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Abstract
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On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting was reported, once again, in America. This time, 10 people were killed in what appeared to be a racially-motivated slaying at the Tops Friendly Market grocery store in Buffalo, New York.
The perpetrator, a New York teen, was armed with a military assault weapon, an AR-15. Less than two weeks later, on May 24, 2022, this time from within an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, 19 children and 2 adults were massacred, again by a teen armed with an AR-15.
This repeated horror is uniquely American. Other countries have experienced gun violence and mass shootings and have responded with immediacy and efficacy. And many of the acting officials in those countries were up for reelection.
On May 25, 2022, the New York Times published the article, "Other Countries Had Mass Shootings. Then They Changed Their Gun Laws," describing how Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway have all had a former culture of gun ownership, but managed to tighten gun restrictions regardless, resulting in mass casualty statistics widely divergent than those of the U.S. The article further details how leaders in those governments moved quickly after a particular mass shooting, levied new laws, and greatly decreased the number of gun-related fatalities in their respective countries.
Though such restrictions have always generated a certain level of controversy, most have been broadly embraced by each country's voting public. Even in Australia, where conservative- leaning politics had long favored gun ownership, citizens broadly accepted the buyback of guns. Some even surrendered their weapons without further prodding, in a galvanized demonstration of support for their country's more stringent gun laws. And after the change in legislation, the results were clear: when a nation tightens its gun control laws leading to fewer guns in private citizens' hands, there was less gun violence and fewer mass shootings in those impacted jurisdictions.
So why such a different narrative here in the US? Is this really all about the construct of rights granted under the 2nd Amendment? Or are we simply being steered by those in power accepting money from powerful lobbyists? A crisis of leadership occurs when power and greed take precedence over morality and community security. Our representatives are not protecting us; and many are sacrificing humanity for individual gain...
Language: en |