Racism Plagues Soccer Games
January 11, 2013
Incarcerated Black Men
February 19, 2013
By Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., Kansas City, MO –
Gun control eludes America when most industrial nations, and even smaller poorer nations, seem to have put in place laws that reduce if not almost eliminate gun violence. When will most Americans demand meaningful gun control?
To own a gun is to be American. The right to do so is second only to the right to speak. That preeminence and priority is a good indication of how deep the love of guns flow in many Americans.
Will America be able to enforce meaningful gun control when there is such deep-seated love and obsession for guns in our society?
The right of people to keep and bear arms as stated in the second amendment was trumped only by the right to use language whether in speech, the press or peaceful assembly as outlined in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
But does the second amendment mean: If the use of conversation, dialogue or reason does not resolve an imminent threat, we have a right to resort to the use of military style semi-automatic guns with extended clips of ammunition?
If our forefathers and framers of the Constitution were able to see what unregulated gun ownership has wrought against innocent unsuspecting Americans – young and old alike – do you think they would be willing to revisit the right to own and bear arms?
The forefathers, no doubt, wrote the Constitution after a long-fought and bloody Revolutionary War to gain freedom from what was perceived then as an oppressive mother country, England.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, and maybe we can take a few lessons from the country from which we fought so hard to disassociate ourselves. Today, England average only 35 deaths per year from guns compared to over 11,000 in the United States.
They only had to have one mass shooting in a school before they passed a strict law banning high-powered semi-automatic weapons.
Gun control eludes America. Photo Credit: motherjones.com
How many school shootings have we had in the United States and still we do not have a ban on high-powered military-styled weapons? Semi-automatic guns, with extended clips that can hold any where from 10 to 50 rounds or more, are readily available for the unlawful and law-abiding alike, the sane and the crazed, patriots and anti-patriots.
How deep is Americans’ love of guns and tolerance for the indiscriminate violence, death and destructions they cause not just in the all-too-frequent mass shootings, but the injuries and killings that occur in communities across the country on a daily basis?
It has taken the horrible shootings of twenty six and seven-year-old first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT to at least begin a national dialogue on what we need to do as a country to better regulate access to guns.
President Obama has signed twenty-three measures by executive order, all designed to close loopholes and curb wanton gun violence. But the real measures must come from policies and legislation by the United States Congress.
Congress is currently holding hearings to determine what measures would make the most sense, would be the most enforceable and achieve the desired results. But even before those hearings are completed, members of Congress are already saying a measure to ban high-powered semi-automatic assault weapons will not pass.
In the meantime, the random killings in our schools, our neighborhoods continue.
What will it take?
Feature Photo Credit: theconversation.edu.au
Edited and Reprinted with Permission of USAonRace.com
10 Comments
It’s now hard to control guns in the US compare to other nations. It will take years or decades if not a century to get the US of controlled licensed guns.
The United States is desperately in need of gun control laws. I am so tired of waking up, reading the news, and finding out once again of an unnecessary shooting. People are too loose and irresponsible with this. Owning a gun is a responsibility and it should be taken seriously. This was a very informative article and I enjoyed it a lot.
I don’t think the average citizen should have any weapon that could harm someone or to be more specific to kill. People kill people not bullets and guns so to prevent gun violence there should be no right to bear arms.
I’m curious if there’s an actual study that proves the actual correlation of gun control and the mass shootings that have happened. Are the incidents of mass shooting only caused by the non-regulation of guns? Or is there a deeper, and more disturbing reason for it, i.e mental health issues? There is indeed a need to review gun control and ownership in America.
The authorities are really slacking on their responsibilities. Why allow this generate to this.I believe they can be a very good way to curb these killings and of course the use of guns by anyone.A license should be issued to the right person only.
An American guy feels pride to own a gun. It is just similar to the right to speak.
The US should reform their Gun laws. It is too loose, and yes, easy to elude. It brings more harm than benefits. Scary!
It really appalling that the most powerful country like the US can’t have control over the use of guns in the country. All the wanton killings should resurrect a stiff law to fight this menace .I hope it wouldn’t generate to more dangerous trend.
Finally gun control in America! They should really give licenses to the ones that are responsible and knows what they are doing. A lot of people own guns in America but have little knowledge on the responsibility of having one. Thank you for the informative article!
I kinda agree to the premise of this. I say KINDA because I am not from there. However, the fact that somebody is shooting somebody tells me that Gun laws are loose. In fact, it seems to be a tradition right now. I remember when some lunatic went to a Batman movie just to shoot people. This and many more incidents are becoming a staple but not in a good way.