US politicians need to be courageous to halt epidemic of gun violence that's killing kids
On April 20, 1999, two teenage boys shocked the nation by going on a shooting rampage that killed a teacher and 12 of their classmates at Columbine High School in Colorado. A generation later, the number of school shootings in the United States is at record levels.
Last year witnessed 34 incidents, the most ever, and this year there already have been 27. Since Columbine, there have been 331 school shooting incidents in which 554 students or school staff were shot, 185 of whom perished, according to the Washington Post.
Perhaps the most horrific of these shootings occurred a decade ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where six staff and 20 young children were shot to death. A very similar atrocity with nearly as many fatalities has now transpired at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, a sickening sequel to Sandy Hook.
The United States is by far the world “leader” in gun deaths among high-income nations. Last year, its rate per capita was over eight times that of Canada, 22 times that of the European Union, 23 times that of Australia, 103 times that of the United Kingdom and 206 times that of Japan.
This high gun death rate in the United States correlates directly with the availability of guns. America’s civilian gun ownership per capita in 2018 was 1.2 per person, the highest in the world, being over twice that of the second highest country (Yemen) and more than three times that of the third highest (Serbia).
American weapons manufacturers like Smith & Wesson, Colt and Remington have seen record sales in the past two years, with 22.8 million guns sold in the United States in 2020 and 19.9 million sold in 2021.
Such profits enable the gun industry to spend significantly on legislative lobbying activities designed to prevent the passage of laws that might restrict gun sales. The National Rifle Association claims that the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights makes it unconstitutional to restrict a person’s right to possess a weapon. Most Republican politicians support this position, and they are often financially supported with lucrative campaign contributions from the NRA and gun manufacturers.
Gun rights lobbying groups spent a record $15.8 million last year, more than five times the amount spent by gun control lobbying groups. For years, the U.S. Senate has refused to pass federal gun control legislation because it would require 60% to vote in favor, and the Republicans who oppose such measures have maintained a plurality of at least 40% for some time now.
The availability of semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15 has helped shooters more efficiently commit mass murder. An assault rifle was used at both Newtown and Uvalde elementary schools. These weapons facilitate the rapid-fire slaughter of multiple victims and also allow the shooter to more effectively defend himself against any law enforcement officers attempting to stop him. Currently, assault weapons are legal in 43 of the 50 states. Why should a weapon designed for the battlefield be allowed in our neighborhoods in the hands of civilians?
Despite the entrenched opposition it faces, there is an existing precedent for the regulation of weapons in another important American industry. Cars have been registered and their drivers licensed since the automobile became popular as a form of transportation.
Their use has been extensively legislated and overseen by law enforcement. The American population accepts this oversight of how we drive. Why not regulate guns in a similar manner?
If wearing a seatbelt is mandatory in 49 states, why should possessing an assault rifle be legal in the vast majority of those same states? Our country would almost certainly be a safer place if gun registration were universally required and all gun owners needed to obtain a permit, after participating in background checks.
If our political leaders fail to address the current American epidemic of gun violence, we will continue to be a country where the unbridled freedom to “bear arms” will wreak havoc in our schools and on the general population.
Drew Tiene is a professor at Kent State University.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: After Texas school shooting, US must reconsider gun laws
