Gun and Violence in the USA - Report Example

Gun and Violence in the USA In the recent years, there has been a lot of debate revival over gun control and the Second Amendment in the US. In broadterms, the debate is split between two distinct groups; the gun control advocates and the gun rights advocates. While the former raise their voice in favor of stricter regulation of guns and fire arms, the latter speak for gun ownership presenting it as the fundamental right of every individual in a free society. The role of the Second Amendment in the US constitution in bringing about the present situation of gun use and violence in the US cannot be overemphasized. The Second Amendment serves to protect people’s right to keep and bear the arms. The US Supreme Court has extended this right to individuals beyond militias and yet has also implemented the ruling that this right does not ban regulation of the firearms or other devices of the like. Different interpretations of the Second Amendment animate this divide. Gun-caused violence has increased in the US with the start of the 21st century mostly in the form of domestic violence. Controlling violence caused by gun is one of the biggest issues not only in front of the government of America, but also for any government in the age of rapid advancement of technology and the growing popularity of digital media among the people. Analysis of the gun-caused slayings made by USA TODAY suggests that in the past eight years, the number of people assassinated in mass shootings exceeds 900, and most of these people have been assassinated by people they were familiar with (“Mass Shootings”). An even more alarming fact is that these assassinations do not account for any more than 1 per cent of all homicides related to gun, and almost half of them have been caused by individuals that slayed their family members. Another analysis report of 56 mass shootings provided by a team of gun control promoting mayors to USA TODAY suggested that since 2009, 57 per cent of the cases encountered by the team have been related to domestic violence. Co-founded by Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the New York City, this team consists of over 850 U.S. mayors (“Mass shootings”). “Mass shootings … are the tragedies that capture the publics attention…But every day, 33 Americans are being killed, mostly with handguns and distressingly often, by a family member or intimate partner” (Glaze cited in “Mass shootings”). People’s access to guns is a significant cause of suicides in the US. Hundreds of thousands of people suffering from depression and anxiety in the US take their own lives every year by shooting themselves. Mass shootings in the US have exacerbated under President Obama’s period. Although Obama distorted the stream of non-engagement in the issue spanning over three years in January 2011 after the Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot along with 17 more persons in Tucson, Arizona, yet the White House did not make another prominent move in this regard for a period of another 10 months till Newtown (Cox). This was followed by yet another season of silence that culminated in September 2013 with the Naval Yard shootings. “I understand that Obama has vowed to do what he can to limit access to guns "with or without" Congress, but its clear that his administration sees mass shootings as their best leverage to accomplish the more substantial changes that come with new federal regulation” (Cox). It can be said without doubt that the measures he has been taking to control the situation of law and order in the country have also proved inefficient. One outcome of the increasing rate of gun violence in the US is the increased desensitization of the American people. Incidents of gun violence have become so commonplace in the US that people have started to become numb to them. The high rate of such incidents is evident from the fact that more than 12,000 people in the US including people of all age-groups lost their lives in the incidents caused by gun violence in the year 2013, which makes it almost 30 deaths every single day (Cox). This is particularly dangerous because this not only increases the confidence and level of motivation of the criminals and gangs that cause violence, but also reduces the tendency of the American people to raise their voice and take a stand against this kind of violence in general. Rise in the domestic violence in the US can, at least in part, be attributed to the popular culture and contemporary media. Hollywood is making a lot of action movies that have played an important role in glamorizing the use of gun in all kinds of settings and for all sorts of purposes. People have been drawn toward purchasing and using guns under the influence of such movies. This is happening at all levels. Even little children playing violent video games over their laptops and tablets are developing a flavor for using guns for matters as seemingly unimportant as ordinary fights with their peers at schools. Digital media has desensitized the audience and has caused a radical change in their psychology and approach toward the use of guns. Obviously, the various external and internal factors have caused moral decline of the American society which makes it easy for the circumstances of domestic violence to shape up. People today have become less impatient, more aggressive, and arrogant. They have become less careful and responsible in their relationships. Guns have made it easier for gangs, groups, and even individuals to execute illegal acts e.g. use of gun as an aid in the smuggling of drugs and Mexican workers across the border (Miller 22). Rise in the divorce rate, child abuse, and racial oppression are all prominent causes of rise in domestic violence and unregulated use of guns in the domestic settings. Review of the literature and statistics reported since the start of the 21st century suggests that domestic violence has been particularly on the rise since the commencement of the new century. The problem has gone from bad to worse with the grant of people’s right to keep arms and guns. People have been killing their friends, spouses, and family members over domestic disputes. Domestic killings are not limited to family members, but extend beyond them to include people being murdered by their neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances. This is a particularly alarming situation because violence has reached the domestic level, and people are not safe in their own homes. The rising number of gun-related incidents is desensitizing the people to such incidents. Guns issued to the people under license as a measure of their safety and security are being misused in domestic violence. Considering the gravity of the situation, the US government should take immediate measures to address this issue and regulate and control the access of individuals to the guns. A potential way to achieve this is by making suitable changes in the Second Amendment in the US constitution. However, making such amendments in the constitution is only part of the solution. Real solution of the rising domestic violence and gun use for violence is spiritual rejuvenation and awakening of the people of America. “The solution is not external, but internal. No one can respect another person’s life and property until he respects himself. And that respect comes only through a spiritual awakening, which no politician has the power to create” (Thomas). Government can use media as a platform to do its bit to create this spiritual awakening. Works Cited: Cox, Ana M. “In 2013, the US lost 30 people a day to gun violence. Obama shouldnt let us forget.” The Guardian. 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 July 2014. . “Mass shootings toll exceeds 900 in past seven years.” USA TODAY. 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 July 2014. . Miller, Debra A. Immigration. Gale Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Thomas, Cal. “Chicago gun violence: Did Martin Luther King sacrifice his life so that those who came after him could murder each other in the streets?” Fox News. 11 July 2014. Web. 13 July 2014. < http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/07/11/chicago-gun-violence-did-martin-luther-king-sacrifice-his-life-so-that-those/>. Read More