Gun violence is an assault unleashed on a human being by use of firearms like guns and pistols against an individual. It affects the fundamental human right, the right to life. Gun violence has a devastating effect on causing bodily harm or even death in some instances. This vice is greatly brought about by irresponsible use of firearms by those entrusted with them like law enforcement agents, unregulated issuance, and illegal acquisition (Cukier & Eagen, 2018) . Gun violence does not only cause physical injury but also psychological harm when individuals brandish or fire guns to instil fear on them. With the extent of harm it causes on one’s physical and mental wellbeing, gun violence greatly affects the health system on a personal and national level. The first impact on healthcare is the physical and mental injury it inflicts on the affected individual. In areas with a high rate of crime and violence, the communities in those regions may be prevented from accessing health facilities like hospitals and dispensaries due to fear instilled by illegal gun holders. Such fear may also prevent healthcare workers from accessing or carrying out their duties in those areas to avoid falling prey to such crimes.
Understanding of Gun violence
Gun violence has been a major concern to scholars, government agencies, and other related organizations. This violence is categorized into three main groups namely;
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Gun-related homicides-This includes using a firearm to cause death to another person. The gun holder may be triggered to take the action due to various factors ranging from conflict to personal motivation to carry out the murder (Webster, Cerdá, Wintemute, & Cook, 2016) . This crime counts as one of the major causes of premature deaths in developing and developed countries alike.
Gun-related suicides-This occurs when an individual turns a gun on him/herself with a view of ending his/her life. Suicides as a result of gun inflicted injuries also list one of the leading causes of death, especially to the young generation. Such actions may be triggered by a variety of factors, for instance, mental illnesses and social behaviours like drug abuse.
Non-fatal injuries-This occurs when an individual opens fire and causes bodily harm to an individual which might be intentional or accidental. Some of these injuries may have a devastating effect on the victim like causing permanent disability.
There are a variety of factors that greatly contribute to gun violence. Some of the leading causes of this vice include;
Poverty-Living in poor conditions and having no stable source of income may lead one to use a gun irresponsibly. This mostly affects the youth who have to indulge in crime to fend for themselves (Metzl & MacLeish, 2015) . This is most prevalent in low-income settlements where a large number of gun holders carry out murder and other harms due to the deplorable condition of such regions. Those areas also account for the highest number of illegal gun ownership.
Easy access to guns by high-risk individuals-People with delicate behaviour and mental disorders may gain access to firearms by legal or illegal means. When such individuals possess those arms, they may not be able to make a sound judgment on how and when to use those guns (Webster & Wintemute, 2015) . A person with violent tendencies may unleash fire to another individual at the slightest provocation.
Income inequality-With inequality in terms of wealth distribution and resource allocation, a certain individual may turn against fellow citizens to express their displeasure against the condition. The disadvantaged individuals may acquire guns to commit a crime against those perceived to be holding too much or what doesn’t rightful belong to them.
Ethical Principles in Gun Violence
Gun violence has been a major topic of discussion among various stakeholders as it greatly affects some of the fundamental principles like the right to life. With some countries like the United States having rights of self-armament and personal protection, it is difficult to solve the problem completely without bypassing other mandates. When a gun holder assaults a fellow human being there is uniformity in the condemnation of the act. This is because it denies the victim the right to life which is a natural fundamental principle. Nothing justifies injury or premature end of human life by the gun holder, either rightful owners or not.
This debate elicits mixed reactions as people tend to look for a solution to that menace. On one end, some individuals and organizations advocate for controlled gun issuance to minimize the number of deaths and injuries brought about by irresponsible usage. The other group opposes such an idea claiming that it infringes on the basic right of self-protection. In the U.S, the proponents of gun ownership quote the Second Amendment of the American Constitution which advocates for a well-regulated militia and the rights of any citizen to bear arms without much control (Braga & Weisburd, 2015) . They argue that by taking away their firearms, one is left vulnerable to threats and having no means to defend him/herself against the perceived danger. Advocates of gun ownership have also resisted laws to censure brandishing of their weapons in public suggesting that it helps to diffuse the potential danger they may face in their daily lives. This is against gun control movements which see such moves as more likely to instil fear and cause mental anguish on other humans.
Advocacy for Gun Control
Brady Campaign
This is a non-profit organization based in the U.S that advocates for laws that prohibit unrestricted use of firearms. Formerly formed in 1974 as National Council to Control Handguns, the movement changed its name in 1981 after James Brady near-fatal shooting during President Reagan attempted assassination. The main goals of this organization are to change laws on gun ownership, bring change to the firearm industry and the American culture. The group boast of advocating laws that prevent unregulated issuance and use of guns including Brady Law and Undetectable Firearms Act. Brady Campaign also raises funds to go around the country seeking citizens’ support in gun control.
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
This organization was formed with four main agendas namely, advocating for extreme risk laws, taking on the National Rifle Association, disarmament of domestic abusers, and prevention of suicide by gun holders. It has largely depended on carrying out education to the public and advocating for legislation prohibiting unregulated gun ownership to achieve its objectives. The coalition was formed by various like-minded groups that were concerned by the high number of fatalities resulting from too much possession of firearms especially the handgun. Other actions advocated by this organization include limiting the sale of assault rifles to the public and removal of concealment of a handgun by the gun holder. They have also proposed an appropriate background check on the individual before he/she can be issued with a firearm.
National Rifle Association on Gun Ownership
National Rifle Association, a body that advocates for gun rights, has over the years opposed legislations put in place to control the issuance and usage of firearms, terming them too stringent. The association quotes the provision of the Second Amendment of the U.S Constitution which advocates for the right to self-arm. NRA has blamed some politicians and other groups for advocating for gun control measures to advance political agenda and not the safety of the American citizens. With the rate of gun violence increasing in the U.S and other countries, the NRA feels that the solution would be to arm people more and not to take their guns (Spitzer, 2015) . They suggest that in a situation where gunmen open fire against innocent civilians, the victims would be able to return fire to the perpetrators thus diffusing the incidence quickly.
Personal views on Gun Violence
Gun violence is a major issue that requires collective efforts to address. One side proposes more legislation that will curb the unwarranted issuance and usage of firearms by private citizens. On the other hand, there is a group that feels such laws go against their rights for self-armament. Bringing the two sides together will mean the amicable and quick solution will be reached. To protect the citizens against gun violence, laws must be put in place to ensure that background check is done to an individual before being issued with a gun. This will prevent delicate persons, for instance, those with a criminal record from acquiring firearms.
Impact of Gun Violence on Healthcare
Gun violence greatly affects the healthcare system as it touches on human life which health workers try to protect. When a gun holder opens fire against another individual, the possible outcome will be death or physical injury which will require the attention of medical practitioners. Another cause of death is self-caused gun violence where a person decides to end his life using a gun (Choi et al., 2020) . Gun-related homicide, suicide, and injury have underlying factors that trigger it to occur. Those contributors include anger, despair, and hopelessness which point to the mental health of an individual. Gun violence can also prevent people from accessing health facilities in crime-infested areas. Likewise, health workers are unable to offer their services in such areas where gangs operate.
From the research, it is evident that gun violence is a delicate issue that few will completely comprehend. Having in the past criticized politicians on fair to pass legislative measures that will protect the citizens against this vice, I have come to understand the effort needed to pass such laws. With conflicting sides each presenting their views, it will be wise to consult every stakeholder when drafting laws against gun violence. This will prevent more divide and enable the fast finding of a concrete solution. However, human life should be paramount and all the stakeholders should go the extra mile to protect it.
Conclusion
Gun violence is an issue that requires much effort to tackle. It impacts human life by causing homicide, suicide, and physical injury to the victims. This violence is triggered by social and psychological factors like poverty, inequality, hopelessness, and depression. To reduce the rate of gun violence, various individuals and organizations have advocated strict measures put in place to control the issuance of firearms to private citizens. This has faced opposition from gun rights proponents who see it as going against the right of self-armament. Gun rights movements also propose more armament of citizens to tackle this problem.
References
Braga, A. A., & Weisburd, D. L. (2015). Focused Deterrence and the Prevention of Violent Gun Injuries: Practice, Theoretical Principles, and Scientific Evidence. Annual Review of Public Health . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122444
Choi, K. R., Saadi, A., Takada, S., Easterlin, M. C., Buchbinder, L. S., Johnson, D. C., & Zimmerman, F. J. (2020). Longitudinal Associations Between Healthcare Resources, Policy, and Firearm-Related Suicide and Homicide from 2012 to 2016. Journal of General Internal Medicine . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05613-3
Cukier, W., & Eagen, S. A. (2018). Gun violence. Current Opinion in Psychology . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.04.008
Metzl, J. M., & MacLeish, K. T. (2015). Mental Illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms. American Journal of Public Health . https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302242
Spitzer, R. J. (2015). Politics of Gun Control. In Politics of Gun Control . https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315636306
Webster, D. W., Cerdá, M., Wintemute, G. J., & Cook, P. J. (2016). Epidemiologic Evidence to Guide the Understanding and Prevention of Gun Violence. Epidemiologic Reviews . https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxv018
Webster, D. W., & Wintemute, G. J. (2015). Effects of Policies Designed to Keep Firearms from High-Risk Individuals. Annual Review of Public Health . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122516
