Matt Sweetwood won a landmark Supreme Court case regarding gun rights. He recently wrote a 6-point plan to curtail gun violence. Much to his frustration, he found that neither side on the issue wanted to listen. He tries again.
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There was another horrifying school shooting yesterday. Nine dead victims and numerous others wounded at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. The details sound familiar to the other shootings we have seen recently. The perpetrator was a twenty-something male shooter, with previous mental health issues, who posted hints on social media suggesting he might do something like this. Of course no one said anything or did anything. The evil killer walked into a school setting and starting executing innocent people. This time apparently based on whether they were Christian or not.
The immediate reaction was also predictable. Pro-gun people stood up claiming it’s not about guns saying Roseberg is a rural town steeped in gun tradition. They are woodland folk who love to hunt and are remotely located where police response can take a long time. Guns are needed for home and personal protection. The anti-gun supporters blamed the lack of gun laws and easy acquisition of guns. President Obama immediately got on TV and powerfully stated that anti-gun, more gun control argument.
I wrote an article this past August titled, “The Dad Who Won Landmark Supreme Court Gun Case Proposes 6-Step Solution to End Gun Violence”. It seemed that 3 of the 6 steps I proposed angered the pro-gun crowd. And 2 of my 6 steps angered the anti-gun crowd. Overall reaction to my article was “50-50” – about half the folks heaped praise on me and the other half hoped bad things would happen to me. I never anticipated the kind of visceral responses I would get nor did I anticipate the huge numbers of people who shared and read my article.
I engaged many of the people that commented on my article and what became clear to me is that there was no changing anyone’s mind on anything. My 6-step method was not a “pick and choose” which of the steps you like. My plan was to implement all 6-steps simultaneously. But people are so entrenched in their positions and so distrustful of the other side there can be no understanding or compromise. Pro-gun people seem to believe that anyone wanting to place any restrictions on guns actually want to ban guns completely. And more-gun laws people believe that pro-gun people will not accept any restrictions at all.
For the pro-gun people, there have been 45 mass shootings in 2015. What is your solution to stop that?
For the more-gun laws people, let’s use Chicago as an example. Chicago has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. The last 2 weekends, there have been 111 shootings. Since 2012, there have been over 6000 shootings and 1679 murders. What is your solution to stop that?
There is so much hate, distrust, and lack of ingenuity in this gun violence debate with each side saying, “It’s my way or the highway.” Unfortunately politics doesn’t work that way, life doesn’t work that way and problems aren’t solved that way. Until both sides can figure out a way to compromise on this issue, innocent men, women and children will continue to die.
We are beyond the wake up call. It has happened. Something has to change.
If not, the violence will continue to grow. Next time, there is a chance you will not be feeling the pain empathizing with a stranger over the loss of a loved one.
You may be the person mourning the loss of some of your own.
Top Photo: Flickr/Tony Webster
How many of those shooters were on medication at the time? Maybe it’s a prescription drug problem rather than a gun one.
“Unfairly perhaps.” My, how generous of you. The last thing this conversation needs? The borderline racist comments of foreigners.
The problem is not so much guns, but the culture in the US that causes people to want to own guns. And distrust of almost everyone, immigrants, people of color, women, government, police.
According to a CBC report, there is an average of one mass shooting PER DAY in the USA (four or more victims), and one school shooting each and ever day. I can’t verify those numbers but it’s not a surprise that many from outside of the U.S. perceive Americans as barbarians. Unfairly perhaps.
Can’t verify it because it’s not true.
A good question: “For the pro-gun people, there have been 45 mass shootings in 2015. What is your solution to stop that?” The vast majority of mass shootings in the US have occurred where law abiding citizens have been disarmed and left unprotected and unable to resist. http://crimeresearch.org/2015/10/umpqua-community-college-is-yet-another-gun-free-zone/ We need to dismantle these gun free zones. They provide a false sense of security while leaving the people inside disarmed and defenseless. At the very minimum, every “gun-free zone” should have a minimum number of armed security or trusted personnel distributed throughout the zone and able to react quickly. Ideally, law… Read more »
Link to article with 6 step solution proposal?
Pro-gun people who offer no solutions to the epidemic of gun violence and school shootings are complicit. They have blood on their hands.
Yasmina, I’m sure you think that accusing your political opponents of having blood on their hands makes you tolerant and inclusive.
Why should anyone be tolerant of the current status of gun crime in this country or the efforts of the pro-gun crowd to make things even more unsafe?
If I’m not mistaken, there are at least34,000 gun laws on the books already. Enforce the ones already in the books. Like one person said get rid of the gun free zones. The problem is that this world is getting more evil and violent each and every day. More gun laws are not the answer.
Will those who seek gun control ever change? No And here’s why. It’s not about being right, it’s about not admitting their wrong. To do so is to acknowledge they have blood on their hands. To admit that their push to save lives, actually cost lives. To admit it was their actions that created a target rich, and defenseless environment. Can you imagine the guilt they would have to deal with? I can sympathize with this position. It is how they sleep at night. They lash out at legal gun owners. Yelling it is our fault. This helps them cope.… Read more »
Not as simple as that. OECD crime data are mixed but one strong correlation is the greater the GINI index disparity the greater rise in gun violence. I’ll say when I lived in Japan and Spain, both with over 10x the metropolitan population of my Salt Lake suburb (and both with lower overall economic health than my state), but both each with fewer than 25% of the violent crime rate of my suburb (one that has been ranked as one of the better cities by USA standards) that I’m inclined — though a completely subjective decision — to sympathize with… Read more »
Immediately after the shooting the POTUS said, as fact that thise who have the strictest gun laws have the lowest gun violence. I’ll be blunt. He lied and he knows it but his agenda is keeping him from telling the truth. He knows Illinois has the strictest gun laws but as you pointed outit has the highest gun violence. I propose a bill to do something. But I want a 5 year sunset clause so that if it doesn’t work we are not saddled with it for the next 100 years. Responsible gun owners are not doing this violence. More… Read more »
“For the pro-gun people, there have been 45 mass shootings in 2015. What is your solution to stop that?”
Shoot back. The only thing that stops mass public shootings, is opposing force. Get rid of the “gun free” zones, or go with Utah’s law: In order to have a gun-free zone, you must have armed security, metal detectors, and provide lockers where people can check their guns.
Cities that have some of the strongest gun laws are the ones that have the highest gun violence …
Obama was right: The States With The Most Gun Laws See The Fewest Gun-Related Deaths http://njour.nl/s/53345?oref=t.co
Amen