The issue of gun control has been an on-going situation over the years, but has gained increased attention due to recent events. Over the past weeks there has been ample attention given to harder laws, increased mental health screenings and increased security. There is a myth that this issue has started. A myth that seems to appear when mass murders are committed by seriously mentally ill people. Michael B. Friedman wrote an article in the January 17, 2013 edition of the Huffington Post. Friedman states that people with mental illness aren’t probable to be violent and that mass murders happen by those who are mentally ill, but these types of acts are also likely to be carried out by those who are not mentally ill. This is a vital argument to make because there have been calls for amplified attention to those with mental illness.

Aside from the issue of mental health and gun control, I want to bring out a more important discussion of why people choose to use violence to deal with some situations. I have contemplated this for a while now and have wondered how shame has played a role in someone’s choice to use violence over other options. But first I will define the difference between shame and guilt. The word shame is defined per the Social Work Dictionary 5^th edition (Baker 2003) as:

A painful feeling of having disgraced or dishonored oneself or those one cares about because of an intentional act, involuntary behavior or circumstance.

Guilt is defined per the Social Work Dictionary 5^th edition (Baker 2003) as:

An emotional reaction to the perceptions of having done something wrong, having failed to do something or violating important social norms.

When one looks at these two definitions there is an important difference between the two. Guilt is an emotional reaction or “I did something bad.” Shame on the other hand is a much deeper feeling in which a person internalizes feelings of negative self-worth. This will bring the thought of “I am a bad person.”

When I look at the events of mass violence and violence in general I have wanted to know if the person acting out in violence has experienced shame in some way. What I’m trying to say is that if shame is left alone to fester and not dealt with that a person may choose to use violence to deal with the feeling of being mistreated by others. Violence may not be used at first, but over time if a person experiences many events where they are being mistreated in some way, they may feel the only way to stop these feelings is to hurt others to feel justified.

The Gun control issue for me is more than just getting rid of guns, it’s more about why people choose to use violence in the first place. I think that when the primary issues of violence are pointed out and taken care of, then we may see a decrease in violence over-all. I also think that when a person is given the chance to be heard and they are able to get their story out, it goes a long way to reducing the feelings of shame and guilt that if left unchecked can lead to violence.

I truly believe if a person is really listened to and feel like they have been heard that those feelings of shame and hurt can be reduced. I am talking about all violence types not just those involving guns. When people are given the chance to be heard they begin to heal.

-Amanda Ransom August 2016