Last week, I wrote about the Planned Parenthood shooting. It's disheartening to be able to write about this topic within such a short period of time. Gun violence is a problem in the United States, and major shootings are a significant portion of that problem. Clearly, something has to change and implementing on a federal level even one of the policy changes that our fellow developed countries have would be a major starting point.
Nearly any time an incident like this occurs, people suggest the changes in gun policy that could help mitigate the harm that could be done in the future. After the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama said in his speech:
In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens -- from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators -- in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because what choice do we have? We can't accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?
He made similar remarks after this most recent shooting in California, "We know that the killers in San Bernardino used military-style assault weapons -- weapons of war -- to kill as many people as they could. It’s another tragic reminder that here in America it’s way too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun."
Comments calling for a solution after an event like this are often accused on "politicizing the tragedy." However, events like this are inherently politicized; politics and governance are how we, as a collective group, work together to solve problems that our society faces. Whether the issue is public health, transportation, or something as horrific as a terrorist attack, we are capable of banding together to make this country a better place.
If we, as a nation, continue to ignore the solutions that will work, that nearly every other Western country has implemented, then we will never see the end of incidents like this. We have groups like the NRA and individuals from the right who continue to oppose even research into gun control measures, which stop any progress on this issue.
Something has to happen, though, and even if we can't, as a nation, agree to a set of laws like Australia enacted in 1996, surely we can come to the compromise found in Switzerland's policies. Nearly every household has, at least, one firearm there, but ammunition is heavily regulated, shooting training is an integral part of the process, and automatic weapons are banned.
There is a time to yearn for the idealism of the "smart gun owner," and there is a time to recognize and act upon the reality of gun violence in America.
