Guns

In 2022, the United States had 647 mass shootings. During that same time, Canada had 4.

Why?

The answer is simple. The availability of guns in the United States.

Seventy percent of Americans think enacting new gun control laws should take precedence over protecting ownership rights, according to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll .

Yet, the massive American gun lobby will tell you that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. A simplistic excuse for gun manufacturers to continue making a fortune in the sale of military caliber weapons.

The morning after the last mass shooting, I saw interviews with three Republican Senators who claimed that mental illness was the major cause for mass shootings. Yet, one in five Americans will suffer from some form of mental illness in a given year, roughly the same ratio as in Canada. Consequently, how can one say that the issue is mental health? It is the availability of easy to obtain assault weapons. 

Indeed, many right-wing Republican legislators who claim that mental health is the real cause for violence refuse to provide easily accessible treatment through universal health care. 

Some gun supporters claim that another reason for the prevalence of mass shootings is the “lack of God” in the schools. I would argue that a majority of schools in Canada, as in the US, are secular and don’t engage in religious practices nor do they focus on prayers. So, this argument would appear to have little to do with mass shootings.

I can understand the fascination that many Americans have with guns –from revolvers to military weapons, and what drives them to own them and defend ownership at whatever the cost. 

The conservative American psyche is still attuned to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, citing that the individual has the right to resist any encroachment on their rights by an unfriendly government. While the historical perspective may be understood, perhaps it is time that Republican leaders and conservatives engage in a new vision relevant for this millennium. 

The number of U.S. states that allow people to carry firearms openly is disturbing to one who has not grown up in a gun culture. That many schools today have metal detectors and armed police is frightening to me. The need to regularly train schoolchildren of all ages in mass-shooter drills is concerning and it is distressing to know that many parents are afraid to send their children to school.

The gun industry and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have funded many politicians, especially Republican legislators in both houses. This is a major reason why Congress is unwilling to pass the kinds of strict gun laws that Canada and most Western countries have. 

According to ABC News, while Democratic lawmakers have at various times urged for federal gun reforms around assault or military-grade weapons and expanded background screening, Republicans more recently say the focus should be on increasing public security and awareness of mental health and social issues.

The misinterpretation of the constitution’s Second Amendment has created the rather absurd notion that 18th century muskets are the equivalent of 21st century AR 15’s.

In view of the support that many Americans and many U.S. states have for non-existent gun laws, it should come as no surprise that, regardless of what police forces do to try to mitigate mass shootings, the U.S. will continue to experience such events. It will take a sea change in the outlook of voters and Republicans in Congress to legislate a turn in the tide of mass shooting and end this slaughter.

It is sad to note that these same supporters of lax gun laws are often the same constituencies that claim to be pro-life. While they insist on protecting the rights of the unborn, they reject protecting the lives of children and adults. All that they offer are thoughts and prayers – a small consolation for the victims and their families.

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Edición: Laura Espejo