Shooting of 19 innocent children and two teachers in an elementary school in Texas ,USA, a few days ago has sent shock waves all over the World. It has been termed deadliest school shoot out in a decade. The assailant did not spare his grand mother even. This incident once again should impel us to question the unusual U.S. provision that anyone attaining the age of eighteen can own a firearm without a license .
2) As many as 212 shootings in public places have been recorded in USA in this year alone( say, actually five months)as per Gun Violence Archive ,an independent research group. Texas incident happened barely ten days after another 18 year old teenager murdered ten African Americans at a Super Market in New York. The crime involving 18 year old Ramos in Texas led to more casualties than 20 killed earlier in a school in Newtown, Connecticut and 17 killed in a Florida school.
3) Prior to analyzing such a peculiar situation, history as also Constitutional backing to owning a firearm, it may be also necessary to look into psychological dimensions of the issue, prevalent domestic disturbances and readily available medium of social media which turns against society at times apart from assisting in a way, the enforcement agencies. Mere fact that two of the shooters had spelt out some hints publicly should have alerted the authorities in advance.
4 ) If we look at the ownership or overall proliferation of small and big arms, USA has been leading the world for a long time and that seems to have increased in last three years. As a safety device, more vulnerable groups ,such as, women and members of ethnic community have begun purchasing rifles, ,pistols, shotguns etc for their self defence. Briefing sessions are also being conducted.
5) Other notable countries having a history of gun culture are Canada, Czech Republic, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Russia and U.K. In Yemen too firearm ownership is allowed without any license or permit. It is the second most heavily armed country in the world after USA.
6) We may appear biased if we ignore massive or widespread illegal arms scene in India both in Naxal/Insurgent belts as also semi rural or sub urban areas of India, such as, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurgaon.
Once upon a time Bhind, Morena, Mainpuri, Etawah etc. in M.P. and U.P. were very much infested with gun trotting dacoits. Use of arms was rampant once in Punjab and same continues to be so in J & K, despite claims regarding improvement in situation. Consumption of country made revolvers or many sharp weapons is pretty high both to carry out organized and un organized crimes or for that matter, highway snatchings and robberies. Use of unauthorised weapons is very much prevalent in sex related, car thefts and ransom kind of crimes. Fortunately, children studying in so called public schools have been spared thus far by the inter state gangs.
7) Reverting to USA, according to a source, over 100 gun deaths happen on a daily basis. Many may not be reported also. Stephen Gutowski, compiled a detailed report in 2018 according to which civilians in USA own nearly 100 times more firearms than military and nearly 400 times as many as all the various law enforcement agencies put together.
The country has by far the highest estimated number of guns per capita at 120.5 guns for every hundred American, a survey by Aaron Karp had revealed as early as 2018.
8) The Gun Spirit in modern USA comes from an early American dependence on arms for protection against foreign armies and hostile native Americans. Owning a weapon would ensure survival of settlers from Europe. Some novels and Cowboy kind of movies and gangster films too provided impetus for gun owning. Only after American revolution ,regular army came into being. Besides Second World War and successive events led to production of many morale boosting movies, some with a patriotic flavour. These portrayed fictitious and exaggerated characters in which both hero and villain would flaunt their weapons.
9) So gun culture or fantasy is founded on proliferation of small arms since the earliest days of the American nation ,connect between personal ownership and country’s revolutionary history and a sort of cultural mythology in respect of guns.
10) In two states of USA opinion is emerging in favour of raising the eligibility to 21 years for purchases of long guns and A.R.-15-style rifles. On the other hand, at least three states have resolved to have tougher control on fire arms and to ensure gun safety legislations.
11) To Remedy the situation, there is a Need For:
a) Greater public awareness,
b) Education & alerts,
C) Counselling of teenagers ,
d) Close monitoring of social media,
e) Effective law enforcement and
f) Common Sense Gun laws.
About the Author : Dr. Aaloc Srivastav, Ex CS , Sikkim is a Senior Retd Bureaucrat and passionate about writing on his favourite subjects . The views shared by the author are his personal.
