The second amendment to the US Constitution was ratified in 1791, when most citizens would have muskets which would have a reload rate of 3 bullets per minute...for a skilled gunman. The amendment has not been changed in any meaningful way since its ratification, and honestly? It's time. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for a United States citizen's right to bear arms, but something needs to be done to prevent more shootings.
The sad reality is that shootings, especially those in public places like schools and shopping centers, are becoming more and more common. It's to the point that the general public has become numb to them. Today is the perfect example of that: at a high school in Wisconsin, an armed student was shot by a campus officer after the student pointed a gun at him, and the news of this didn't even make the front page. In contrast, the Columbine School Shooting made international news for several days. Had it happened today? It would barely be front-page news.
The shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA happened on November 14th. When I saw the alert on my phone and told my co-workers of it, their reactions were "another one?" and "oh well." This chilled me to my core. How is it that one of the richest countries in the world, no longer cares that its children are being killed? Students shouldn't have to go to school with an action plan for getting out of an active shooter situation.
The United States prides itself on being the best nation in the world, but that is no longer true. According to Business Insider's Aria Bendix, the US ranks 27th in healthcare and education. Do you know what we're number one in? Gun ownership, gun-related deaths, and gun violence per-capita. In 2017, 73% of all homicides in the US were gun related. The United States civilians own almost half of the world's supply of guns. That's right, one country owns almost half as much as the rest of the world, combined. Gun violence is so prevalent in the US, many countries warn their citizens before they travel that they have a decent chance of getting shot while on vacation. You read that correctly: countries like Japan and Uruguay have travel advisories warning tourists about the levels of gun violence.
I understand where they are coming from. Today is December 2, 2019, the 336th day of the year and so far, there have been 385 mass shootings (defined as an event involving the shooting, not necessarily the death, of four or more people). This averages out to about one mass shooting, every two weeks. Imagine having to fear for your life while just going to the grocery story store to get some milk? Some people think that that only happens in underdeveloped countries, but in the US, this is a regular occurrence.
What can we do about this? Well stricter gun control would be a start, seeing as the countries with the strictest gun control laws have the lowest crime rates. But since the US is such a massive country, what worked for, say Australia, Sweden, and Finland, will probably make a small dent in the issue. The truth is, until the NRA and other pro-gun lobbyists stop trying to prevent change, nothing is going to happen. However, as most US citizens do, I have my own opinion on this and I have seen that it has a small following on other sites. I believe that we should keep the federal gun restrictions as they are, have states continue to have their independent laws, but have stringent state and federal regulations on the ammunition available to the public. You can't exactly shoot someone if your gun doesn't have any bullets. I, for one, think it's a good idea, but who knows if anything will actually get done about this issue.
For now: remember to always have a way out of a public place, be aware of who is entering, trust your gut. If, heaven forbid, you do find yourself in an active shooter situation: if you can safely do so, run as far away as you can from the area and do not stop until you are safely away. If you cannot run: hide somewhere away from windows, doors, and walls where the shooting is coming from. Block the entrances to the best of your ability, turn off the lights, and remain quiet. As a last resort, and ONLY as a last resort, if you find the shooter in the room with you, fight. Grab anything you can and throw it at them. It is likely you will not be alone in this situation and you will likely outnumber the shooter. Everyone should throw anything they can to try and disarm the shooter. Once disarmed, dog-pile on them until police arrive. Once police arrive, show them your hands, leave your bag (do not try and grab it), and follow the officers' instructions. If you're in a public place and you hear pops and aren't sure if they're gun shots or not, be safe and assume they are until proven otherwise.
Please stay safe out there and write to your congress person about changing gun laws in your state.
