Recently, President Joe Biden turned the American gun culture into an epidemic as the pain and suffering inflicted by them on society are immense. According to the US CDC, this country, which has more guns than 100 residents than the people lost 38,355 lives to gun-related incidents in 2019, 14,400 of them being direct homicides. Unfortunately, the American gun culture is held so dearly and the constitutional rights to possess and even gather weapons are guarded so vehemently that formulating and implementing more effective gun-control policies has been hampered by numerous obstacles. While a study by Allen (2019), found that more Americans support stricter laws on the sale and use of firearms, the stronger, influential, and dominant voices seem to have vowed to preserve, protect and defend gun liberty in the US. It is necessary for America to now welcome better gun-control policies. This policy proposal paper seeks to propose an effective gun control policy in the US.
The Magnitude of Gun Problem in the US
The United States of America has a gun problem. It is the only country in the world where more there are more privately possessed legal guns than citizens. It is almost like arguing that everyone has a gun in the US. The ideology on the advantage of guns is mainly supported by the National Rifle Association, a special interest lobbying group with a significant operating budget to control a section of the congress thereby ensuring no gun restrictions stand (Raj, 2020). The argument that more guns make the country safer should not be considered outdated, unreliable, and a great fail. Such sentiments are always harshly confronted with the perspective that they are anti-Second Amendment, a right which most of those who have never been on the wrong side of a gun greatly find comfort in. Assault rifles such as the AR-15 have been used severally in mass shootings, making them banned in some states (Barry et al., 2018). It is hard to justify why a peace-loving citizen would need a top-grade semi-automatic assault rifle to keep himself safe. Society has also developed a numbing effect to the emotive effect of the constant shootings, normalizing them and making them seem like a normal occurrence in society. Currently, only the mass shootings get ample airplay. With a social problem of such magnitude, it is essential to now reconsider the meaning of safety in the community. Reasons Why Gun Culture is Such a Problem
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The gun control problem in the US is encouraged by the strong political influence of the NRA, and the existence of a high percentage of the population that possess guns. Convincing people who consider a gun to be an essential family protection tool to drop the perspective altogether is difficult. Similarly, the NRA spends millions annually in ensuring gun rights are upheld. It is supported by gun and ammunition manufacturers, affluent pro-gun right supporters, and the majority of right-wing politicians (Reeping et al., 2019). Additionally, there is also a scientific argument that when more guns are illegalized in a society that is used to having them, illegal and unregistered firearms will proliferate, making the streets even more dangerous. Guns are so common in the US because anyone can purchase them either physically or online regardless of whether or not he or she has a rationale. Gun violence also pushes more people to purchase more whether legally or illegally, as long as when an attacker comes, the individual will be prepared. According to Barry et al., 2018), having a gun in the US is now more like knowing how to drive; it is almost a social requirement. Such facilitators need to be tackled first.
Policy Recommendations
It is necessary to address this problem through a policy that attacks it in three bold dimensions. These are the culture, the manufacture and supply, and the eligibility. Gun culture is a major obstacle to any anti-gun political aspirations in the country (Reeping et al., 2019). The people have to learn the disadvantages of sustaining such a gun culture. They should also be able to appreciate the safety in other communities with stricter gun policies. The policy will propose public awareness, especially among the younger generation. Peace promotion campaigns should drive home the point that peace cannot be achieved with a gun in hand (Barry et al., 2018). Secondly, the manufacture and supply of guns in the community have to be reexamined. Assault rifles, shotguns, and similar weapons used in mass shootings should be limited in sale and supply. Their sale should be banned or illegalized outside shooting ranges. A diminished supply will ensure that they are not readily accessible for mass murders by petty criminals. Also, their level of damage to humanity cannot be achieved with a handgun.
Thirdly, the eligibility for gun purchase and possession should be reexamined. According to Boine et al. (2019), almost half of all legally owned guns in the US should be repossessed by the authorities for a safer society Age limits, psychosocial life and personal background of a person should be scrutinized in more detail. The three recommendations are easily implementable if pushed vehemently and defended by a more dedicated team of sponsors. The NRA seems to be running out of power and influence, making it a high time to push for the changes. Gun policy reforms are no longer want for American society; they are a need that must be addressed.
References
Allen, J. (2019). Gun Violence in America: A True National Security Threat. Brookings.com. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2019/08/05/gun-violence-in-america-a-true-national-security-threat/
Barry, C. L., Webster, D. W., Stone, E., Crifasi, C. K., Vernick, J. S., & McGinty, E. E. (2018). Public support for gun violence prevention policies among gun owners and non–gun owners in 2017. American journal of public health , 108 (7), 878-881.
Boine, C., Siegel, M., Ross, C., Fleegler, E. W., & Alcorn, T. (2020). What is gun culture? Cultural variations and trends across the United States. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications , 7 (1), 1-12.
Raj, A. (2020). Gun violence in the US: It is past time we listen to the voices of women and black communities. EClinicalMedicine , 28 .
Reeping, P. M., Cerdá, M., Kalesan, B., Wiebe, D. J., Galea, S., & Branas, C. C. (2019). State gun laws, gun ownership, and mass shootings in the US: cross-sectional time series. BMJ, 364 .
