The Hypocrisies of Gun Laws in America
By: Rayya Hadisurya
Edited by: Fiorina Siamir
Let us first derive the purpose of a machine gun and an assault rifle. Is it for hunting? For protection? A hobby? Or were these guns popularized in World War I and II, known to be capable of bringing down row after row of soldiers from a distance on the battlefield? Now that we know the purpose of these weapons is to kill as many humans as fast and efficiently as possible, why do we need a part of the populace to retain these deadly items if we do not wish for people to die handfuls at a time? Whatever the reason the American government has for their people this time around, mass shootings in the US have gotten out of hand.
Charles Schumer, a senior senator from the Democratic Party, states in a speech on the Senate floor, "America doesn’t stand out when it comes to the rate of mental illness, but we are unique among the world’s developed nations in that today the leading cause of death among children is no longer a car accident, is no longer illness or malnourishment. The leading cause of death among children is a firearm,"
What a heartbreaking factual statement. Only in America do parents and children have to be wary of school shootings. There is a very loud and sound solution to the problem: banning guns. In 1996, there was a mass shooting that happened in Australia, which led to one of the most comprehensive gun laws in the world. A man that carried a semi-automatic rifle walked into a cafe and started shooting, killing 35 people and injuring 28. As a result, Australia’s prime minister at the time, John Howard, just weeks after the massacre, brought in a gun law reform called The National Firearms Agreement. The agreement included a requirement to have a justifiable reason to own a gun, and unlike in the United States, self-protection does not count as a justifiable reason. Certain kinds of firearms, including automatic rifles, semi-automatic rifles, and shotguns, were banned in Australia. Before the law changed, there were 11 mass shootings in the decade leading up to 1996, and since then, there has been only one shooting in the course of a few decades. In addition to that, the overall rate of homicide and suicide Nationwide has reduced significantly.
My question is, why can’t America do the same? Since eradicating all guns will be an extremely complex reformation, it would be easier for them to first erase machine guns and assault rifles which are the leading causes of mass shootings. Then continue to file through extensive research and background checks, and no, I don’t mean the outdated FBI system. I mean a psychological test certified by a professional psychologist, criminal records, school records, previous history of family trauma, and so on.
I believe that it is extremely ironic how Americans say that abortion would kill a child who might cure cancer but completely disregard the futures of children who died as victims of school shootings. Couldn’t these children have had the chance to cure cancer as well? Forget cancer; these children could’ve lived fulfilling lives, and their parents could’ve seen them grow and graduate. This is the bare minimum, and we call America a first-world country? Where healthcare is inaccessible, while guns are a couple hundred dollars.
Let us treat every young man who wants to buy a gun like every woman who wants to get an abortion. A mandatory fourty hour waiting period. Parental permission, a note from his doctor proving he understands what he’s about to do, a video yet to watch about the effects of gun violence, and an ultrasound wand up the ass just because. Let's close down all but one gun shop in every state and make them travel hundreds of miles, take time off of work and stay overnight in a strange town to get a gun. Let’s make them walk through a gauntlet of people holding photos of loved ones who were shot to death and people who call him a murderer, begging him not to buy a gun. I mean, it makes more sense to do this with young men and guns compared to women with healthcare, right? A woman who’s gotten or trying to get an abortion never killed a room full of people within seconds. So why do people who buy guns only need to go through an outdated FBI background check at the gun store within minutes and not an extensive one like these women need to? If taking a fetus’ life is so important to you, what more than these already living, breathing children and people who have fell victim to mass shootings? How about mothers who grieve day and night on the tombs of their very own children? Does the American government not bat an eye?
Then again, until a bill has passed to eradicate guns, we will have to continue to face a higher percentage of gun violence in America. Only in America do children fear death at school, a place of learning and betterment. Only in America do parents pray for their children to get home safe every day. Only in America do we constantly send out sympathies to victims of firearm misuse and watch the government do absolutely nothing.