Share this article on social networks

If we are willing to demand legislatures pass and enforce gun safety laws, we could stop senseless gun violence. But we must hold them accountable.

Sadly, the question is not how many more innocents need to become victims of senseless mass gun violence.

The real question is: When will enough of us relentlessly demand that legislators pass sensible gun laws? Laws that will not only address the growing incidents of mass shootings but the growing epidemic of gun violence.

We could stop senseless gun violence if we demanded it and held our state legislatures and Congress accountable.

State and federal lawmakers seem to be unable to muster the collective will and courage to do the ethical, humane, and right thing to protect citizens from wanton and rampant gun violence.

We have barely completed two months in this new year and there have already been 49 mass shootings. The most recent occurred on Valentine’s Day at a Kansas City Chiefs victory parade.

That shooting highlights another component of the gun crisis in this country: Easy access to semiautomatic and high-powered guns by nearly anyone.

We could stop senseless gun violence if was illegal to own semiautomatic and high-powered guns, which have no place in a civilized society.

But mass shootings are just one aspect of the gun control crisis that has plagued this country for decades.

As of Feb. 15, more than 5,000 people have died from gun violence, more than 100 people per day. Over 3,000 have been injured. The majority of those gun violence deaths have been death by suicide, which brings up another issue to be addressed: Mental health issues.

We Could Stop Senseless Gun Violence
(Photo by designer491/iStock Images)

They are a small part of the problem but are being used as a major excuse not to pass sensible gun safety measures. There should be greater efforts in safeguarding and ensuring that guns are not easily accessible by anyone suffering from mental illness.

We could stop senseless gun violence if we addressed the needs of the mentally ill.

Another side of the gun safety issue is the easy access and usage of guns by criminals. While that continues to be a major problem in cities across the country, violent crimes — murder, assault, robbery and rape — have been dropping significantly since 2022.

Whether gun violence deaths are caused by mass shootings or criminals — perpetrated because of hate, mental illness or some other reason — the real problem is the easy access to all kinds of guns.

Other civilized countries have managed to pass laws and put measures in place to reduce and prevent the proliferation of gun violence.

We could stop senseless gun violence, too, if we demanded that out legislators took action. If they do not, be willing to vote them out of office.

The majority of Americans want stricter gun safety laws and have identified areas they want their legislators to pass legislation and to put in place measures to ensure and monitor implementation.

A vast majority of American support legislation that would require background checks for private and gun show sales; create a national “red flag” law; require a license before a gun purchase; ban the sale of high-capacity magazines; ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons; create a mandatory assault weapon buyback program; increase mental health funding.

If other countries have found solutions, why can’t the United States?

It is up to us. We could stop senseless gun violence if we were willing to hold lawmakers accountable.

Portions of this commentary first appear in the Missouri Independent.

Share this article on social networks