How does a child learn to re-enact the iconic gun-barrel sequence of walking, turning and shooting so perfectly? With the Connecticut tragedy, the Internet is deluged with factoids related to gun violence. I was surprised to learn that by the time the average child in the United States leaves elementary school, he or she will have watched 8,000 killings on television. Americans own 192 million firearms — considerably more than any other country in the world. In fact, with 89 firearms per 100 people, the US has a 40 per cent higher gun ownership rate than Yemen. Of the gun-owning Americans, 17 per cent own semi-automatic weapons, 68 per cent own handguns and 74 per cent possess shotguns.
The Newtown deaths were preventable. Stricter gun control legislation is needed. Currently, 35 states allow people to openly carry handguns without a permit while 47 states allow for people to openly carry shotguns. The US state of Vermont allows teenagers as young as 16 to buy handguns without parental consent. Federal law in the US allows individuals 18 years and older to possess handguns but has no minimum age for the possession of a shotgun. Only 20 states have a minimum age for the possession of shotguns. The age is typically 18 years, but in the US state of Montana it is 14 years.
Many gun owners in the US are members of powerful lobby groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA). These gun owners only appreciate democracy if they are allowed to own and carry a gun. But support for the gun owner comes from a surprising range of people, including academics, successful actors and the evangelicals. An ex-editor of mine, Alexander Cockburn of CounterPunch, was an outspoken critic of American foreign policy, eloquently denouncing the civilian casualties in senseless wars. And yet, he believed gun accidents only happened in situations where there were drugs, alcohol, bad parents and undisciplined children. Christopher Hitchens, renowned journalist and a friend of Cockburn, had a similar view. Hitchens, in his prime, wrote compelling articles revealing the sinful collusions of religion. Yet, regarding guns, he wrote: “There is something truly admirable in a country (like the US) that codifies the responsibility for self-defence”. The actor Samuel Jackson also recently mentioned: “I don’t think it’s about more gun control. This shooting (in Connecticut) is about people who aren’t taught the value of life”. And, finally, not to be outdone is the former governor of the US state of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee — an evangelical icon — who said a few days ago: “We don’t need fewer guns in the hands of killers, we need more God in our public schools”.
The gun culture in the US encourages individualism. It fosters a society of individuals — everyone isolated from each other. This is not freedom. Both Cockburn and Hitchens were media gadflies, contrarians who were never truly motivated from their velvet chairs to criticise the American gun-toting culture. Jackson will never bite the hand that feeds him and boldly criticise Hollywood’s influencing trends, while Huckabee is more interested in convincing his followers that America is becoming a godless country. The NRA spent $17 million in the past federal elections. Annual gun sales in the US totalled approximately $3.5 billion. Every gun that is sold signifies a theft from those who are hungry, those who are cold and those who are destitute. True liberty means responsibility — not to oneself but to the people around you in need.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1714024018-0/ModiLara-(1)1714024018-0-270x192.webp)
While it is people who pull the trigger, it cannot be denied that guns embolden people to pull the trigger and magnify the tragedy. Why do people need an armoury and high powered weapons to "defend" themselves? Given the arc of public debate and policy in the US don't be surprised to see citizens armed with stinger missiles! This country is on the path of becoming self righteous and destroying itself from within - something Pakistanis can relate to.
Some arguements presented here can also be applied to nations who are armed with weapons of all kinds of destruction. Generally, more weapons in society, more chances are there of unwanton killings. Author is quite right about educating the individual about the value of each life. But you can only do so much. Looking around Pakistan and not even at Karachi, look at how much premium extremists pay on every life they take.The point is upbringing has a real impact on adults' behaviour. Sometimes, persuing their own interests, parents can induce in the younsters an unintended thought that develops its own dynamic. Tools for self-defence are also the tools for destructive offence.
@Santosh, @John B - don't spit out all this BS.. I live in US and there is this constant fear of a person pulling out a gun and shoot openly.. These incidents are on rise and you need to understand there are plenty of psychopaths in this country.. Making guns easily accessible is similar to handing sword in monkeys hand.. I don't see any reason not to have stricter gun laws.. Mind you, I am not against owning guns but I am against easy access.. Also the guy who killed small kids at school took 3 guns which his mother owned.. Now who the F need 3 guns at home..
@Santosh: Does it take a gun to overthrow an oppressive government in this day and age?
I do not think the author quite understands the basics of gun ownership and the 2nd amendment. I do not think Hitchens or Cockburn are being gadflies or are choosing to skirt this issue. I believe that they hold decently strong opinions on the subject which happen to contradict the authors. Gun ownership in USA stems from the second amendment to the constitution which inherently is in place to allow the citizens to form a militia and overthrow the government that oppresses them. In principle this is democracy at its most liberal. Also unlike what the author thinks, the individualism in USA is not a consequence of gun ownership. It is the other way around. Individualism has always been the cornerstone of US society. It is also what makes it such a strong democratic society. An individual, through his or her individualism, feels responsible and connected enough to try and affect the politics of the country. This is never seen in post colonial and post feudal societies where being led was the natural existence of most people for the longest time and individualism was suppressed.
It is the very encouragement of self effacement in post colonial societies that causes the lack of democracy. Humans are naturally self centered and every one looks out for themselves and their own. It when they realise that cooperation leads to greater individual profit is when they start thinking as a society.
On the other hand a society where an individual is unaware of rights and what more, where he is demonized for asking for them, is a society where the individual feels no reason to contribute or change anything.
Please do not misguidedly blame individualism for the acts of crazies. It is what is keeping the democracy in place.