The mightiest Army in the world, the mightiest air and sea forces ever existed, the mightiest economy, the best and most abundant universities in the world, the unparalleled film industry, the most advanced space programs leading to a man reaching the moon and walking on its soil. Despite owning this mighty power and mighty tools, America is unable to defeat a mere handgun, and appear to be helpless to defend itself. One look at the Crime sections in some of the prime US newspapers, sums it all. The statistics of deaths related to gun violence are both painful and scary; and the numbers are increasing. The questions are what, why and how. What are the root causes, why it's continuing and rising and how to keep it under control. No doubts there is plenty of academic research tackling the problem, yet it has failed at least to maintain the same level of human life loss, let alone bringing it down. America's dilemma is that the gun which takes off innocent lives is the same gun that protects lives either by using it or by the mere knowledge of its existence.
Control is multifaceted. Starts with households controlling their guns, to how guns are sold , to post sale monitoring and most important is the non-stop penetration of guns black market. Strengthening police (with more training on how to avoid shooting if there is no real danger) , more hidden cameras and finally severe punishment, including capital punishment if the problem reaches unbearable levels to which it seem it is going. I think Hollywood greed has unintentionally promoted over the decades guns as sign of manhood an bravery. It has alarmingly projected in some action movies the killing of a person is just a scene after which you move to the next scene which is probably two people having ice cream on a bench. To me there is no short term solution to the problem and any attempt for short term doomed to fail. Both sides of the debate have their good reasons . First Hollywood should repent and use the next decade undoing what it did. Project a more peaceful society where there is no use of guns as well as projecting the crime of killing an innocent person as a horrible action with the culprit paying a very very heavy price. Also, the tendency of some of the media outlets to spread hate, degradation of other minorities and cultures projecting them as evil may have fueled some killers especially if it is coupled with unstable mind.
The other side of the coin is equally important. The question is why now and why it is rising almost by the day. Crime is as old as human life and America is no exception, but the intensity and frequency is what is alarming and what needs attention. Putting aside the mentally ill and account closing among gangs, this leaves the motive being hate, theft, rape and paid killing. There is no magic in resolving this and any solution is long term. It takes only 1-massive, strong, unbiased, multi-ethnic, multi-belief, police force. 2-Attention to minorities in terms of living conditions, education and employment. 3-for clearly convicted killers who confessed to their crime or for whom evidence is beyond doubts, jail time must be tougher than outside time. Hard labor and regular lashing could be considered. 4-intelligence, intelligence and intelligence. Proactive rather than reactive to save lives and hold the criminal and mentally ill before it is to late.
God keep America Safe.
Ù"¹Hamad S Alomar
Riyadh
1
