In light of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, USA, I wanted to have an open discussion about gun violence in America. After tragic events where many lose their life due to an armed person wanting to inflict harm, social media blows up with Left s Right rhetoric, where the gun debate turns into hostility and nothing is accomplished. In this post I want to start a discussion about whether or not citizens should own firearms, how many, what type, etc and whether there is a solution that we can agree upon for stopping these acts of terror that have seemingly become omnipresent.
If you are going to participate in this discussion there are a few rules you must adhere to:
- Constructive ideas
- No name calling of any sort.
- Trying to stick to facts rather than opinions
- Understanding that there is no easy solution.
As the second amendment in the United States Constitution reads, Individuals have the right to bear arms for the main purpose of self-defense, oppression and defense of the state. This was originally adopted in 1791 and is one of the fundamental arguing points for pro-gun activists. You can read more on the second amendment here.
There is no question that guns are a big deterrent to would be criminals. Self defense is still the largest part of gun usage in America. If regular citizens are allowed to carry guns they can stop would be attackers before damage is done. An interesting post regarding the public being allowed to carry concealed weapons;
An analysis of the FBI crime statistics found that states that adopted concealed carry laws REDUCED crime
Read more of that article here
The case can be made that we are safer when everyone has access to guns, with thorough background checks, licensing and training. Have a look at American Gun Facts. I have fact checked a few (not all) of these claims and cross referenced their citations. Some are from valid sources while others click to dead links. Either way, before you take my word for it, it's always good to cross reference.
So we have briefly looked at the case FOR guns, now lets do the same AGAINST
America by far and away has the largest number of mass shootings in the world. America also has a very large population, so when adjusting per 100,000 people we still see that America leads the way. America also has by far and away the largest military in the world, perhaps there is a correlation there, but you be the judge. The US also has the highest suicide rate of the top 10 most developed nations and a large majority of these suicides are by gun. Here is the Wikipedia Page, it gives a in depth breakdown of gun violence in America. If you prefer more of a visual, I have linked a video which gives a breakdown of gun violence in the US, I highly recommend watching it. Always remember there are many many statistics that people will throw out and use to argue for and against guns, remember we should always be critical and cross reference everything.
Here we have a simple meme that talks about what happened in Australia after there was a mass shooting years back. It is difficult to compare Australia to the United Sates, just like it is difficult to compare any two nations, but the facts don't lie. Since Australia's action on guns, there hasn't bee a mass shooting since.
Lastly, I have shared a clip from a recent Jimmy Kimmel monologue where he takes about what happened in Las Vegas and the death of many innocent civilians. To quote from his piece:
After reading a lot of the online discussion in the aftermath, many people say this is terrible, but there is nothing we can do about it, but I disagree with that intensely. Of course there is something we can do about it.
Give the video a watch and just listen to his thoughts. Whether you agree with his comedy, his personality or his show is not important here.
So to finish off, no matter which side you support, whether you're black, brown or white, we must come tot the table and discuss the issue at hand and come up with solutions, because one thing I think we can all agree about is that the current situation is not working. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions. Remember, thoughtful comments will earn you SBD
Sources from google, youtube and wikipedia
