Opinion: How many more must die before legislators end this vicious cycle of gun deaths?

More Thoughts. More Prayers. No Action.

“Our thoughts and prayers go to the victims, their families and first responders for this senseless act of mass shooting.”

This is the typical sentiment which most of us share on social media in response to senseless acts of mass shootings that plague our nation. We always imagine that such tragedies will always happen in another community and city but will never happen in our backyard and will never affect our loved ones. I am also guilty of posting similar sentiments while feeling secure and safe in my city.

April 10, the reality of our vulnerability to such horrors hit us with a gut-wrenching punch. It still seems like a bad dream - five innocent citizens dead with many injured in a span of a few minutes by flying bullets with no obvious rhyme and reason. Nickolas Wilt, a 26-year-old police officer, fights for his life in a hospital because he selflessly placed himself in harm's way to protect his fellow citizens.

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The mass shooting in Louisville, as well as the many others that have scarred our society, do not differentiate among the victims on the basis of age, gender, race, religion and political affiliations. These bullets indiscriminately kill Americans in their homes, schools, houses of worship, places of work and public spaces. Gun violence shatters parents’ dreams to see their children grow and have families of their own. Almost every day, parents literally bury their children and their dreams as the bullets continue to fly.

My friend Tommy Elliott lost his hopes of spending the remaining years of his life with his wonderful wife Maryanne and daughters in Monday’s senseless mass shooting. He was an amazing man who was greater than life and who never said no to anyone for anything. Similarly, the gift of life was snatched away from Joshua Barrick, Juliana Farmer, James Tutt and Deana Eckert within those same tragic moments. They were all living and breathing Kentuckians who aspired for happiness and safety for themselves, their families and loved ones.

University of Louisville Dr. Jason Smith We just can't keep doing what we're doing.

Instruments of death make killing much easier

There is an old cliché that guns don't kill people, people kill people. This is an incomplete statement that does not consider the lethality of firearms - instruments of death which make killing much easier, quicker, up close and at a distance. Whether fired at the spur of the moment, well thought out, in aggression toward someone else or toward the shooter, pulling the trigger is swift and deadly.

The United States ranks 29th in the world in prevalence of depressive disorders according to the U.S. News and World Report. But it ranks among the top six nations with regard to the total number of gun related deaths along with Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia and Guatemala according to a 2016 study by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

A lot of it has to do with America's preoccupation with guns. According to the 2017 Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, the United States is the only nation in the world where civilian guns outnumber people (120.5 guns per 100 people). According to mapping project by the data visualization company 1point21 Interactive, there are more gun dealers (approximately 65,000) in the USA than grocery stores (37,716), McDonald’s (14,098), total coffee shops (55,246), and almost 6 for every Starbucks (10,843). If we include gun collectors, manufacturers, and importers (138,659 as of December 2015), there are more gun dealers in the U.S. than there are pharmacies (67,000) or public schools (98,328),the report said.

The commonwealth of Kentucky and 25 other states allow eligible citizens to carry firearms without a permit. In 2019, Kentucky legislature stripped away the provisions that required gun owners to pass background checks to carry concealed weapons. People over 21 years of age can buy and carry guns without any license to most of the places in the commonwealth of Kentucky.

In short, a firearm license, which requires a background check, is only meant for Kentuckians who want to travel out of state with their firearms. The commonwealth of Kentucky does not have any laws which prohibit gun sales to the Kentuckians who have violent misdemeanor convictions, domestic abuse related restraining orders, or are suffering from mental health and substance abuse disorders.

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Americans are feeling helpless.

Many are losing hope that those in power will ever take steps to curb this epidemic of gun violence. Americans are wondering how many more must lose their lives, how many more families have to give up their dreams, before legislators find a way to end this vicious cycle of death. At this moment in time, the onus is on us, as citizens, to remind our leaders that one more life lost will be one too many. Otherwise, our coming generations will remember us for our hopelessness and apathy.

Americans keep wondering what is next after each mass shooting. Thoughts, prayers and philosophical memes flood social media. There will be vigils, rallies, blood drives and charitable events to honor the fallen. While noble expressions, they ultimately fall flat. Politicians would not risk losing support from their gun lobbyist benefactors, so any laws that might be introduced from the latest tragedy will be symbolic at best.

In another month, week or even tomorrow, more blood will be spilled at the hands of someone who wields a gun – obtained legally or illegally. Debates will rage about the right to bear arms.

Legislators will again decry the violence. More thoughts. More prayers. No action. This is our reality. In America, guns get a pass.

To me, as a person strong in my faith and committed to my vocation as a physician, that is insane. It is up to ‘We the People’ to hold our lawmakers accountable on Election Day if we want to get rid of our addiction to guns and the toll they take on our society.

Dr. Muhammad Babar is president of Muslim Americans for Compassion and Doctors for Healthy Communities.He is serving as board member at Dare to Care, Family Community Clinic, Center for Interfaith Relations, Muhammad Ali Center, Kentucky Refugee Ministries and Kentucky Council on postsecondary education.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville mass shooting: How many must die before legislators act