The Las Vegas Sign on The Strip, as seen on October 9, 2017, covered in flowers in the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas Strip shooting.
In 2020, 45,222 Americans died from gun injuries, according to the CDC. There were 610 mass shootings (more than 4 people dead) that year. Everyday 110 Americans are killed with guns.
I could go on citing statistics, but there is no standard database to cite since the FBI, CDC, and various research organizations each keep separate records that vary in their specifications. That is on purpose. The moneyed interests don’t want the public to know how many people are dying. Mass shootings grab all the headlines, but they don’t match the daily toll of individual deaths.
The issues are:
- Assault weapons
- Mass shootings
- Red Flag laws
- Gun Trafficking
- Ghost guns
- Unsafe storage
- Underage use of guns
- Open Carry
The majority of Americans support legislation restricting the use of guns. But the millions the lobbyists pour into the Congress speak louder. Public demonstrations and media campaigns can’t compete in getting votes. Last summer, during the Democratic control of the Congress, some Republicans crossed the line to help support legislation that addressed some of the issues:
- Background checks for those under 21 (closing a loophole.)
- Ban domestic abusers from buying guns (tightens a federal ban)
- Funds for states to implement Red Flag laws
- Funds for mental health programs and school security
Gun laws vary widely from state to state. It is easy to buy a gun and transport it to another state with more strict laws. Without a federal standard, state laws are impossible to enforce.
The United States has more deaths due to gun violence than any other country, with the exceptions of the dictatorial banana republics in Central America. That is why so many are fleeing the criminal gangs who control these countries. The U.S. is doing little to control these gangs outside of the effort of the Drug Enforcement Agency, whose programs have been inadequate.
It seems almost futile to try to restrict more guns when we already have 120 guns/100 people in the country. Yet more Americans are buying more firearms year after year due to the fearmongering of the right-wing media. When guns are so readily available, children use them to intentionally, or accidentally, shoot others. Guns are a factor in youth suicides. Guns are so pervasive they influence every aspect of our lives. School children live in fear because they are not safe anymore. It is no longer a question of sports or self-defense. It is an issue of mass annihilation.
People use guns to kill other people.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.