It’s Time to Address The Guns

For the second time in nine days, gunshots rang out in a gruesome and heartbreaking mass shooting. When the smoke cleared, 19 innocent children between the ages of 7 and 10 years old were dead. Two teachers were also murdered. First Buffalo, now Uvalde, Texas. Will this senseless violence ever stop?

The Robb Elementary School shooting is the 212th mass shooting event this year. We’ve already had 27 school shootings and it’s only May. It’s the deadliest shooting event in the US this year. These mass murders are a uniquely American epidemic.

Americans are 25 times more likely to die from a gun homicide than other developed countries. But, why? Every country in Europe is struggling with mental health. But, 18-year old kids with mental health problems in Europe aren’t shooting up schools.

Parents lined up outside the local civic center to provide individual DNA swab samples to authorities. Apparently the damage done by the Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 military-style assault rifle, which retails for $1,870, were so severe that many of the children were unrecognizable. The DNA results were used to match parents to the dead children. The dead included 8-year-old Uziyah Garcia, whose grandfather described as “the sweetest little boy that I’ve ever known.”

Just a few days earlier, on May 14, 2022, a lone gunman walked into a Tops Friendly Markets grocery store in Buffalo, NY. He opened fire with an assault-style rifle. When the smoke cleared, ten people lie dead and three others were injured. The shooter broadcast the bloodbath live on a Social Media platform, before being taken into custody.

Both of these men utilized the weapon of choice for mass murders: a military-style assault rifle. The assault-style rifle is now the most popular gun in the United States. It’s so popular that one out of every five firearms purchased is an Assault rifle.

You might think that we are experiencing a spike in gun violence. Unfortunately this is not a spike. This is the new, normal in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2020 was the deadliest year in American history. The combination of Covid-19 and an increase in the national murder rate simply wreaked havoc on public health.

But, while deaths from Covid-19 are falling, the nation’s murder rate continues to rise. So what is causing the rapid increase in deaths from violent crime and guns? And, how can we stop these tragedies from happening?

According to FBI data, murders increased by 30% in 2020. It was the largest single increase in FBI history.

Not coincidentally, over 22.8 million guns were purchased in 2020, which set an all-time record. US civilians now own 393 million guns. That’s around 1.25 firearms per US citizen. We are apparently a gun-loving country.

Sixteen US cities saw record-high murder rates in 2021. The frequency and casualness of murder in our country should be our number one priority. But, it isn’t. We’ve simply grown numb to the senseless violence and death on our screens.

Christopher Wray, Director of the FBI, appeared on CBS 60 Minutes to address the rising wave of violent crime in America.

Wray’s appearance coincides with the release of alarming data from the New England Journal of Medicine indicating that firearm related injuries surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for children and teens in 2020.

Deaths from firearms among children ages 1-19 jumped 29.5% from 2019-2020. That is double the rate of increase in the general population.

A few days ago in Atlanta, the news validated this finding. It seems two boys got into an argument at a local skating rink. One boy, age 13, pulled a handgun and shot 11-year-old D\’Mari Johnson in the head. He remains in a medically induced coma today.

We watch murder after murder on the evening news and we do nothing but wring our hands. We’ve become the Jewish priest and the Levite from the parable of The Good Samaritan. Barely pausing to take notice before we lose interest and move on to sports and weather. Surely this is not how Jesus expected Christians to inherit eternal life in the face of such violence.

We’ve simply grown accustomed to mass murder. It’s shameful, at best. It’s certainly not what John Winthrop envisioned in 1630 when he referred to the Massachusetts colony as the “shining city on a hill,” shining like an example to the world. And, like the family member who grows accustomed to an addict’s behavior, we have grown accustomed to the violence and bloodshed.

Those on the political left would argue that we need to ban high capacity magazines and perform background checks at gun shows. Let’s do it. And, while we’re at it let’s address the assault rifles. Those that drafted the second amendment couldn’t possibly envision the modern air-cooled and gas-operated, seven pound Assault rifle, with a 100 round magazine. It’s a killing machine.

If you are 18 years old and you want a military assault rifle, join the Marines. They’ll give you one for free and teach you how to shoot it at bad guys. With complete control of the House, Senate and The White House the Democrats should be able to pass that legislation this week, right? But, they won’t. Why?

Those on the political right would argue that any new rules on the sale of guns is a violation of our second amendment rights. Or, that more handguns are the answer.

Many would argue that this is a mental health problem, not a gun problem. But, if it’s a mental health problem do you think it’s wise to allow a pimply-faced, 18 year old kid with checkered mental health record-the opportunity to legally purchase a weapon designed exclusively to shoot human beings?

I’m an avid hunter and I own a locked closet full of handguns and long guns. I’ve completed many background checks to purchase guns. I’ve been more inconvenienced buying a 12 pack of Sudafed at my neighborhood Walgreens.

I love the simplicity of the “more guns” argument, but the argument that we need easier access to more guns has grown tiresome. Our country acquired almost 23 million more guns last year. And the bodies stack up like cord- wood, especially in our major cities. Gunshots ring out nightly in my city after dark. It’s turned into the Wild West.

The politicians point the finger of blame at each other like angry children on a playground. It’s simply more politically expedient for both parties to have a villain to blame than to actually find common ground and solve a problem. That’s why we won’t see any new gun laws this year.

But, there’s a bigger problem than changing a few gun laws. We have a deep sickness in this country.

You cannot walk into a grocery store or a elementary school full of children and begin shooting children in the face unless you are mentally ill to begin with. (The shooter shot his grandmother in the face over his cell phone bill-before driving to Robb Elementary School and shooting everyone he saw.)

We simply have no comprehensive solutions to deal with the mental health crisis in this country. So, the politicians villainize each other to raise campaign contributions and get air-time on the news networks. It’s like watching Sisyphus roll the boulder up the hill over and over again for eternity.

Yes, common sense solutions need to be deployed in Washington. A few more gun laws won’t meaningfully restrict your Second Amendment rights. But, let’s be honest with each other regardless of your political persuasion. With 338 million guns in circulation, new gun laws won’t solve the availability of guns. And, it won’t stop the next Sandy Hook or Marjory Stoneman Douglas or Columbine or Robb Elementary.

The United States has the highest rate of gun violence in the world. We’ve simply made our bed with guns and hate in this country and we are paying the price. It’s the reason why the mass murder of children is uniquely American. And, why the mentally ill are not shooting up elementary schools in Europe.

Our leaders need to stop playing politics and begin to intelligently address our gun laws-and the associated mental health crisis leading to these senseless, hate-filled carnages.

My writing is intended to be a conversation. That means you have to participate. Do you have any other ideas that might help solve this problem?. Tell me what you think, below. And, please do me a favor and forward this article to a few friends who might want to join the conversation about guns. Maybe we can solve this problem together.

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