By Carol Lucas
Once again we are confronted with devastating human carnage by way of an assault rifle … yawn. Of course, I am being flippant, and if you know me, you know that I see zero humor in that statement, just as I have zero tolerance for how our country is failing to address this deplorable situation.
However, it seems to be a position adopted by so many. Oh, wait! That’s right. I forgot about “thoughts and prayers.” Of course that covers all bases for those who refuse to face the reality that the U.S. ranks No. 1 in mass killings.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that phrase uttered after every killing spree by an assault rifle such as the one we viewed this past week in Maine. Why even our newly elected Speaker of the House offered his take on the travesty, and was heard to say, “The problem is the human heart. It’s not guns; it’s not the weapons. At the end of the day, we have to protect the right of citizens to protect themselves and that’s the Second Amendment.”
The human heart? And how, pray tell, are we going to deal with that? Shall we take a page out of Brave New World?
The White House response to the speaker was relatively short and to the point: “We absolutely reject the offensive accusation that gun crime is uniquely high in the United States because of Americans’ ‘hearts,’” the White House said. “Gun crime is uniquely high in the United States because congressional Republicans have spent decades choosing the gun industry’s lobbyists over the lives of innocent Americans.”
Let’s look at some statistics dating as far back as 1998 and concluding with 2019. The United States, even back in that time frame, was the country with the most mass shootings in the world, shootings involving four or more people killed. That statistic was sobering enough, particularly when compared to other developed countries. In fact, no other developed nation came even close.
At that time, the U.S. accounted for almost half of all of the world’s mass shootings. More than 1,200 people were killed during these incidents and more than 3,000 were injured.
Today, as I write, Maine is the 37th mass shooting of the year, with 190 total people dead.
One source I accessed put forth the following rationale: Mass shootings are a complex issue that can have multiple causes, including mental health issues, social isolation, extremist ideologies, and access to firearms. Note the cause that occupies the final position. I guess other countries don’t have mental health issues, and all of their citizens are joyfully integrated. As for extremist ideologies, when we watch the wars that are raging presently, it appears to me that only the armed forces possess the guns deemed necessary for warfare. I have yet to see any report that citizens from either side are armed with weapons of military caliber.
The above source also offered this assertion: Lax gun regulations in some countries may contribute to the prevalence of mass shootings. In countries with stricter gun laws, and countries where guns are illegal, there tend to be fewer mass shootings per capita. Really? How difficult is it to wrap your brain around that and deal with the obvious?
I include the above information as one so-called rebuttal to those seeking stricter gun laws; I perceive it to be weak at best. Let’s be clear, folks. Use of an assault rifle produces mass death in seconds. Furthermore, the results often prohibit identification of the victims because they are riddled beyond recognition.
If you are a legitimate gun owner, someone who likes to hunt, please tell me why you need an assault weapon to do so? I refuse to accept the feeble excuse of the preservation of the Second Amendment which reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”
So if this is your fallback argument, I ask you this: doesn’t the word militia relate directly to the Revolutionary concept of military? Furthermore, our forefathers could not have conceived of the power of an AR-10 or an AR-15.
Another often heard excuse is “the government will take those first and then the rest of our arms will follow suit.” If this is part of your thinking, then nothing anyone can say will dissuade your belief in conspiracy theories.
Still one more question for the legitimate gun owner: why would you ever be against a background check? Or a logical waiting period? Or purchasing your weapon from a licensed dealer who implements the latter? One article in Politico indicates that a large majority of gun owners support red flag laws, background checks and required permits for purchase of firearms. So how is it that we continue to be held hostage by a small group of radical people?
I wrote an article many months ago about gun control because I see it as a major problem in our country, one that is largely ignored by those in a decision-making capacity. They are so influenced by the NRA (read the money poured into the campaign coffers) that it is understood they are not to be challenged. At that time a letter to the editor regarding my article suggested that perhaps “it is a case of people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” While that blasé response angered me then, I chose not to respond.
But now I would ask whether or not he believes kids should be kept home from school, people should stop going to supermarkets, or church, or movies or restaurants, or bowling? Any of those situations could equal “the wrong place at the wrong time.” I guess the answer is simply to look closer to the human heart. And pray – don’t forget that if you are planning a night out!
People, the time is long overdue to remove our heads from the sand. Despite my liberal use of sarcasm throughout this piece, we must begin to talk to each other and not at each other. We must come up with a plan that promotes responsible gun ownership and common sense gun laws. Failure to do so will only perpetuate our decay from within.
Note: Since writing this on Saturday, Oct. 28, there have been two more shooting incidents – one in Tampa and the other in Chicago.
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.”
