two countries have not had a single school shooting since. Yet, the U.S. had one major school shooting in 1966, put the issue to the side, and we’ve had, according to Wikipedia, about 378 since then (most recent October 29th in Matthews, NC.)
Whenever something like this happens, the American government’s reaction is to offer thoughts and prayers and increase security measures, but refuse to alter restrictions to gun law, while the UK and Australia both restrict access and increase security. Only 6 states in the US has banned open carry of handguns in the public, and only Connecticut has actually banned assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, according to CNBC. In the years since, the UK and Australia have seen a dramatic drop in gun-related deaths and mass shootings, although in the U.S., this amount has gone up.
Following the midterms and the historic election of many ‘gun sense’ candidates, I hope that we will see change in America regarding gun control and the prevention of gun-related crime in the future. Once we have better gun control, I believe we will have a better America, and that we will see less gun-related deaths and crime.
