Some argue that gun control laws are not needed, and that they would be taking away the fundamental, constitutional rights of Americans. How is this the case when so many lives would be spared from early deaths? In the past year, many Americans have blamed the USA's lack of a public healthcare system. More than a few times, I've heard mental illness described as being the key factor in many US massacres, and not the guns.
How, then, can citizens of the USA not see that guns are to blame. Yes, the lack of a proper healthcare system means that those suffering from mental health are not receiving proper treatment. But the fact that anyone is able to buy a gun is scary.
Even if the USA had a working healthcare system equivalent to that of Australia or Canada's, there would still be a major gun problem. Gun violence is not just from the mentally ill. Gun violence can occur when anyone who owns a gun decides to use it to the detriment of those around them. Yes, if healthcare was improved, maybe the situation with guns would improve also, but healthcare cannot be blamed in its entirety.
Another argument which I've heard is that criminals would still have guns, whereas the honest-to-God, true-blue citizens would be left to fend for themselves with nothing but baseball bats for protection.
Gun laws became an issue in Australia after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, and since then, crimes involving shootings have dropped dramatically. As for the fact that criminals would be the only ones with guns, I think that Australia needs to be recognised once again.
Gun violence is never going to completely disappear, but Australia serves as a reminder that our mass shootings and gun murders in general have gone down since stricter legislation was implemented. There will always be ways for criminals do get guns, however ordinary citizens should not be able to carry a gun for 'protection'. After all, culture permitting violence only encourages more violence. The reason why so many US citizens feel the need to own a gun is because everyone else owns a gun. It is a self-perpetuating cycle which needs to stop.
Finally, the Second Amendment is always the fundamental issue. According to many Americans, taking away guns is the equivalent of taking away their fundamental human rights. Incorrect. The guns which were available to citizens when the United States Constitution first came about were vastly different to the guns of today. In fact, the semi-automatic assault rifle used in the Sandy Hook massacre was capable of firing 20 shots every 3 seconds. This is an extreme difference to guns which used to take 30 seconds to load up only one bullet.
America needs stricter gun laws. Despite the fact that I live in Australia and don't really deserve a say, everyone needs to realise that America's gun law are outdated and that ordinary citizens should not feel the need to own nor carry a gun.
At this point, I think that the bravery of both the teachers and children at Sandy Hook Elementary should be recognised. The actions of the brave people in that school, many of whom lost their lives, meant that many more lives were saved. But for what? One year later and there is still no legislation limiting gun ownership.
Whilst some still like to fantasise that the whole thing was a hoax, it was definitely not the case. The Sandy Hook massacre was entirely real, and that is why, one year on, families are still trying to come to terms with the deaths of their friends, family and loved ones. No more.
No comments:
Post a Comment