The U.S. Needs New Gun Policy At Home And Abroad | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The U.S. Needs New Gun Policy At Home And Abroad

America isn't the greatest victim of terror.

34
The U.S. Needs New Gun Policy At Home And Abroad
sott.net

In the United States, the war on terror is primarily described as our fight against extremists who hate the West, hate us and threaten American lives. That started when former President George W. Bush claimed that terrorists were threatened by the freedoms granted in the U.S., so they attacked us. From there, a narrative where the U.S. plays the victim was expanded by the media until it became accepted as true. However, most victims of terrorism are not American.

The countries with the most terrorism fatalities between 2004 and 2013 are Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the Global Terrorism Database at the University of Maryland.

Yet the U.S. isn’t the victim as often as the media portray, and we have also played a role in funding and supporting terrorism abroad. Historically, the U.S. has funded and armed rebels in countries whose regime has anti-U.S. policies or where democracy appears to be threatened. However, these rebel groups often commit human rights violations themselves, attacking not only the regime but also civilians. For example, the Nicaraguan contras received extensive funding from the U.S. and were known to resort to civilian attacks.

In Afghanistan, the U.S. armed militant mujahideen groups to fight the Soviet occupation, but those groups developed into the Taliban and other terrorist organizations. During the Iran-Contra Affair, then-President Ronald Reagan admitted to essentially trading Iran weapons for help releasing American hostages.

Those are historic examples of ways the U.S. has funded terrorism against civilians abroad, but we continue to do so today. We have funded various rebel groups in Syria and often, as in the historic examples, the weapons and supplies may not even reach the rebels we are attempting to help. Or the weapons are taken if the rebels are captured and beef up the already impressive ISIS store of American-made weapons.

According to a 2012 Congressional Research Services report on international arms deals, “In 2011, the United States ranked first in the value of arms deliveries to developing nations at $10.5 billion, or 37.6% of all such deliveries.” That is a huge amount of weapons being traded in insecure regions, where arms can fall into the wrong hands and aid in terror. While the U.S. benefits financially from these gun deals, the cost is human life abroad when rebel groups or terrorists attack civilians.

If you’re a visual learner, the following video is a geographical history of lives lost to terror around the world:

The video shows the Middle East bombarded with terrorist attacks, at the cost of Middle Eastern civilian lives. The U.S. is also attacked (and I think the video might be missing some in-country terrorism), but not nearly at the volume that other countries are. We are a victim, but we are by no means the main victim. And, unlike many other countries where people are killed in terrorist attacks, the U.S. has an incredible amount of power in who has access to weapons and supplies and political leverage.

We can stop killing civilians with indiscriminate drone attackson war zones and instead be a voice for better support systems for civilians in wartime. We can simultaneously limit gun access in the U.S. and abroad. We have the power to create positive change on guns and to decrease the number of civilian casualties of war and terrorism. The only problem is that there is little incentive for the U.S. to do so, as we make money off gun sales abroad and at home. But shouldn’t we be willing to give up a good financial deal for a better chance at peace?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Vivien Leigh
Revelist

I've lived a whole 21 years with an RBF (Resting Bitch Face), so naturally, I go through most of these struggles on a daily basis.

And before you ask, yes I'm fine. No, I'm not mad. This is just my face, so take it or leave it! To those of you who have been #blessed with an RBF, you'll probably relate to these more than you'd like to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Iconic Duos: Timeless Legends

From Luke and Leia to Beyonce's twins...

774560
Luke and Leia from Star Wars, a iconic duo
Lucasfilm

“Name a more iconic duo... I'll wait." OK, well, if you insist. In no particular order, here's a list of 100 iconic duos that seem to be timeless.

SEE MORE: This Is The ICONIC Disney Sidekick You Are To Your BFF, According To Your Zodiac Sign

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

A Candid Letter to My Best Friends Ex

Because this is the real form of torture you deserve.

510
middle finger
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

What's up Asshat,

I've composed a list of things that I wish upon you, and they're harsh and cruel. These things are things that I wouldn't wish upon my worst of enemies, not even that Starbuck's barista who always screws up my order, not even him. You fall into a whole other category of hate. You surpass Starbucks barista. Congratulations, I'm actually a pretty nice person, making you worthy of every single bit of torture I wish upon you. What are these things I wish upon you you might ask?

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

College Life: As Told By Bob's Burgers

If there's anyone who understand the struggles of college, it's the Belcher family

1155
Bob's Burgers

College is a time of gaining independence, exploring new things, and copious amounts of Netflix. If you're like me, you often find yourself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations you find yourself in. Here are ten times Bob's Burgers accurately captured college life.

1. What you're pretty sure your upstairs neighbors do at 3am every morning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Why Theater Kids Are the Greatest People Ever

Supportive and spontaneous human beings are the best.

864
Theater Kids

Throughout school, the theater department has always been my go-to place with go-to people when I need advice, a dance party, or just someone to listen to me vent.

You never know what's going to happen when you're dealing with theatre or what kind of characters you'll encounter. We have too much fun doing anything! One time in my senior year acting class, we spent an entire class period watching Bob's Burgers, and it was the greatest class period ever.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments