How We Can Help Reduce Gun Violence?

Anti-gun activists would immediately reply that the way to reduce gun violence is to reduce the number of gun-carrying individuals. They would cite statistics twisted to show that, as state relaxation of regulations for concealed carry permits occurred, gun violence increased. It would be their argument that severely reducing concealed carry permits is the answer to reducing gun violence.

Anti-gun proponents gain public support from such sad incidents as those which occurred in a Las Vegas nightclub, at Columbine High School, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and at Virginia Tech. After each of these unfortunate incidents, anti-gun supporters called for tougher new gun controls.

While they would have a difficult time linking country-wide concealed carry permits to the escalation of gun violence, we do have to look at some disturbing realities. USA has the highest rate of gun violence of any developed country.

American Journal of Medicine’s 2016 study reported that Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed by someone wielding a handgun that citizens in any other prosperous country.

While these facts are irrefutable, they hardly give support for reducing the number of its citizens allowed to carry guns to protect themselves. Indeed, pro-gun groups like the National Rifle Association cite these very statistics as proof we need to be prepared for self-defense.

So, raging battle between these two opposing factions aside, how can we help to reduce gun violence in the USA?

Guns are not going to disappear—no matter how hard anti-gun groups wish it were so. The Second Amendment grants American citizens the right to bear arms. According to studies at Harvard and Northeastern, there are over 265 million privately owned guns. This figure is increasing daily. This does not count illegal firearms or guns owned by military and police forces.

So what is the solution if taking away citizens’ guns is not a option? The most realistic way to curb gun violence is to frame gun violence for what it is: A public safety concern. So, out of concern for the welfare of Americans what can we do.

Let’s look at the car safety issue. I know. You’re thinking What does automobile safety have to do with curbing gun violence? Consider this: during the last half-century, despite a continuing increase in motor vehicles in America, there has been a reduction of deaths involving vehicles. Instead of curbing the number of people allowed to have and use cars, the automotive industry produced safer cars. The government passed stronger seat belt legislation and increased penalties and highway checks for distracted and drunk driving.  It worked. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that vehicle-involved deaths decreased from over thirty-three billion in 1975 to under twelve million in 2016.

What can we learn from this about gun violence? The solution lies not in curbing the number of legal firearms but rather in having stiffer requirements before you can own a handgun and rigorous laws about safe use and storage of weapons.

Is increasing the age at which you can purchase a handgun and a concealed carry permit the answer. There has never been a conclusive study that linked changing the age at which you can buy a gun—or apply for a permit—to increasing gun violence. A better way to curb gun violence would be to pass legislation requiring everyone who buys a handgun to have to register it.  Isn’t this already the case? The State Firearms Law project has discovered that only seven states require a permit to buy a gun—of any kind. Why would this result in a decrease in gun violence? When Missouri repealed the state mandate that gun buyers must register, a Journal of Urban Health noted that after the Missouri permit-to-purchase handgun law was repealed gun homicide rates went up a whopping 25%. In Connecticut, after they passed this law gun-related homicides dropped 40%.

Why does a simple requirement like having to register to buy a gun work? Presently thirteen state or federal laws prohibit anyone convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun. Other states have extended permit-to-purchase-a-gun restrictions to include anyone who has a violent misdemeanor conviction of any kind from buying a gun. As a result, almost 25% fewer cases of domestic violence homicides have occurred. The same holds true for banning those with mental illnesses from buying a gun.

This is not the answer to curbing gun violence. But, it’s a good start!