If you didn't catch my first two articles on mass shootings and the NRA, you can read those at the provided hyperlinks (though they aren't necessary to this conclusion piece). I first explain the prevalence and fear of mass shootings in modern America. I then show the NRA's role in that, supporting big business over individual Americans.
Now for a solution to the issue.
Most Americans can agree that mass shootings and gun violence need to be stopped. The problem comes when we move past that idea into possible actions.
What can we do about this issue when one side says, "arm everyone" and the other says, "disarm everyone"? The answers couldn't be more polarized.
Or could they?
There is more common ground than we think. Many gun supporters actually believe that it is smart to implement background checks on all gun sales. Many liberals and progressives are entirely fine with some guns still being legal. The statistics on this are all in my last article about the NRA.
So what can we do to come together on the issue of gun violence and gun control? Those who support what can be called "common sense gun laws" are in the vast majority of the nation. The people blocking them are few yet powerful.
How do we break through the gun lobby to actually achieve life-saving laws? The first thing we can do is consciously vote. We should know where our representatives stand on each issue that could potentially cost or save lives and vote with this knowledge in mind. We should avoid voting party lines and rather vote by ideals.
We can also speak out. If our voices can save lives, we have an obligation to use them. There is undeniably a spectrum of what people constitute as "common sense gun laws," but if we want to create compromise and enforce positive change, we should ally ourselves even with those on the opposite side of the spectrum from us.
Another action we can take to influence the nation's view of guns is to raise awareness of exactly what goes on in our nation. For example, 33,000 people per year die from gun violence in America. Nearly 40 percent of legal gun sales have background checks that are not looked over before approval. 54 percent of mass shootings are related to domestic violence. A woman is five times more likely to die in an instance of domestic violence if there is a gun in the house.
Many Americans believe that though the second amendment is good, it needs clarification and modernization. Ultimately, it comes to one question we all must ask ourselves.
If owning a gun means innocent Americans die, is it really worth it?
