We find that according to the Small Arms Survey of 2017, it is estimated that American firearms, both licit and illicit are numbered at 120.5 firearms per 100 people, which is not only an absolutely staggering amount of firearms held in the hands of civilians but is a number which is unprecedented within the so-called “civilized” world. In America, having a gun, or at least the right to a gun, is seen by a significant amount of people as being their God-given right, and they therefore don’t want to give up their right to guns, or the usage, so of. Yet, what is somewhat forgotten in this pursuit of guns is the fact that as in anything, the overall narrative could change, if American governance was determined to see it be changed, for even long-held beliefs are subject to change, given enough time and energy to move the needle to something more conducive to a civilized society.
Of course, those who own guns or believe in the right to own guns, don’t seem inclined to give up that right, believing somehow that the guns so owned, protect families and friends. While, on some level, this may be true, it is basically belied by the fact that no Western nation has a homicide rate at the alarming rate that America bloodily represents. So too, guns are the very same that can be turned against the gun owner, so that, America is the leader by a considerable amount of those people that use their firearms to kill themselves. Finally, when it comes to mass shootings, it is America, that leads in this tragic event, as well. All of this would seem to say, that firearms don’t make us safer, but rather they seemingly lend themselves to a more uncivil and dangerous society, instead.
This signifies that all of the tragedies that occur in America, and that continue to occur, will keep on occurring year after year, tragic event after tragic event, until the end of time, unless America takes the principal stand to do something constructive about all of the gun ownership in civilian hands. It isn’t so much that America needs to rip up the Second Amendment, but rather it has a lot more to do with coming up with alternatives to gun ownership, by presenting to Americans, that just having a gun, is not, in itself, going to make people safe and secure. Rather, we would find, that less lethal weapons or other viable choices in the hands of the people would lead to less tragedy and less deadly events.
At some point, Americans need to begin trusting one another, thereby believing that safety and security do not truly rest with the barrel of a gun, but rest in civility, kindness, consideration, and respect for one another. As it stands, gun ownership hasn’t made America safer or a better country, so it would seem to be high time to embrace alternatives that would help to end the tragic cycle of too much gun violence in this nation, which is why we need to rethink gun ownership and to rediscover or to rebirth the better angels of our nature.