Gun Control is Not the Ticket to Peace - Assignment Example

Gun Control is Not the Ticket to Peace Political solutions and impromptu legislations have become the modern methods of handling any problems; social, political or economic that the American society faces. Thus, when there emerge a problem related to the increased shooting of school children and citizens in the public squares or at their residences, then the most effective tool that is immediately pulled out from the drawers to attack the problem is creating a gun control law. It is indisputable that the establishment of a gun control regulation would be an effective way of reducing the incidences of shootings, since definitely some people who may fear the wrath of the law would not draw a gun and shoot at others. In this respect, the effectiveness of the gun control laws will be the deterrent of the incidences of shootings, but not stopping such incidences from occurring altogether (Griffith, n.p.). The logic behind this observation is that; the increase in the incidences of shootings is not caused by the highest number of licensed guns that the government has issued to the civilians. In fact, if we would like to be candid with ourselves, we would then agree that virtually all the incidences of public shootings are as a result of guns that are acquired illegally (Smith, n.p.). Consequently, the establishment of gun control laws may help to instill fear on the legal gun holders not to shoot at others, but such efforts will have no effects on the criminals and social deviants who rule and operate the black markets. Further, it is also essential to pose and reflect for a moment on the major reasons why those people who shoot at the public do so. Is it because they have acquired a licensed gun and are trying to test its efficiency? Is it because they have been licensed to hold a gun and they want the rest of the public to realize that they are legal gun holders who can now shoot at anyone, anywhere and at anytime? Or is it because such people are feeling that their security is highly threatened by the innocent schoolchildren and so they enter the school premises, draw their guns and shoot at them? The reality attests to none of the above. Thus, the core of the problem does not lie in the possession of a gun; legal or illegal, but in the state of the mind of the gun holder (Pacharis, n.p.). In this respect, if we are to address the problem of people shooting at innocent children and other unarmed members of the public, then we have to think in direction of treating the core of the problem of the attackers, which is their mental health. The tragedy of mass murder is not committed by individuals who are sane, but mostly by just a small section of the society that has a mental health problem (Pacharis, n.p.). Therefore, creating laws that would achieve public disarmament and ensure that only few and responsible people will hold guns does not in any way deter this section of the society that has a mental problem from continuing to perpetuate mass murder. Additionally, the fact that a gun control regulation would help to deter the frequency and magnitude of mass murder does not guarantee that even the licensed gun holders will never turn against the rest of the public and cause similar tragedies. This is because, those who are sane and responsible today might turn to be the insane and the highly irresponsible members of the society, based on the social situations that people face every day (Griffith, n.p.). Social stress and depression, dissatisfaction with life, high level of injustices committed in the society everyday as well as lack of an effective social justice system that addresses issues of racism and other forms of discrimination will always be a time bomb waiting to explode, even if the gun laws are still in operation. Therefore, to effectively eliminate the concept of mass murder that has been seen to rise at unprecedented levels, it is inevitable to first look at the society and see the social ills that are contributing to the high levels of stress and depression amongst the people, which ends up giving such people suicidal and lethal thoughts. In the psychologist perspective, an individual drawing a gun and shooting at school children or at the public in a public square is someone who is trying to express him/herself (Pacharis, n.p.). Thus, should such individuals be allowed to express themselves in more positive and socially friendly ways, then, the incidences of mass murder would be prevented well in advance. There is an even different angle from which the gun control issue can be looked at. History has taught that the public disarmament exercise undertaken by the government is always a prerequisite for genocide or civil unrest and revolution (Smith, n.p.). There is always a danger associated with confiscating the weapons in the hands of the civilians and leaving the citizenry defenseless, in that the government can then decide to take any measure that would suit the interest of the regime in power, and the public would be left with little option than to surrender to that will (Smith, n.p.). It is this logic that had made gun licensing become part of the law in the first place, not so that people can always stay armed and defend themselves from criminal attack only, but so that the civilians can also be able to resist the will of a totalitarian authority, which might go berserk and engage in the unexpected. While the government is supposed to guarantee the safety of the people, the people also have a course to defend their rights and justice against a government that may take up arms against its people (Smith, n.p.). However, this argument does not seem to hold any logic in the 21st century, where the world is civilized, democracy entrenched and civil rights fundamentally observed. Nevertheless, history has taught that what happened once can happen again, and in doing so it did not distinguish when and under what circumstances the repeat would occur. “Either way, the temptation of power comes when the populace is defenseless” (Smith, n.p.). Therefore, with all certainty, we are able to say that mental illnesses and social ills that bedevil the society cannot be ignored, if we truly seek to establish a permanent solution to the public shootings and the mass murders that occurs so often in the modern society. The more we try to seek for impromptu solutions to a social problem that has been simmering under the surface for decades, the more elusive the search for a permanent solution to mass murder becomes. In the search for a permanent solution, we cannot ignore the fact that someone determined to commit such murders will still find a way out even with strict gun control measures in place, owing to the fact that the black-market is still in place and continues to supply what the laws prohibit (Griffith, n.p.). Thus, these are the sure tickets to a society that is free of public shootings and mass murders, even though implementing them is harder compared to establishing legislations. First, seeking the social ills that are causing high levels of stress and depression in the society and then addressing them, for example stemming out the persistent injustice perpetrated by the judicial system where the less fortunate will most likely not get justice. Secondly, eliminating racial discrimination and ethnic profiling, addressing the income inequality that keeps widening the gap between the rich and the poor. Finally, addressing any form of mental disorder in good time, may it be in form of mild stress and depression. Such measures will be the foundation of a healthy society, and a sure ticket to peace. Works Cited Smith, Brandon. “Gun Rights: Are There Any Peaceful Solutions Left?” Alt-Market. February 15, 2013. Available at: http://www.alt-market.com/articles/1337-gun-rights-are-there-any-peaceful-solutions-left Griffith, David. Mass Killers: Gun Control is Not the Answer: The fault is in the killers not in their chosen weapons. Police, The Law Enforcement Magazine., June 03, 2014. Available at: http://www.policemag.com/blog/editors-notes/story/2014/06/mass-killers-gun-control-is-not-the-answer.aspx Pacharis, Dottie. Gun control is not the answer to mass shootings. Mental health treatment is. The Guardian, June 22, 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/22/gun-control-mass-shootings-mental-health Read More