I forgot to mention, Canada's largest city, Toronto, has a buy-back amnesty program to get handguns and other weapons off the streets every few years. The last one was such a success that gun homicides have dropped substantially - alas, only to be replaced by stabbings, which are all too often fatal. But it's very difficult to stab more than one or two people at once, so the injury/death rate is going down.
We also have to stop creating and watching violent games and movies.
I never bought a violent game for my child when he was growing up and I never allowed games or toys with violent tendencies, like toy guns, in our home.
Whatever we acquire works for us, be it in a good or bad way.
If we acquire good books, we read and gain good knowledge.
If we acquire guns and violent games, we shoot each other.
We see that in a lot of American families, where siblings shoot one another.
I once got into an FB argument with someone who asked how to get the guns off American's. I replied that when the pain was too great and that the politicians had to act, there should be a amnesty paid gun buy back, followed by very restrictive laws on ownership. He couldn't see how that would work, until I told him that it had been done in Australia and the UK Apart from the PIRA and Ultra-Islamist bombing and knife attacks, there have been only 3 gun mass shootings in the past 40 years (Hungerford 1987, Dunblane 1996, Cumbria 2010) and each brought forward new and more restrictive gun ownership laws.
Tim, I've lived in Texas all my life. Texas was a solid part of the Democratic South until Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1960s. Immediately, the South turned bright red. Republicans firmly believe that "the way to stop bad guys from killing innocent people is for all the good guys to have guns. Then, if a shooter comes into a school, a teacher can shoot the shooter after only a few children have been killed. Two instead of twenty-two (Uvalde, TX)." That's a quote from one of the Sophomores I taught at our high school. Every guy in every one of my six classes (105 students) agreed.
If I'd admitted that I'm a Texas DEMOCRAT, their friendly smiles for a teacher they appreciated would've turned to expressions of disgust.
As long as Republicans rule any part of the US, trying to buy back guns or prohibit their sale will be impossible.
I was proud of being a Texan most of my life. But no longer. The only hope for Texas is for Republicans to lose elections to Democrats for Governor, et al. I might see that happen in my lifetime, but I doubt it.
Republicans are expected to take back control of the House and Senate in the upcoming November mid-term election. God help us.
Thanks for your observations and suggestions. There ARE people in the US and in Texas who agree with you.
It would be interesting to know how many of the people who did school shootings in the US were on drugs. In the UK we have few guns and no mass shootings.
It's a complex reality and there is no one-fix. One might say the tide has already gone out. One thing you didn't address was the culture of violence. All of our schools are protected by an armed guard. But that's so a terrorist doesn't come and kidnap or kill our kids. We have very strict gun control laws. But we don't have a culture of violence. We're surrounded by enemies and deal with terrorism everyday, but as a people, we love each other. Americans have come to hate one another, and this is due to the daily grind of hate speech, subtle and overt. You have politicians encouraging people to riot, to steal, to "get in the face" of the people they don't like or with whom they disagree. Media personalities and politicians refer to certain individuals or groups of people as "sub-human." Let's never forget what happened in Rwanda. And they didn't have guns. I fear there is no return from this disaster they have created. I grew up there but I don't recognize the country any more. Balance will be restored, but not in a way that anyone wants.
Hi, Gavriela. The Hutu, with their armed militia, did have guns: "They murdered the Tutsi people with machetes and rifles." See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_genocide. Quote is from the book mentioned in Footnote 7—Rwanda Crisis 1959-1994: History of a Genocide, by Gérard Prunier. The Tutsi had few if any guns to defend themselves, hence the shocking death toll. Excellent points you make otherwise.
Excellent piece Tim. I am in New Zealand. We don't have these issues, (mostly), now. My grandson is in America. Every time I hear about a school shooting I panic, and remind him, he can come live here. I suspect in time he will start looking at which country is safer. M.
Stop blaming the NRA. We as people choose to possess our guns. If we want to blame some political lobby for our problems, then why don't we ban ALL political action groups and close K Street or how about this not allow politicians to become lobbyists? That should solve the issue, right? Remember the British government once tried to confiscate our guns and ammunition,. Look at the opportunities it created for civilization since that time. I bet if we Americans did not fight to keep our guns then we would not be writing like this now. Just saying.
Guns have always been intertwined in the Fabric of the American community. Mass shootings have not. I remember as a child always seeing a handgun in a drawer, that we knew not to touch. It was for use by adults in an emergency situation, like a home break-in. The mindset then shifted with the addition of more violence in the cinemas and then came the video games of the 90's. We began seeing the mass shootings and the police trigger happy enforcement alongside the rise in ownership of assault weapons. The NRA stoked the fire with rhetoric that began a nationwide trend toward pushing the idea that our 2nd Amendment rights were being threatened. Now we have pockets of radical groups that would do just about anything to keep any movement of laws that would limit gun sales of any type for any reason. Don't be surprised if your email fills up with hate mail because of this article. No matter what the cost, I can't think of anything that would change the way Americans view their guns, especially coming from an "outsider". That's the cold hard truth!
I wrote the following (summary of my main points here) on a Medium post a few days ago: "Repeal the Second Amendment. The USA has a standing army and lots of police. There is no need for a "citizen militia" other than the existing National Guard. The NRA has no purpose in a civilized state."
I live in Canada, which has had very few mass shootings so far - continued exposure to gun violence on USA mass media could change that. Canada's federal government is willing to risk being unpopular by presenting legislation to ban new acquisitions of handguns by citizens. Other legislation to curb magazine-fed rifles is also being studied.
You made the right choice when you chose Australia as your new home, Tim. Your kids (yes, there'll be more than one eventually) will grow up safe and happy, able to go to school, playgrounds, shopping without fear for their lives.
People who don’t learn from history piss me off. Tyrannical governments can only be prevented by armed citizens. Japan didn’t invade the mainland USA because they not only had to defeat the US military, but the armed civilian population. I don’t trust any government leaders enough to disarm. Give me Liberty or give me death!
We have 330M people in America. Last years crime statistics show 20,761 deaths by firearm (including homicide, suicide, mass shootings). That isn't even 1 one-thousandths of one percent. Every death is tragic and horrible, but making the case that Australia taking away guns would translate to America is a gross over-simplification. Australia could fit in one of our 50 states.
As a second example, since my wife is from there, Venezuela made gun ownership illegal after Chavez seized power. Citizens weapons were confiscated. Venezuela for the past 8-10 years is in the top 5 countries of deaths by firearms. Guns are illegal except for police and military, yet their homicide rate is off the charts. They have been as high as #1 and this year are ranked #3 so far in deaths by guns. Just because law abiding citizens give up their guns doesn't mean the criminals will give up their guns.
Gun violence is a conversation way more nuanced than either "take the guns" or "give everyone a gun." A more sophisticated analysis is required than what you wrote. You dumbed down and over-simplified a very hard-to-solve problem.
In addition, the United States barely cracks the top 50 most violent countries in the world. I get you like the hyperbole, with the pithy, snide-ish tone, I like that writing style, which is why I read you, but the statistics don't line up with your rhetoric. People could choose many, many more violent places to live than America. All the real numbers are readily available and easily accessible from credible sources.
You would just have to research before writing. But I'm sure that type of article would be boring and not get the views you are after. However, you should consider your audience size and being careful not to throw out the level of hyperbole you do on sophisticated problems, as people do read you....just a thought.
Saying that mental health problems cause gun violence is extremely dangerous and untrue. Mental health issues don't make people violent: I've struggled with mental health issues my whole life and never once wanted to shoot someone else because of it. People shoot others because of a sense of entitlement due to white supremacism and patriarchy. Claiming mental health issues cause violence is one of the many reasons there's stigma against people with mental health issues and why it's so hard for people to seek help. Mental illness does not cause people to be violent; violence comes from other factors. Mental health care access is definitely an issue in the US, but please stop spreading lies about mentally ill people.
This is brilliantly written. I laughed out loud at the calling BS. You’re absolutely right. The idiots who call for guns to be banned don’t get it. To pull down a fortress you have to start with a small breach.
I forgot to mention, Canada's largest city, Toronto, has a buy-back amnesty program to get handguns and other weapons off the streets every few years. The last one was such a success that gun homicides have dropped substantially - alas, only to be replaced by stabbings, which are all too often fatal. But it's very difficult to stab more than one or two people at once, so the injury/death rate is going down.
We also have to stop creating and watching violent games and movies.
I never bought a violent game for my child when he was growing up and I never allowed games or toys with violent tendencies, like toy guns, in our home.
Whatever we acquire works for us, be it in a good or bad way.
If we acquire good books, we read and gain good knowledge.
If we acquire guns and violent games, we shoot each other.
We see that in a lot of American families, where siblings shoot one another.
Charity begins at home.
Keep your space sacred.
Thanks for your article, Tim.
Sadé Tolani ☀️
Sasha’s Chronicles
Yep, that's part of the problem for sure Sade.
Good behavior also begins at home. And bad.
Agree Jesse
I once got into an FB argument with someone who asked how to get the guns off American's. I replied that when the pain was too great and that the politicians had to act, there should be a amnesty paid gun buy back, followed by very restrictive laws on ownership. He couldn't see how that would work, until I told him that it had been done in Australia and the UK Apart from the PIRA and Ultra-Islamist bombing and knife attacks, there have been only 3 gun mass shootings in the past 40 years (Hungerford 1987, Dunblane 1996, Cumbria 2010) and each brought forward new and more restrictive gun ownership laws.
This stuff works. Australia proved it.
Tim, I've lived in Texas all my life. Texas was a solid part of the Democratic South until Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1960s. Immediately, the South turned bright red. Republicans firmly believe that "the way to stop bad guys from killing innocent people is for all the good guys to have guns. Then, if a shooter comes into a school, a teacher can shoot the shooter after only a few children have been killed. Two instead of twenty-two (Uvalde, TX)." That's a quote from one of the Sophomores I taught at our high school. Every guy in every one of my six classes (105 students) agreed.
If I'd admitted that I'm a Texas DEMOCRAT, their friendly smiles for a teacher they appreciated would've turned to expressions of disgust.
As long as Republicans rule any part of the US, trying to buy back guns or prohibit their sale will be impossible.
I was proud of being a Texan most of my life. But no longer. The only hope for Texas is for Republicans to lose elections to Democrats for Governor, et al. I might see that happen in my lifetime, but I doubt it.
Republicans are expected to take back control of the House and Senate in the upcoming November mid-term election. God help us.
Thanks for your observations and suggestions. There ARE people in the US and in Texas who agree with you.
Linda
It would be interesting to know how many of the people who did school shootings in the US were on drugs. In the UK we have few guns and no mass shootings.
Would love to know too Robert.
It's a complex reality and there is no one-fix. One might say the tide has already gone out. One thing you didn't address was the culture of violence. All of our schools are protected by an armed guard. But that's so a terrorist doesn't come and kidnap or kill our kids. We have very strict gun control laws. But we don't have a culture of violence. We're surrounded by enemies and deal with terrorism everyday, but as a people, we love each other. Americans have come to hate one another, and this is due to the daily grind of hate speech, subtle and overt. You have politicians encouraging people to riot, to steal, to "get in the face" of the people they don't like or with whom they disagree. Media personalities and politicians refer to certain individuals or groups of people as "sub-human." Let's never forget what happened in Rwanda. And they didn't have guns. I fear there is no return from this disaster they have created. I grew up there but I don't recognize the country any more. Balance will be restored, but not in a way that anyone wants.
A lot to think about. Thanks.
Hi, Gavriela. The Hutu, with their armed militia, did have guns: "They murdered the Tutsi people with machetes and rifles." See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_genocide. Quote is from the book mentioned in Footnote 7—Rwanda Crisis 1959-1994: History of a Genocide, by Gérard Prunier. The Tutsi had few if any guns to defend themselves, hence the shocking death toll. Excellent points you make otherwise.
Excellent piece Tim. I am in New Zealand. We don't have these issues, (mostly), now. My grandson is in America. Every time I hear about a school shooting I panic, and remind him, he can come live here. I suspect in time he will start looking at which country is safer. M.
Yep, another safe country that doesn't need guns. Guns are an excuse.
Stop blaming the NRA. We as people choose to possess our guns. If we want to blame some political lobby for our problems, then why don't we ban ALL political action groups and close K Street or how about this not allow politicians to become lobbyists? That should solve the issue, right? Remember the British government once tried to confiscate our guns and ammunition,. Look at the opportunities it created for civilization since that time. I bet if we Americans did not fight to keep our guns then we would not be writing like this now. Just saying.
Guns have always been intertwined in the Fabric of the American community. Mass shootings have not. I remember as a child always seeing a handgun in a drawer, that we knew not to touch. It was for use by adults in an emergency situation, like a home break-in. The mindset then shifted with the addition of more violence in the cinemas and then came the video games of the 90's. We began seeing the mass shootings and the police trigger happy enforcement alongside the rise in ownership of assault weapons. The NRA stoked the fire with rhetoric that began a nationwide trend toward pushing the idea that our 2nd Amendment rights were being threatened. Now we have pockets of radical groups that would do just about anything to keep any movement of laws that would limit gun sales of any type for any reason. Don't be surprised if your email fills up with hate mail because of this article. No matter what the cost, I can't think of anything that would change the way Americans view their guns, especially coming from an "outsider". That's the cold hard truth!
Tim,
You are certainly entitled to your opinion and where you choose to live.
Bashing the US Constitution and our Bill of Rights including the second amendment is a freedom you have.
I just do not agree with it.
I lost my youngest son, who had just graduated Army boot camp as a marksman.
He took one of my own firearms and took his own life.
But the problem was not the gun. It was his mental health.
He had just completed training on how to use firearms to kill the enemy.
Unfortunately, his enemy was within.
We still need our young men to have a military to defend our country.
We still need private firearms to defend ourselves from our own governments.
So you can publish your thoughts and reach a large audience.
But you will never get me to agree with you on this matter.
I wrote the following (summary of my main points here) on a Medium post a few days ago: "Repeal the Second Amendment. The USA has a standing army and lots of police. There is no need for a "citizen militia" other than the existing National Guard. The NRA has no purpose in a civilized state."
I live in Canada, which has had very few mass shootings so far - continued exposure to gun violence on USA mass media could change that. Canada's federal government is willing to risk being unpopular by presenting legislation to ban new acquisitions of handguns by citizens. Other legislation to curb magazine-fed rifles is also being studied.
You made the right choice when you chose Australia as your new home, Tim. Your kids (yes, there'll be more than one eventually) will grow up safe and happy, able to go to school, playgrounds, shopping without fear for their lives.
Well written!
I live in a country with no guns, police have them in their cars and rarely get to use them.
My daughter just moved home from the US after 6 years, her mom is living there.
I asked her why she chooses to come home from "the land of freedom"?
Donald Duck was leading the county into almost civil war, and the rusty man that replace him will not make any changes.
In Texas, you can go straight from Psycho institutions or jail where you have been looked up for years.
Go to a pawn shop, pay for a half-automatic AR-15 and it's time for payback after some Xanax for breakfast.
Sounds like a bad movie but nope,
NO BACKGROUND check, so welcome to Texas. (hope they change the law, it won't help, money talks anyway)
Regulations are the solution, the half-automatic weapons are the most popular ones and the best sellers.
They have to be legal, but it will not be easy grumpy old rich men's club.
People in Europe ask why and what's up with the US when kids are afraid to go to school, which is supposed to be a joy as Tim wrote.
We moved back homes well, but too many guns and violence
People who don’t learn from history piss me off. Tyrannical governments can only be prevented by armed citizens. Japan didn’t invade the mainland USA because they not only had to defeat the US military, but the armed civilian population. I don’t trust any government leaders enough to disarm. Give me Liberty or give me death!
We have 330M people in America. Last years crime statistics show 20,761 deaths by firearm (including homicide, suicide, mass shootings). That isn't even 1 one-thousandths of one percent. Every death is tragic and horrible, but making the case that Australia taking away guns would translate to America is a gross over-simplification. Australia could fit in one of our 50 states.
As a second example, since my wife is from there, Venezuela made gun ownership illegal after Chavez seized power. Citizens weapons were confiscated. Venezuela for the past 8-10 years is in the top 5 countries of deaths by firearms. Guns are illegal except for police and military, yet their homicide rate is off the charts. They have been as high as #1 and this year are ranked #3 so far in deaths by guns. Just because law abiding citizens give up their guns doesn't mean the criminals will give up their guns.
Gun violence is a conversation way more nuanced than either "take the guns" or "give everyone a gun." A more sophisticated analysis is required than what you wrote. You dumbed down and over-simplified a very hard-to-solve problem.
In addition, the United States barely cracks the top 50 most violent countries in the world. I get you like the hyperbole, with the pithy, snide-ish tone, I like that writing style, which is why I read you, but the statistics don't line up with your rhetoric. People could choose many, many more violent places to live than America. All the real numbers are readily available and easily accessible from credible sources.
You would just have to research before writing. But I'm sure that type of article would be boring and not get the views you are after. However, you should consider your audience size and being careful not to throw out the level of hyperbole you do on sophisticated problems, as people do read you....just a thought.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-violent-countries
Saying that mental health problems cause gun violence is extremely dangerous and untrue. Mental health issues don't make people violent: I've struggled with mental health issues my whole life and never once wanted to shoot someone else because of it. People shoot others because of a sense of entitlement due to white supremacism and patriarchy. Claiming mental health issues cause violence is one of the many reasons there's stigma against people with mental health issues and why it's so hard for people to seek help. Mental illness does not cause people to be violent; violence comes from other factors. Mental health care access is definitely an issue in the US, but please stop spreading lies about mentally ill people.
This is brilliantly written. I laughed out loud at the calling BS. You’re absolutely right. The idiots who call for guns to be banned don’t get it. To pull down a fortress you have to start with a small breach.