The XSTAT 30: A Brief Analysis

Guns have been used for homicide and suicide at a disappointingly high rate over the years. Each life lost is a life that matters. Do we really want to let our children grow up in a world where everyone has extremely simple access to purchase firearms that could harm you? There are always new cases of homicide and suicide making headlines in America but gun control is nonexistent yet to help prevent these cases. As Americans, we shouldn’t have to worry about risking our lives while going into public with our families. If the ability to acquire a firearm was stricter, there would be no worry about any of these horrible things happening to ourselves. America is a free country; we are supposed to be able to live without worry and

“Interview the survivors of mass shootings and you hear these phrases a lot: Gunfire, they explain, rarely sounds like what it is… Many who have lived through the terror recall thinking it was a joke. A drill. Anything except the awful truth: that they might have only a few seconds to live” (“Stop the Violence” -Brody 220). Some people say guns make us feel safer, but in reality, they cause more harm than good. Arthur Kellermann and his colleagues concluded that, “Sadly, buying a gun does not make you safer. To the contrary, the evidence suggests that bringing a gun into your home increases the chances you will be killed” (“Feeling safe” -Vyse 27). Gun violence poses a very big threat to the U.S. “The U.S. has many more guns--and gun deaths--than any other developed country. In 2014, there were more than 33,000 such deaths in this country” (“Fight Over” 12). Guns are extremely dangerous and many deaths occur due to them, including murder, suicide, and accidental deaths, so stricter gun laws and technology should be used to decrease the number of gun deaths in the U.S.

According to the 2010 study there were 31,672 fatalities due to firearms. The following year the number went up to 32,163. Homicides that are a result from guns are relatively high in the States and they take more than eleven thousand lives a year. According to Vision for Humanity, an initiative for the Economics and Peace, the United States is ranked 99 out of 162 countries in the 2013 global peace index, homicide rates and violent crimes are among the various criteria used to determine the ranking (Vision of Humanity). Mass shootings at work places, schools, shopping malls and places of worship are happening in an alarming frequency. While the Newtown shooting is one of the horrific ones, it certainly isn’t the only one that happened in the last two years alone. There were several other mass shootings that took the lives of many all across America. While there are other significant problems in America that need our attention, in my opinion, increasing rate of Gun violence is the most significant problem in American that needs to be addressed.

Imagine you’re watching the news and hear of a mass shooting at a local college. You suddenly realize a family member or someone who’s very near and dear to you attends that institution and you rush to grab your phone to call and see if they’re okay. As you furiously dial their number over and over again you glance at the television screen and see their name in the list of people who were critically wounded or killed. Now imagine being the parent of a child in whom you drove to school that day, but later received a call informing you there was a shooting at the school and your child was amongst those killed. Sadly, you read and hear about these stories all the time, mass shootings, and gun violence. Guns and instances of gun violence aren’t new to American society, but there has definitely been a significant increase in these last few decades. Instances of gun violence that include mass shootings in theaters, schools and college campuses have been on the rise and it will only continue to rise unless proper actions are taken. Because of this, stricter gun control laws need to be placed into effect.

Upon reading the article, “What If We Treated Gun Violence Like A Public Health Crisis?” and watching the news every now and then, there are many major tragedies surrounding around us. It is absolutely scary, and only seems to be getting worse. The article starts off with the statement that, “More than 30,000 people a year are killed by gun violence,” making it clear just how serious the situation pertaining gun violence is (Kodjak, 2017, p. 1). Yet, this statistic does not even take into consideration the amount of people who are injured due to gun violence, which would sky rocket this total.

Have you lost someone in a careless act of gun violence recently? Weapons, specifically firearms, has been a huge issue around Tennessee and is growing rapidly around the United States. It is also the main cause of deaths in major cities as well as smaller cities. According to Wikipedia, Gun violence can be defined as, "violence committed with the use of a gun." Guns should be harder to get hold of. As a reporter, Julie Edwards, confirmed, "through October 14, there have been 912 shootings in 2017, compared to 604 in 2016." Without being said, it seems to be getting more dangerous every year. A couple parents who have lost their daughter or son to gun violence has done interviews for multiple news channels as well as radio stations, attempting to raise awareness everywhere. Children at young ages are also victims of homicides. As reporter David Waters reported, 2-year-olds where getting caught in the crossfire from drive by, 12-year-olds where getting shot by their sister's boyfriends. Who is really concerned about these homicides? Parents, teachers, friends, brothers, sisters, the community as a whole. Laws may be becoming stricter but the general public is also becoming sneakier. We, as a community, should come together to find a safe place for teenagers, preteens, etc. Having a firearm should come with responsibilities, lessons, and sometimes major consequences.

No matter where you live in The United States, you have heard of the tragic mass shootings that have occurred throughout our history. Whether it was the high school students of Columbine High School, or the victims at Ft. Hood, or even the elementary school students of Sady Hook Elementary, we have heard the horrific stories that are quite surreal to think someone would want to harm so many innocent people. It is clear that something has to be done, even if only one life is spared, then it would be worth it. President Obama’s Address to the Nation on January 5, 2016 presents to Congress the idea that strengthening the laws on gun violence, will not stop law abiding citizens from purchasing or keeping their fire arms. Instead, the purpose

Since the late 1980’s, gun violence has been growing into a national problem. Gun violence is quickly spreading across the nation and onto news broadcast stations. However, it has not been taken seriously until it did become a nationwide event. After a police officer knocks on your door to disclose the situation regarding your son or daughter was murdered by a gunshot wound, a mother grieves, and cries out,” Not my child!” Families of victims never want to expect to see gun violence overtake their family. Families demand answers and ask,” Why would they want to harm my child?” Over time, we have seen numerous victims, advocates, group leaders and survivors of anti-gun organizations attempt to raise awareness towards the issue of gun violence.

Going from a mental health perspective about mass shootings to an idea of reducing gun deaths is an interesting turn. “With a gun in hand, schoolchildren are capable of mass murder. Without the gun, most children lack the strength, skills, and cunning to plan and execute multiple killings” (Teret & Webster 1999). Brains in children are not fully developed, so when they have a gun in their hand they do not know what to do except for getting rid of the people that have done them wrong. When you take the gun out of the children's hands, they will turn back into the defenseless child that will cry at a

When it comes to guns people think about mass shootings around the U.S. There were 372 mass shootings in 2015 killing 475 and killing 1,870 people, a mass shooting is where there are four or more people killed or injured. Second there were 64 school shootings, Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut was the most known school shooting 20 students and 6 adults were killed the ages of the kids were between the age of six and seven. Out of all the shootings there were 13,286 killed and 26,819 injured per year. From 1928 to 2011 there were more people being shot and killed or injured, and suicides than from anyone dying from being shot and killed in the war. There were from people being shot and killed or suicides was 1.4 million people from the Civil War to Iraq only 1.2 million died from being shot and killed or injured. Last the U.S. spends roughly 1 trillion dollars on fighting terrorism which kills a fraction of people than people getting shot in a gun

Gun violence continues to dominate national headlines. On average, the gun violence epidemic leaves a child or teen wounded or dead every hour in the United States, resulting in 47 American children and teens shot every day, and culminating to ___ shot every year. Deaths related to gun violence are now the third leading cause of death for American children. And these statistics are based solely on the actual deaths, but does not account for those exposed to this brutality—friends, family members, and other children who are psychologically damaged and struck with fear in their hearts.

Looking at a website about the gun violence archive you can see, that only in 2016 already 41.902 people have been involved in gun incidents in the US and 10.757 of them actually died, not to mention that the other 31.145 surely are traumatized for life. In my opinion and hopefully in everyone else opinion, that’s a waste of people who could’ve benefited the world.

In every year that passes away at least 100,000 people are shot each year in the U.S and 72% shows that the deaths were caused by the use of guns. Many people die from starvation, or for other natural causes but a life shouldn't be taken by a gun or a bullet. There shouldn't be no use of guns in any place, no where in the world not even at war. Everyone deserves to live happily in a place of just peace, love and respect. In other countries kids brothers and sister take care of themselves because their parents can be at work or because they don't have parents, but still a parent always leaves with the fear of coming back and finding out that there was a war or a shooting and their son had died in it. It devastating for most parents because they cant do anything about it, they can not just move to a better place like the US because they will probably not be accepted and have to travel

Much of the debate has focused on gun regulation and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of potential killers, particularly those with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, far less attention has been dedicated to the impact of gun violence on victims. While individuals killed and injured in atrocities such as the Sandy Hook and Aurora Theater shootings are publicly remembered and mourned, victims of these tragedies are not limited to those men, women, and children killed, injured, or present during these horrific events. The consequences of gun violence are more pervasive and affect entire communities, families, and children. With more than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or community over the past year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, but also of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).” (CWLA

We have a problem. Guns. This should not be a surprise. Gun shootings are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Everyday, people’s lives are taken by a gun in the most traumatic way. Mass shootings is an incident involving multiple victims where a shooter or a group injuries and kills numerous of innocent lives of firearm-related violence. Mass shootings account for a tiny fraction of the country’s gun deaths, but they are uniquely terrifying because they can occur anywhere and anytime. School shootings are increasing every year due to the misuse of guns. Children should feel safe at schools as they are there for an education They should not have to worry about another possible mass shootings. Since the recent school mass