Gun Violence In America

Now these issues cannot all be solved but many can be relieved and seriously fixed if we tackle one at a time as they are complex and interwoven. One of these complex issues is the United States gun violence which is astronomical for an industrial country 3.7 gun murders per 100,000 people compared to the next highest country Italy rate of .68 (Richardson). People point out America’s crime rate, but that cannot be true as we have a low crime rate compared to most of the world. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime America ranks 91st in the world with a crime rate of 4.7 per 100,000 population, but today in America there is a steady decrease in the number of single homicide gun attacks “Nearly all the decline in the firearm …show more content…
Gun violence is a complicated issue with many debates interwoven. One of these issues is the lack of restriction and policies on firearms. In order to fix this problem, we need to reduce the chance of an individual getting a gun if they do not have the proper background for one. The fact that the majority of Americans want gun control is telling from a Gallup Poll of 1993 reported that Total Gun of Handguns: 39% of U.S Population and 17% of Gun Owner, One gun a month limit: 69% of U.S Population and 64% of Gun Owner, ban cheap guns: : 72% of U.S Population and 63% of Gun Owner, ban assault weapons: 77% of U.S Population and 67% of Gun Owner register all handguns: 81% of U.S Population and 71% of Gun Owner, The Brady Law : 87% of U.S Population and 82% of Gun Owner, Ban Criminals Buying : 87% of U.S Population and 88% of Gun Owner, Ban Minors Buying Guns : 88% of U.S Population and 85% of Gun Owner, Require Safety Classes: 89% of U.S Population and 83% of Gun Owner. (Carter) This sentiment by the populous was reaffirmed again in 2013 by Gallup. Along with these criterias people in the 2013 poll listed mental health as a program that needed more funding, 79% favor this decision. …show more content…
In a comprehensive study published in American College of Epidemiology, Jeffery Swanson states, “Evidence is clear that the large majority of people with mental disorders do not engage in violence against others, and that most violent behavior is due to factors other than mental illness.” One can choose to believe the study or not because many do not because even the US Supreme Court, during the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller strongly upheld the right to bear arms, but endorsed prohibitions on gun ownership “by felons and the mentally ill” because of their special potential for violence (Metzl). Contrary to popular belief fewer than 5% of the 120,000 gun-related killings in the United States between 2001 and 2010 were perpetrated by people diagnosed with a mental illness according to Appelbaum (Metzl). (mentally ill should be treated better commentary) Mentally ill people are not the root problem here, it's the media. The media are the ones who paint the mentally ill in a bad light and sensationalize the coverage. The mass media would have you think that many of these mass shooters in America have been diagnosed with a mental defect, but who diagnosed them. If I just witnessed someone kill thirty people with automatic weapons I would say they are crazy, delusional, deranged, but are they mentally ill, no. I am just trying to digest the

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