As we are all aware the debate surrounding gun control is becoming an increasingly hot topic in domestic politics, and for good reason. As of today, more than 2000 people have been killed by guns since the Newtown massacre last December in the U.S. Such a horrendous act followed by a startling high volume of gun-related deaths calls for immediate attention. But for a nation that is simultaneously enamored with shoot-em-up action films, first person shooter video games, and military action, how does our approach towards gun regulation look compared to other nations around the globe? What social variations influence different forms of regulation? And lastly can it be said that one form of regulation is superior to another?
Firearm advocates in the United States often refer to the Second Amendment for constitutional support, although many American legislators are reexamining this notion within a more modern framework in the hopes of reaching a respectful balance. One such legislator in Colorado is Rhonda Fields who recently received death threats for her position on gun control. Less than a decade after the shooting of her son, this threat serves to reiterate the need for more regulated measures such as more thorough background checks for gun buyers.
Not unlike the traumatic event that ravaged Newton, a shooting spree left nearly 100 dead in Norway. Speculators have even claimed that the Newton shooter attempted to emulate the massacre in Norway. If events like these can happen outside of war zones on opposite sides of the globe, what are governments doing to address this complex threat?
Well, for example, the European Union has passed tough new gun control laws that it"hoped to prevent Europe from
becoming a gun-friendly culture like the United States," in the words of
the International Herald Tribune. In Singapore, gun owners must first acquire a license before owning a firearm similar to the law found in Kenya. Japan in recent years has called for a rewriting of its constitution to address gun violence. In China, the civilian ownership of firearms is generally prohibited.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, nations such as Russia permit the purchase of weapons such as smoothbore shotguns,
gas pistols, or revolvers shooting rubber bullets. Safe use of one of
the above weapons for five years allows for the lawful purchase of a rifle. In Moscow alone, some 400,000 people legally keep 470,000 weapons. Such gun culture resembles U.S. gun culture, though the degree of regulation is surprisingly different. Across the U.S. border, Mexican citizens and legal residents may purchase new non-military
firearms for self-protection or hunting only after receiving approval of
a petition to the Defense Ministry, which performs extensive background
checks. In a nation where the problem of gun violence is both pronounced and irrefutably connected to transnational factors, there may be something the U.S. can learn from its neighbors to the south regarding the need for tougher regulation.
The effectiveness of any nation's gun control measures are certainly dependent upon both international and intranational factors, making the task of regulation particularly challenging. No one set of measures is universal or superior, nor will one set of measures ever be adopted by all diverse societies and nations around the world. A topic that is based upon a multi-billion dollar industry, varying notions of freedom and protection, and overall social stability will continue to remain complex. Though one thing is clear, gun violence is a global issue, and it will take both a national and global perspective to confront it.
I enjoy your discussion of this controversial topic particularly because you bring it to an international level and show how the US compares to many countries around the world in regards to gun policy and the prevalence of violence. I understand the historical and psychological reasons why the United States is so adamant about protecting our right to bear arms, but I also believe that it is a significant problem that results in the deaths of thousands of people a year because of poor gun restriction laws and a violent culture. The United States population must change its mentality about what constitutes individual rights in order to protect our own friends, family and neighbors.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal experience, I have had many non-Americans ask me if I 1) have a gun, 2) have been shot, 3) know somebody that has been shot. I have had guests visit me in the United States from other countries who, before coming, express a genuine fear for their lives because of our violent gun culture and what they see in the news and movies. I assure them that nothing will happen to them and that, unless they get in an obviously bad or dangerous situation, they will be fine. I can think of few other countries which have such a strong global stereotype centering on guns and violence. It makes me sad and ashamed that people associate the US with gun violence and are even afraid to come here for fear of their lives. Stricter gun laws must be enacted in the first efforts of many efforts to fundamentally change our countries addiction to guns and violence.
I come from a family of hunters. Guns have always been in my house. And I'm ok with that, although I don't ever have the desire to handle them. The problem with gun laws is that there is this idea that we NEED to own guns to protect ourselves - from our neighbors. What's sad about the culture in which we live in is that unlike most other countries we do not know or trust our neighbor. There's an obvious fear and suspicious we feel as Americans towards one another and therefore we feel the need to protect ourselves. Where did this mentality come from? I wonder as I travel and then return home to notice the difference I feel walking down the streets of Denver versus say the streets of Haiti or Mexico.
ReplyDeleteIn countries that have less law enforcement and structure I tend to feel safer then I do walking down the mall in Denver at night. I think we've become enamored with the mindset that everyone and anyone can be a threat that we forget that not every human being is violent. I am not a violent person nor do I have the feelings ever to shoot or hurt anyone, so why should I assume that any man or woman who walks past me does have that in them?
I appreciate your information about gun control and the global issues. I do think this is a conversation we should have as a nation and as a world as a whole. It is a global issue of course and I think the debate has gotten way out of hand and is merely being ranted on fueled by emotions and not necessarily facts, solutions, or even a solid effort to consider history and what we want to see in the future. I'm quite over the gun debate actually because its not being debated well and I'm not one to enjoy running in circles. So until conversation starts moving forward and we put down our guards to listen and consider the issues and the realities, I have just stopped trying to be a part of it. Its not an issue of guns in hands, its an issue of uncontrolled emotions and unnecessary hate - let's discuss that and try to figure out the solution to that first.