1/4 - 2/3 - 4/6 - 1/2 - 8/12: just a random series of numbers that seem totally unrelated, but back in fifth grade you learned something very important; you learned about common denominators. The one thing that brought all these numbers together, they all had the same root the number twelve. To add them, subtract them, or multiply them you must first find the common denominator.
Today, April 19, 2021, in three different United States cities, in three different states, at three different times, twelve people were murdered, and several more were injured. Totally random unrelated killings until you look for the common denominator; a gun. Since the beginning of this year, 2021, in less than four months, there have been 154 mass shootings, mass shootings defined as killing of four or more people. In one hundred and ten days at least 616 people have been shot to death.
That number does not include other shooting victims and suicides with a gun; the most prevalent method of suicide. And yet there are people who say it is their constitutional right to own a gun, to carry it on their person, in their car, in their house. Some people own several guns, they hang them on the wall, display them like works of art. They say that guns don't kill people, people kill people, I say, no, people with guns kill people.
In 2020, almost 19,380 people were killed by guns, excluding those who died of suicide with a gun, another 24,000. And gun related injuries totaled 39,425. Americans account for 393million guns, or 46% of the world-wide privately held guns; there are 120 firearms for every 100 residents in the U.S. So, if I own zero firearms, someone has enough fire power for a small army. Why?!
The cost of this human carnage is staggering, but to look at it another way; the firearms impact on our health system is enormous. The cost of fatalities and injuries caused by guns amount to $300 a year for each and every citizen. You, I and every man, woman and child coughs up $300 a year to pay for the vanity of someone owning a gun. These figures are compiled by independent groups because since 1966, when Congress passed the Dickey amendment, it has been illegal to use government funds to advocate for gun control.
But to combat the problem of out-of-control proliferation of firearms in this country, we need data, numbers, hard facts, and we need to spend more money to get that data than the advocates for gun ownership spend. And we need up-to-date data bases and files on who has guns, how many, and for what use. If every person who kills a another person with a gun is mentally ill, I would say we have a lot of crazies walking the streets in America.
Let's take a look at our neighbor to the north, Canada. Canada, the home of the rugged individual, where men are men and so are the women. Canada has some common sense gun laws. Americans would consider them draconian but they are middle of the road when compared with the rest of the world. In Canada, firearms are classified; non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. To purchase and own a firearm you must have a government issued permit. To get the permit, you must complete a firearms course given by the Canadian Mounted Police. Fifteen hours of training with non-operative guns and blank ammunition. To get a permit to fire the gun, you must attend an additional class. Then you must fill out a four-page application of why you wish to own a gun; note: self-defense is not a valid reason for owning a gun and it will get your request denied. At any point you may be denied a permit if the instructor feels you should not have a firearm. After all this, you have to wait at least 28 days before getting the permit. And you must renew the permit every five years.
In the latest figures available (2019), Canada had a population of 37-million people, 2,219,000 were permit holders, or about 35 guns per 100 people. Their gun homicide rate was 249 that year. The United States had a population of 327-million people and 13,958 gun homicides that year.
It took me a very long time to write this piece, there have been thousands, no hundreds of thousands of words written on this subject. I have had the facts and figures for several weeks, I was just hoping things would get better, but they are getting worse. I don't have an answer to why my country stands alone in gun violence. People say you can't get rid of all the guns in this country, really? Stranger things have happened, but the people must be the ones to cry out for change. In 1996, there was a terrible mass shooting in Australia, and a groundswell of Australians said 'enough'. In twelve days the government enacted the strictest gun laws of any country, and they began a buy-back of firearms. Over 700,000 guns were initially collected and destroyed and now the number is over one million. Australia has not had another mass shooting since.
Yes I know one million guns is just a drop in the bucket in the United States, but it would be a start. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and the first step is always the hardest.
I'm just sayin'
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