Why does America have so many mass shootings?
Washington DC: On Tuesday morning, the White House held a press conference post the mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas. President Joe Biden stood with reporters and offered thoughts and prayers to the 19 families who lost their children. He also spoke of gun control, an issue his government is yet to address.
Earlier that day, at approximately 11.35 AM, a gunman would take 21 lives including his own in a Texan middle school. The 18-year-old attended a high school less than 10 minutes away and had a troubled past. The man purchased the murder weapons, and multiple AR-15 semi-automatic rifles just days before the incident.
This is the 27th American school shooting in 2022.
What it takes to buy an assault weapon:
The Second Amendment protects the right of Americans to own Firearms. The amendment came to life in 1791 when the modern semi-automatic guns didn’t exist in everyday home goods stores.
Today, all it takes for someone to purchase a gun is a credit card and in some cases, a government ID.
An HBO show in 2014 conducted a minor experiment on how easy it really is to purchase a gun in the US. Producers sent out a 13-year-old to try and purchase multiple items including beer, cigarettes and adult magazines. He is unable to purchase all except one item on the list; a .22 calibre rifle. Most American states have little regulation on the purchase of assault weapons and even lower requirements for a background check. This means that mental health and domestic assault histories go unchecked at the point of sale.
Although attempts for gun regulations are underway, pro-gun activists such as the NRA continue blocking them legally and financially.
The NRA’s Blood Money:
The National Rifle Association began in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship. Today, the organisation are big plate in American politics, lobbying for leniency in gun rights.
They argue that the second amendment gives Americans the right to own guns with no government oversight. They are staunchly against gun control, training and background checks. Lack of gun control is a proven method to keep gun sales high.
The NRA’s History of Lobbying Against Gun Control:
In 1967, the NRA announced that they would not attach to any gun manufacturing organizations. Decades on, the group is anything but detached from firearm manufacturers. There is an exclusive club of donors called the “Golden Ring of Freedom” for million-dollar donors.
The NRA began lobbying efforts in 1977 when it set up a legislative wing and a Political Action Committee(PAC). This enabled them to fund, endorse and advertise pro-gun rhetoric.
The exorbitant amounts of cash that are poured into the organisation are used primarily to block gun-control legislation. Their “corporate partners” Smith & Wesson, Colt, Sig Sauer and Remington donated millions to the NRA. On paper, the organization spends around $3Million every year to endorse candidates but donates an extra $200 Million through PACs. These are funds which are hard to track down.
Another way the NRA continues to shift the narrative is to block guns research. For example, the Dickey Amendment, led by Representative Jay Dickey of Arkansas an NRA ally in congress. This took place after the NRA accused the CDC of bias against guns.
A legal dissection of the Dickey Amendment shows that it prohibits the CDC from promoting gun control. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) are an important agency in the US in terms of research regarding health and wellness.
Their research grant guidelines stated, “CDC’s funds may not be spent on political action or other activities designed to affect the passage of specific Federal, State, or local legislation intended to restrict or control the purchase or use of firearms”.
Mental illness or something more?:
Every time a mass shooting occurs, the knee-jerk reaction is to pass it off as the ‘act of a madman’. American Media is known to dissect and diagnose the criminal’s mental health ailments with little backing. A 2015 study reported that only 3-5% of those who commit gun crimes could be diagnosed as mentally ill. On the other hand, the mentally ill made up over 60% of the victims in deaths due to gun crime in the same time span.
Pro-gun Americans align overwhelmingly with Republicans, the same party which has continuously struck down universal healthcare. Healthcare that would provide mental health services for at-risk individuals.
Even with mass shootings being commonplace in the US, pro-gun rhetoric shows no sign of slowing down. President Joe Biden questioned why congress refuses “stand up” to the gun lobby while his party holds the Senate majority.
Read More – ‘We have to act’: Biden after Texas school shooting
