Gun Violence
Whenever there is gun-related deaths or killings, people tend to come together and condemn the killings. However, whenever the issue of gun control is brought up, people break into different camps with some supporting and others vehemently opposed to the issue of gun control. One sad observation, especially with regards to the U.S., is that it is not unusual for people to be killed or to die from gun-related incidents. Gun homicides are indeed common in the US, and while people keep debating about the issue of gun control, more people die prematurely. When 49 people were killed in Orlando last year, everyone condemned the killings but instead of acting and seeking ways to minimize such incidents, the war between Republicans and Democrats resumed. As they keep debating, people including children lose their lives and their future dreams and goals. The US has long been the country that takes the first step especially when it seems something is close to tearing the world apart. However, on the issue of guns, the US only leads in the number of deaths. This is a sad statistic and one that the country should not be proud of and one that should push the country towards stern actions to protect the lives of its citizens.
The sad truth is, terrorism has taken center stage, and everyone seems to be worried about external attacks rather than the problems at home. Every time the leaders take the podium, they either use it to condemn North Korea, Russia, or the Middle East nations while failing to realize that the problem is at home. When you do the simple math of adding up and comparing the number of deaths caused by terrorism and those caused by gun violence in the US, you will be shocked. Every year, the US loses more than 5000 lives as a result of gun violence while there could be zero lives lost as a result of terrorism. However, in spite of the above truth, the government’s efforts are strongly towards squelching terror threats while little to zero efforts are being taken to address the issue of gun violence. In a 2015 poll, 40% of Americans said they happen to know someone who was or is a victim of gun violence. The same cannot be said regarding terrorism. The above is not to mean that the government should not be concerned about terrorist threats but to point out the fact that gun violence is just as lethal.
The media is also at fault in the discussion of gun violence. Every time there is a terrorist threat, attention switches to the said threats and the whole country is taken through weeks of analysis of the threats. The above happens even though the threat level was weak or not. Conversely, when gun violence-related homicides happen, the media only gets to report it when there is a story behind the incident. The media has in the recent pat taken a partial stance in gun violence and therefore, fails to provide the people with objective coverage of news. Every year, there are thousands of gun-related violence in the US. However, the number that makes it to the media is staggeringly low which means that people never get to understand the depth of the problem. With terrorism among the top stories of every media house, the country seems to be concerned about a threat that is dangerous, yes, but one that never happens regularly. The truth is, the country needs to get its priorities right and deal with the immediate issues first.
