Fear and hatred are bred in the unknown. When someone is not knowledgeable about an item or a culture, it brings about fear and the need to control it — a natural human instinct that can easily be surpassed to a higher level thinking and understanding.
In our world the immediate response to gun violence is more control. No amount of control can stop a person from committing a crime that they are planning. Recently in Nice, France, a truck was used as a weapon to kill 84 people as reported by BBC News. I doubt people are protesting in the streets for stricter vehicular laws.
Before you are able to get behind the wheel of a car you are taught about how to drive, the laws and the importance of being a safe driver. In my class we were required to watch a video that graphically described the death of teenagers just like me to scare us into being safe drivers. But death still happens. Drunk driving kills on average 26 people a day as reported by Mothers' Against Drunk Driving (MADD). That's 9,490 people a year. Stop the Texts Stop the Wrecks reports that over 3,000 young adults died in 2013 from distracted driving, another 424,000 injured. These deaths happened with strict laws in place, appropriate classes and required licenses. No one is rioting to take vehicles off the streets. As much as we as a society hate to see fatalities from driving, we understand the workings of a car, how to avoid these incidents and that we cannot stop the actions of all others.
So why do we picket for the ending of gun ownership, because we know nothing on how to appropriately use and care for a firearm. The most recent yearly data collected by most researchers is from 2010. Most statistics from reports are from the same year. Collecting all the data from police reports is time consuming, and cases can go unsolved for years. Leaving no evidence for how many people actually die from gun violence. Just Facts, a research source created specifically for reporting statistical information, has a section dedicated to the facts of gun violence in America. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that in 2008 around 5,340,000 violent crimes were committed. Only eight percent or 436,000 of those crimes had reports of visible gun use. What can we do to decrease these rates?
A CNS report shows something promising. A report published in December of last year gives the newest statistics from 2013 showing that since 1993 gun violence related deaths has dropped close to 50 percent. The reason is that America is becoming a less violent place. While media attention on violence is skyrocketing, gun related homicides are actually on a decrease. Another notable fact is that the amount of legal gun ownership is rising, as gun related homicide rates drop.
But for me, that's not enough. When owning a car, you having to provide proof that you are able to appropriately use it. Similarly, I believe that when buying a firearm, after passing a background check, there should be someone showing you know how to properly use and care for it. I grew up in a family were gun safety was of the utmost importance. You needed to know how to use the firearm you had, how to clean it and store it in a way that would keep it safe. All gun owners or those purchasing a gun should be knowledgeable in all aspects of a gun deeper than, "Don't point the muzzle at something you don't want to kill." Firearm training should be more important than control. Using a firearm appropriately and understanding a firearm should be an option open to everyone for better understanding and less fear.
