Values and Action

Gun violence arises from the fascination and commitment that people have with guns. The Gun Violence in United States has resulted in a lot of injuries and even deaths in certain circumstances. The availability of guns has resulted in criminal violence which can involve assaults, harassment and even suicides in many cases.  As per the (GunPolicy.org), near about seventy five percent of world’s eight hundred seventy five million guns are found to be controlled by the civilians. There are roughly forty eight per cent guns that are owned by people in the United States which includes both illegal and legal ways. This makes the country rank in the highest in the ownership of guns in the entire world. If one looks carefully at the rate of violence that has been happening globally, it will be realized that, millions of people get killed or wounded by guns. There were gun assaults that caused around 180,000 deaths in the world that rose to 128,000 in the year 1990. Additionally there were forty seven thousand unintentional deaths with guns in the year 2013. The violence related to guns varies greatly among the countries, geographical regions and sub nationality. The rate of death due to violence ranges about from 0.03 per cent to as low as 0.04 per cent, per one lakh population in countries like Japan and Singapore. Most of the cases of violence are caused by death with guns which occur mostly in the low income areas of central and South American countries like Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Jamaica and Guatemala. Although, the united States possess a rank of 11^th in the rate of violence caused by guns. Generally, Gun related violence and assaults happens to one of the poorest and most urban areas. Violence associated with a gang often included young adult and juvenile males. It have been brought out with the help of following line: “In 2010, homicide and suicide were the 2nd and 3rd leading causes of death among all youths between the ages of 10 and 19 years, and guns accounted for a majority of those deaths” (Fairchild and Halford, pp 24). The mass shootings get covered in media extensively, in which the shootings in United States only account for a small fraction in the number of deaths caused by guns. The shootings in the schools are termed as “uniquely American crisis” as per The Washington Post made in the year of 2018. In the United States, the kids at schools undergo active drill of shooters. As per the reports, ninety five per cent of schools have teachers and students practicing silence huddling for hiding from imaginary gunmen in USA in the year 2019.(Fairchild and Halford, PP: 17-24)

Prompt

The United States of America happens to be the 28^th state with highest death rates from violence caused by guns. It counted around the ratio of 4.43 deaths per one lakh people in the year 2017. When the calculation was done on state basis, the rates got even higher. The District of Columbia, the rate was 16.34 per one lakh population which is the highest in United States. However, in Louisiana, the rate was 10.68 per one lakh people. The national violence rate caused by Gun is higher in the United States than any other country with lower rate of income. The gun violence in America affected the violence rate of country to a great extent. The biggest problem that affected the country was the gun violence.

The firearm rate and the rate of homicides are six times as much as Canada and nearly about sixteen time as much as Germany. America leads amongst many other developed countries when the homicides related to violence caused by guns are concerned. This is the case because United States of America has more violence rate caused by guns than any other developed country.

America consists of more Guns than people: the population of America make up less than five per cent of the entire world’s population, however, they roughly own near about forty five per cent of the world’s firearm that are held publicly.

There has been more than twenty thousand mass shootings after the Sandy Hook. In the year of 2012, December, there was a gunman who walked into the Sandy Hook Elementary school located in Newtown Connecticut. It killed near about twenty children, more than five adults and the gunman himself. There have been more than twenty thousand mass shootings since that incidence. The number of Gun violence comes from a database that’s shows the tracking of mass shootings since the year of 2013. However, since some of the shootings went unreported, there might be some missing cases as well as details of some events (Webster and Daniel, PP: 5-15) A fair definition of mass shooting says that, if there is a shootings of more than four people, it can be called a mass shooting. On an average, there is around one mass shooting each day in the United States of America. This count up for 336 days and 355 mass shootings in the United Nation. Whenever some mass shooting takes place, the supporters of gun rights often tend to argue that it is something inappropriate; bringing up the debates about politics in gun controlling and the aftermath that the tragedy creates. According to Follman et al.,pp 54, “Each year more than 11,000 people are murdered with a firearm, and more than 20,000 others commit suicide using one.”

Research

The states with more number of guns eventually will have more number of deaths. As per a data in Injury Prevention and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mother Jones has put together calculated data about gun deaths that include suicides and homicides. The United States gets greatly affected by this violence that causes chaos, fear and terror in all the places (Follman and Mark, PP: 12-16). Moreover, America is actually an outlier when it comes to gun deaths specifically but not in overall crimes. It is quite obvious that the United States happens to be one of the leading nations in crime but that is actually not the case. The United States ranks the highest when it comes to the violence, assaults and murders caused by guns. It happens to be the only outlier when it comes to homicides caused by guns. In other countries people get involved in arguments with family, peers and friends. However, in the United States of America, people get involved into arguments and take out a gun to kill people.

There are certain measures that can be taken which can help in the reduction of the gun violence within the US. Strict gun laws should be established in the country that can help in reducing the access to the dangerous weapons. There should be considerable reduction in the access to the dangerous weapons by banning civilians to buy or keep guns and firearms. Taking these steps will help in dealing with the problem. The country can establish the culture pertaining to the gun safety, which in turn will help in reducing the accessibility of firearm by the youth of the people (Pah et al, pp 45). The guns should be kept out of the hands of the young people who have the tendency of becoming violent with their partners; this can help in resolving one of the major problems of America.  The people who have a record of previous violent conviction should not be provided with the guns because there is always a chance of them engaging in violence and using their guns in a fit of rage. The gun industry can be held accountable in US; because of their liberal as well as irresponsible ways of business and marketing. It has been found that five percent of the gun dealers , sell 90 percent of their guns which are then used in the crimes and therefore, should be held accountable to the code of the conduct. The state can pass the laws that require the sellers in getting the state licenses which can act as a remedy to the problem. The gun companies possess the legal protections against that of the liability that makes them immune to the lawsuits.  Absence of the legislative action is the reason for a spate of the gun violence issues in the United States. The companies can set the new policies regarding what is being sold to the public which can help in providing a remedy to the raging issue in United States. The responsible gun dealers can be engaged in ethical business which can help in finding the pertinent solution to the problem of the gun violence within US (Newman and Brian., pp 41). There are illegal distributors of guns in the country who add to the problem gun violence, and they should be removed from the heart of the country because this will help in solving a crucial in the US. The community planning should be supported and the implementing of the community safety plans can act as an important intervention that can help in addressing the problem in the right manner. The availability to the emotional as well as mental health should be more as it will help people to take wise decisions in life; which can be instrumental in solving the issue of the gun violence. The government of US should offer support to the research regarding the issue of gun violence because it can help in providing science-based guidance to solve the problem. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should be provided with the adequate resources that can help them in studying the problem. The health system should be provided with proper aid so that it can help in the prevention of violence in the United States. It have been said by Webster et al., pp 34 that “President can order all federal agencies to submit their relevant data to the national gun background check database”.

Causes and Effects of Gun Violence

The violence can be prevented with the help of various kinds of approaches like the programs relating to the hospital-based prevention which can help in dealing with the issue. The upstream strategies can be taken recourse to like the youth employment along with the restoration of the vacant land that can help in finding the right ways to deal with the problem (Banks et al, pp. 114). The creation of the new frontiers can be instrumental in bringing about the innovation that can help in solving the problem within the framework of United States. A community healing program can be adopted that can help in the prevention of the community trauma pertaining to the gun violence. The investments should be made in the communities that can help in the promotion of the resilience and develop the mental strength among the people. The linkage that exists between the anger and the gun violence should be explored more which can help in providing significant facts and information about the problem that has been faced by the country. The investment should be made within the employment opportunities because it will help in employing various unemployed people and provide them with a stable life. The accountability should be established pertaining to the sworn officers that can greatly help in the reduction of the gun violence.

The stigma pertaining to the mental health needs can be reduced by providing the necessary support to the people. The government should provide the communities with the resources that can help in connecting the individuals who needs the support. The trauma should be recognized and some protocols should be developed which can help in providing the right treatment to the individuals.

Conclusion

The gun violence taking place in the United States is resulting in the loss of lives of a large number of people. The problem relating to the gun violence should be addressed and recognized properly which will help in improving the condition of the society within the United States. The gun violence is found to be the commonest of problems within the framework of poor urban areas and it is also related to the gang violence taking place in the society. The legislation at federal, state along with the local levels can address the gun violence by taking recourse to various kinds of methods that can improve the overall condition of society. The establishment of the sensible gun laws can reduce the access to the weapons by the people. The prevention programs can be undertaken by the hospital that can be useful for dealing with the problem. The unemployed youth should be employed because it will help in reducing the frustration among the people that can help in the reduction of the gun violence. The stigma that exists in the society pertaining to the mental health needs should be removed because it will help in removing various problems from the country.

References

Banks, Gina, et al. “Gun violence and substance abuse.” Aggression and violent behavior 34 (2017): 113-116.

Fairchild, Halford H. “Gun violence in America.” Re) Solving violence in America (2016): 17-24.

Follman, Mark, et al. “The true cost of gun violence in America.” (2018).

Newman, Joshua, and Brian Head. “The national context of wicked problems: Comparing policies on gun violence in the US, Canada, and Australia.” Journal of comparative policy analysis: research and practice 19.1 (2017): 40-53.

Pah, A. R., et al. “Economic insecurity and the rise in gun violence at US schools.” Nature Human Behaviour Gunpolicy (2019). Gun Law and Policy: Firearms and armed violence, country by country. [online] Gunpolicy.org. Available at: https://www.gunpolicy.org/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 2019].

1.2 (2017): 0040.

Webster, Daniel W., et al. Regulating Gun Sales: An Excerpt from Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis. JHU Press, 2013.