Reducing Mass Shootings in the United States
Three recent shootings across three different cities in the United States have shaken the nation, fueling the debate over gun control and the role guns have in American culture. Progressive politicians (e.g., President Biden), activist organizations (Everytown), news organizations (CNN), and much of social media have linked the Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tusla shootings to the legal purchase of firearms. They criticize how guns are readily available to purchase for most adults and claim that these mass shootings are the inevitable result. On the other hand, many gun-rights proponents argue that gun ownership is a fundamental right supported by the very basis of our government. The majority of gun-owners claim that guns are necessary to protect themselves and others, while other gun-owners have guns for hunting. (Parker, Kim, et al. “America’s Complex Relationship with Guns.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 5 Feb. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/.)
Another argument blames the mass shootings on the socially restrictive lives most people continue to live every day, as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic still restricts citizens from interacting with one another as they would have before. Economic inequality is also another factor that increases the frequency of mass shootings. (Kwon, Roy, and Joseph F. Cabrera. “Income Inequality and Mass Shootings in the United States.” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 20 Sept. 2019, https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7490-x.) Combined with America’s extremely high number of firearms, these factors result in a higher tendency for these people to engage in mass shootings.
We should compromise by increasing the minimum age people can buy firearms from 18 to 21, as data from recent mass shootings show a higher frequency of mass shootings among people from ages 18 to 21. (Follman, Mark, et al. “US Mass Shootings, 1982–2022: Data from Mother Jones’ Investigation.” Mother Jones, 29 Dec. 2012, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/.) Assault rifles and additional firearm attachments such as extended magazines and bump stocks should also be restricted from purchase. In addition, the government should put tighter and more strict background checks (e.g., “red flag” laws) into place to prevent those who are likely to conduct a mass shooting. Data shows that stricter gun legislation could have reduced the number of deaths as a result of the shooting or prevented the shooting entirely. (Bui, Quoctrung, et al. “The Mass Shootings Where Stricter Gun Laws Might Have Made a Difference.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 June 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive /2022/06/04/upshot/mass-shooting-gun-laws.html?name=styln-gun-control.)These background checks alongside new legislation to bring these rules on guns nationwide will likely decrease the frequency of mass shootings and help the government detect those who are at risk of engaging in one.
Gerald Han is a rising 8th-grader at Fisler School, Fullerton California.
