On Gun Control & Shootings
On the day of September 17th 1787, our Founding Fathers inscribed the American rights which appealed to our conscious and liberty. Would they foresee the modern era of the world wide web, wireless connection, rapid technology with coinciding social change? Would they have imagined sharp division and strife? More than any other controversial topic in America, gun control is the most heated discussion of all.
Since January of 2018, there have been 76 mass shootings and 18,568 gun-related deaths. As these staggering statistics continue to worsen, our congressmen still have made no legislative efforts to subdue the violence. Solutions to this ever-growing problem are quickly swatted by a “these rights shall NOT be infringed.” It is notable that there has been no outrage to gun violence that has manifested this significantly before. Even when 20 children died in Sandy Hook, or 49 from Orlando, or 58 from Las Vegas. This time, it’s different. From our most youngest activists, the Florida Parkland shooting has caused a uniform awakening in this country about the poor impact of “Thoughts and Prayers”. We jumped from irritated tweets and outlandish conspiracy theories to a nationwide school walkout and a protest on D.C with over 300,00 students from around the country.
What everyone seems to be overlooking is how gun violence is an unfortunate norm for the black community and for some in abusive relationships as well. Inner-city communities have been affected by the deep state and government, despite numerous public voices speaking against the failure to limit gang violence. In fact, the highest rates of gun violence are mostly comprised from inner-city communities including police brutality. Yet the media rarely covers these incidents or protests. Rather,the attention is completely focused on white activists. While it’s obviously for the press to cover widespread protests against mass shootings, the majority of causes of gun-related deaths are ignored. According to www.codepink.org (non-profit women’ activist organization), “....while 82% of gun deaths for black Americans are homicides. Unarmed black men are six times more likely to die at the hands of police than unarmed white men.” While BLM has done much to address these concerns, it is problematic for the media to whitewash the entire gun epidemic. Gun control is a necessary protocol in the places especially most vulnerable to its damage. Our politicians need to make much more proactive reforms to make it more difficult for someone mentally unstable or criminal to purchase a weapon. This also involves improved weapon training for law enforcement so they can avoid killing unarmed men.
Women are also victims in these statistics. Those who are involved in abusive relationships are high risk targets for gun violence. Again from www.codepink.org “53% of women murdered with guns in the U.S. were killed by intimate partners.” Unnoticed domestic abuse puts women in many threatening situations. As long as their partners are able to obtain guns, the security of these women are threatened. It is thus critical to acknowledge that our gun violence problem in America extends beyond mass shootings, and we must work on every susceptible area to reduce these gun attacks.
All in all, it’s important to recognize the intersectional issues stemming from the gun control. I continue to support the media for inviting activists around the country to speak of gun reform, but I simply demand more expansive coverage to empower those unheard to talk about their community’s issues. The necessity of psychological evaluations and more extensive background checks are not allocated to just a potential mass shooter, but the many dangerous people affecting the most marginalized groups society.
by ANDREA REIER