How many times? At the risk of being redundant, how many times do we have to ask, “How many times?”
We shake our heads in dismay, may I suggest in horror, as we observe still one more mass shooting. We see people in anguish over the death of loved ones; we see people in terror as they run for their lives, people rendered victims simply because they are celebrating a special time of the year or enjoying some recreational time at a nightclub.
And, God help us, we learn of young children sitting in a classroom, slaughtered as police outside try to determine what to do. We listen to the sobs of their relatives as they try to make sense of the senseless.
Is this what we have become? A nation where weekly devastation by armed men is simply another headline, one supplanted by another, and another?
Do we accept with a shrug, a six year old bringing to school a gun to shoot his teacher? Where did he learn that this is the accepted way to settle a dispute regarding his perception of wrongdoing?
And so we are dismayed, horrified, and seemingly helpless as we watch each massacre on the screen. I suggest that it’s time to put aside those initial feelings and get down to solving this problem so unique to our country.
Let’s begin by asking ourselves whether or not we are proud to hold the dubious distinction that our country seems to relish, and let’s do so by comparing ourselves to other countries. I want to make some aspects of the following very clear. First, this information is dated 2017. I have not done a thorough follow-up, but my educated guess would be that the statistics are even worse six years later.
The statistics I am providing came from a study by the Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington, small arms survey. I am not including the number of deaths that year, but rather the number of civilian-held guns per 100 people. Please read the following, and then explain why this should be the case.
Japan 0
Germany, Russia,
Italy, and Australia fewer than 20
USA 120
Statistics don’t lie, folks; neither does the news, reported on Jan. 24, 2023, that in our country, we had more shootings than days. Seventy people were killed and 167 wounded. While there is no consensus of what constitutes a “mass” shooting, such a deficiency provides no solace for those losing loved ones who were simply engaging in everyday activities. Furthermore, those countries listed above don’t have the shameful record we have.
Some will offer reduced mental health programs as the excuse; I have no problem with increasing funds for mental health programs/ facilities, but that by itself is no panacea. To those who want to point to this as the problem, I ask: why are assault weapons sold to civilians? The name alone indicates the intended use. The carnage this weapon renders underscores its sole purpose, and that is for use in wartime.
My second question addresses background checks. Why are they viewed negatively? Furthermore, if those who support the NRA posture are truly legitimate, and want the purchase of guns to be viewed equally so, why not allow a universal three-day waiting period?
All these questions are reasonable, to my way of thinking. I have shot a gun a couple of times when my late husband and I were dating. He lived in a rural area, and we would go up over the hill to a spot that I remember being called a ‘spoil pile.’ Tin cans were set out as targets that we would try to hit. I don’t recall that it was any fun; in fact, it was somewhat frightening as I held the rifle and withstood the recoil to my shoulder.
Something concrete must be done. Many will cry, “They will not take my guns away.” I can only respond that I hope you are never in a position where more than that is taken from you, and you have to experience the pain so many endure as a result of the massive overload of artillery we seem hell-bent on having.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
