How Safe Are You in Public? Gun Control and Mass Shootings in America by Ben Starner

Think of the places you frequent the most. Depending on what point you are at in your life it is probably school, work, the grocery store, and maybe the shopping mall. Wherever it may be, do you make sure to acknowledge the closest exit every time you enter? Do you know the three responses to an active shooter situation? And most importantly of all, do you feel truly safe? These questions and many more are too frequently asked by Americans to themselves each time there is another mass shooting in the morning news, as many start to question the sacred second amendment. 

Young protestors on Capital Hill after school shooting

U.S. Stance on Gun Control

Gun control has been a controversial topic in America for an incredibly long time now. But what exactly is America's government stance on gun control and laws? At the moment in the United States the second amendment being the right to bear arms still stands and people can be gun owners through background checks and a carrying license. In a peer reviewed journal by William J. Vizzard titled, "The Current and Future State of Gun Policy in the United States' ' he states, "Unfortunately, any permit and licensing system faces numerous, practical, political, and legal hurdles. The sheer size of the existing firearms inventory and the number of gun owners are considered two of the greatest hurdles. Although the exact number of firearms cannot be determined, the best estimate is somewhere over 300 million and growing." What can be gathered from this is that many obstacles would be in the way of any major permit and licensing changing for acquiring a firearm. On top of that, the industry and quantity of firearms in the United States is so substantial, changes politically and legally may make little difference when it comes to the wrong people getting their hands on guns because there are just so many.  

                Statistics 

The numbers clearly tell part of the story when it comes to the controversy of gun laws in America. In a research article by the Pew Research Center, it is shown that over half of Americans (52%) believe gun laws should be stricter, with only 18% saying they should be less strict. Along with that 73% of Americans believe that people with mental illness should be prevented from purchasing guns. Similarly, 65% of Americans agree requiring background checks should be mandatory for purchasing a gun and they should be somewhat stricter with said checks.

With the statistics laid out there it is clearer the majority of Americans believe that something needs to be done about the crisis of mass shootings and lack of gun control has brought to our country. So why is nothing changing? The answer is somewhat complicated and there is not just one answer but many. In an article by ABC News the most common answers to this question are that it is not about guns, but about mental health. The argument made for this is that changing gun laws is not as important as getting people with mental health issues the help they need before an event like a mass shooting occurs.

 Another reason is that people, specifically the Republican party, see the second amendment as a reason to own and access any firearm. While there has been debate and dispute forever over how to interpret the second amendment, most Republicans in America side with the interpretation that it no infringement should be made on owning and accessing guns for any citizen.

Lastly, many people believe that if a bad person wants a gun, they will simply find a way to get it, regardless of laws and background checks. This goes back to what was previously mentioned above about how the sheer quantity of guns in America is simply too much to control at this point.

    

Statistics from the Pew Research Article

                    The Future 

Arguing that gun control infringes on the second amendment rights may seem like an insane position while so many innocent people are dying; however, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution are very important documentations of our basic human rights and how others interpret those should be taken into consideration and respected. There is something to be said for having still 48% of America believing gun control should stay the same if not be less strict, and that point of view must be taken into account before major policy change is made. That being said, dying while attending school or going grocery shopping is also an infringement of our rights as Americans. With mass shootings and gun violence becoming all too regular, something clearly does need to be done. The majority of Americans agree that common sense gun laws need to be enacted to prevent these tragedies.

In a statistical article by Statitsta, it is clear mass shootings have been on an upward trend since the year 2000, and we have already seen nine mass shootings in the United States as of October 13th. Places such as schools and workplaces that are supposed to be safe territory are now some of the most common places for these mass shootings to occur.

With the research laid out there I'll ask one more time, do you truly feel safe every second you step out in public? And if the answer is no, is America truly maintaining its title of "Land of the Free'?

  

Sign from gun control protest by students on Capital Hill