The news during the first weekend of August 2019 has been dominated by reports of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. There have been 251 mass shootings in the US so far this year. These shooting incidents have taken place in shopping malls, school and college campuses, workplaces, movie theatres, nightclubs, places of worship and even on public roads. For the record, a “mass killing” refers to three or more killings in a single incident (Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act 2012).
The United States is the firearms repository of the world, holding around half of all civilian-owned firearms on this planet. These firearms include handguns, rifles, airguns and shotguns. Some firearms currently in circulation are, however, more suited to military practice. Assault rifles, such as the AK-47 and the AR-15, are auto-loading, large capacity (20 rounds or more), semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines. Bump stocks allow semi-automatic rifles to fire multiple rounds with a single squeeze of the trigger and can increase the firing rate to between 400 and 800 rounds per minute. New, fully automatic weapons were thankfully banned for civilian use following the Firearm Owners Protection Act (1986).
It can be difficult for outsiders to appreciate the American fascination with firearms. Firearms and the history of colonial and Wild West America are closely linked, an association that has been reinforced through Western films and their featured exploits involving gunfire. In the words of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution (1791): “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.” This right of self-protection has been upheld by the courts. For example, the Supreme Court, in the District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), voted 5-4 to overturn a ban on handguns in Washington DC.
Gun ownership can be a polarising issue in the US. Libertarians consider gun control to be unconstitutional and an infringement of their personal freedoms and choices. Pro-gun rights groups and lobbies such as the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights, and the Second Amendment Foundation retain considerable financial clout and political influence on Capitol Hill.
The majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens and apparently use their firearms solely for “recreational” activities. Guns are, however, linked to many criminal and otherwise illegal activities. Gang warfare depends on the easy availability of firearms. Guns also frequently feature in suicides, robberies, domestic killings, and rapes. Many loners, terrorists, paramilitaries, and those with various grievances against the State or society in general have been able to build up arsenals of munitions with little in the way of background checks on gun sales and gun transfers. Some anti-government militias and survivalists are reportedly stockpiling firearms in preparation for imminent apocalyptic conflict.
A new viewpoint is emerging-there just aren’t enough guns. It is stated that guns are inanimate, and require actual people to pull the trigger. Guns do not kill in the absence of human intervention. It is bad guys with guns who are to blame, and they can only be checked by good guys with guns. The implication is that gun-free zones are paradoxically high-risk areas where bad guys can wreak havoc while unarmed good guys stand by and watch helplessly.
The firearms industry is an economic powerhouse in the US. Manufacturers, distributors and retailers of firearms, ammunition and hunting equipment generate significant tax revenues. Shooting ranges, gun clubs and gun shows are all important parts of the wider firearms economy. Potentially beneficial side effects of widespread firearm use include the development of high levels of expertise in ballistics science and trauma surgery.
Gun control, however limited, is logistically impossible in a country where there are 120 firearms for every 100 residents. Firearms bans will only create an illegal black market, which will be very difficult to police. The firearms scene in the US can, however, be used to provide guidance to other nations looking to legislate in this area.
Firearm use is undoubtedly influenced by attitudes and behaviours. Switzerland has a high level of gun ownership, yet the last mass shooting incident was in Zug in 2001. There are about two million privately owned guns and hunting weapons for a population of 8.3 million people. These include former service rifles. The attitudes of Swiss gun owners, the levels of training in firearms use (attained through mandatory military conscription for men aged 18 to 34), and the regulatory environment mean that the murder rate is near zero.
Given that so many Americans feel so strongly about retaining their rights to carry arms, restrictive legislation appears unlikely in the near future. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005) actually protects firearm manufacturers against legal liability from lawsuits involving them.
Ultimately, what happens in the US is an internal matter for the American public to base decisions upon. America is a large country with a considerable diversity of opinions and attitudes. It is difficult to make sweeping generalisations about the nation from afar. It will take major changes in attitudes to allow measured dialogue on the issue of firearms policy. In the meantime firearms-related atrocities in the US will continue to provide vivid news stories and food for thought to a worldwide audience.
Ashis Banerjee (ex-Washington DC)