MarkFord
The Complex Problem of Gun-Related Violence
The bipartisan bill currently in the Senate is a breakthrough in gun control legislation. It has several gun safety measures, including “red flag” laws and enhanced background checks. But although any regulations will be helpful in reducing gun-related violence, restrictions on gun ownership per se may not be enough.
To discuss guns and gun-related violence productively, we have to take a wider view. Consider this:
Switzerland has an extremely high rate of gun ownership and virtually no gun murders.
In the USA, the number of gun deaths, including suicides, has increased every year. But most gun murders are relegated to urban crime, and gang-related crime in particular. This is a big problem that should be addressed directly. Our lawmakers avoid doing that, because it is mostly a black and brown problem, and, thus, politically awkward.
That’s one thing. The other is the mass shootings, like we had in Texas and Buffalo. Unlike gang shootings, which involve hand guns, this is where automatic weapons come into play. Mass shootings are very bizarre and complicated. They are often characterized as political, and some of them are. But this is clearly a mental health issue. It is one crazy person with an agenda. So red flag laws and background checks can help. It’s sometimes called domestic terrorism, however, which is a very different thing. Domestic terrorism is an inhumane but rational form of violence that is, by definition, a political act, and must be addressed that way.
