Gun Violence In America - Political View

My Grand Uncle Norman posing with a new shooting vest and his gun collection.  Swiss hunting traditions have been passed down father to son in my family for generations.   We learn to hunt and use guns safely at an early age  and though I no longer hunt, these traditions are precious to me.

When I speak of "gun control," I'm not just referring to restrictions on gun ownership and use, but also any and all related issues that result in gun violence.  If you consider homicides, suicides and accidental shootings, it appears that nearly 100,000 Americans are shot every year, and over 30,000 of them die.  I would call this an abysmal failure of gun control in America.  If we are pro life, if we believe in the right to life, liberty and happiness, this is not acceptable, and all of us should support policies to reduce gun violence. 

In America, there is rarely any discussion of our failed gun control policies because when one even says the words “gun control” Americans on both sides the issue become agitated and refuse to listen.  So long as this behavior continues, nearly 100,000 Americans will be shot every year, and the blood will be on our hands!  We need to pull together and commit ourselves to solving the problem of gun violence, regardless of our emotions.

First of all, America is a patchwork quilt of gun control laws.  Some states have very little gun control while others are quite restrictive.  Some states have firearm death rates low as 2.8 per hundred thousand and others as high as 31.2 per hundred thousand.  Often, the level of gun control does not match up with the death rates per state.  So what’s going on, and why isn’t gun control working in America?  Why is America such a violent place?

I know that many Americans like football so I will use that sport as an analogy.  To be a Superbowl champion, you must play great offense.  The quarterback, running backs, ends and linemen all need great skills.  To be a Superbowl champion, you also need great defense.  The backfield, linebackers, ends and linemen all need great skills.  A Superbowl team is not made by any one individual, but rather by the coordination and cooperation of all.

We have tried restrictions on guns and gun owners as a stand alone solution to the problem and we have failed.  We have tried locking people up as a stand alone solution to the problem, and we have failed.  We have ignored important social issues for years, and we have failed to solve the problem of gun violence.  Until we can work together using all the tools available, nearly 100,000 Americans will continue to be shot each and every year in America.

For America to be successful at reducing gun violence, we need to be working like a Superbowl team.  We need a comprehensive plan that addresses all the related issues:

• sensible restrictions on firearms
• firearms training and proficiency testing for gun owners

• a court system that locks up dangerous criminals

• criminal restrictions on hate speech and inciting violence
• drug laws that reduce violence
• affordable comprehensive health care for all Americans

• living wage jobs for all Americans

I know that this is a daunting task, but it is not impossible.  Many other countries, Switzerland for example, has reduced gun violence because they address all the issues.  They are playing like a Superbowl team, or perhaps a better analogy, they are running like a “Swiss watch.”