Gun Control is About Gun Culture

I used to be proud to be an American. I’m sad to say that’s no longer true. I look at the US and see a nation with the highest gun violence, highest infant mortality, largest prison population, highest drug overdose rate, worst healthcare outcomes, and a decaying public education system. And for what? So people can have their right to own an assault rifle for whatever reason?<br><br>I can’t be the only American who thinks this way. I’m sure I’m the minority, but I never understood the need to own such an assault rifle like an AR-15. I never understood the need to own a gun outside of self-defense or hunting. But why do people get to buy an assault rifle? What are you hunting? Why do you need a bullet to pierce body armor? Why do you need to own a weapon capable of firing multiple rounds a second? Why?! <br><br>As an American, I feel like my right to go to school, to grocery shop, to go to church, is being sacrificed for the rights of people who don’t even need a gun to begin with. I am tired of having to live in a constant state of fear whenever I go anywhere that I might be shot. I am tired of seeing children being gunned down. I am tired of seeing people with mental illnesses being shot by the police. I am tired of living in a country that refuses to do anything about it.<br><br>Every time someone in the media suggests stricter gun laws, there will always be an uptick in gun sales. Why is that? There shouldn’t be an uptick in gun sales if you already own a gun. Why are you so afraid of losing your right to bear arms? I’m sure you already have an arsenal of guns at your disposal. Why do you get to stockpile all these guns while the rest of us fear for our lives whenever we are in public?<br><br>Why do people argue that the solution to gun violence is more guns? The bullseye on America’s map is proof that’s not the case. In reality, we have the most guns and the most gun violence. And people still argue that the solution to gun violence is more guns? It’s fucking insane! It’s literally out of sight.<br><br>I don’t think you need to take all the guns away from people, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing. There should be stricter restrictions on who can and cannot own a gun. Obviously, that isn’t working. I have no problem with a hunter owning a rifle or someone owning a gun for self-defense. But when you have people who do not need a gun stockpiling guns, that’s a problem. That’s an issue of gun culture. Too many people are fixated on owning a gun as if owning a gun fixes the problem of gun violence, but it doesn’t.<br><br>But what’s the point of restricting guns if there are already so many out there? That’s like saying we shouldn’t do anything about climate change because there are already too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It doesn’t make sense. Fixing gun violence is a process. It starts with smaller measures like restricting the purchase of certain firearms, strengthening background checks, restricting the amount of ammunition someone can buy at once, and extending waiting periods. But these policies aren’t being implemented. Instead, people are buying more guns, and we still have people being gunned down.<br><br>Let’s say these stricter gun laws are implemented. The real problem is the amount of guns already out there. It’s unrealistic to think the government can round up every gun in the country. But the solution to that problem starts with addressing gun culture. To address gun culture, you need to address why so many Americans feel the need to own a weapon.<br><br>One of the reasons why I think so many Americans own guns is because this country was built on violence. The way this country was built is through bloodshed and genocide. The US was founded on violence, and I think that history justifies the need to own a gun in the eyes of many Americans. Many of them see owning a gun as part of their patriotic duty. Many of them see owning a gun as a means of protecting themselves from the violent system that this country was built on. Many of them see owning a gun as a means of fighting back against the government. Many of them see themselves as revolutionaries, who will not hesitate to take up arms if the government ever infringes upon their right to bear arms or any other rights they feel are being infringed upon. <br><br>But none of that is true. None of that is historical fact. None of that is logical reasoning. None of that will stop gun violence. The reality of the situation is that we live in a country with the highest amount of gun violence. We need stricter gun laws and we need to fundamentally change gun culture. <br><br>I don’t know where to go from here. I don’t think many Americans would be willing to give up their guns. I don’t know how to change the culture surrounding guns. I don’t know how to stop gun violence at this point. At this rate, I don’t think anything will change. I don’t think we should just give up, but at this point, I don’t have much hope. I’ve given up on this country. I’m just waiting for the next mass shooting. I’m waiting for the next gunfight in a Walmart. I’m waiting for the next standoff with the police. I’m waiting for the next hostage situation. I’m waiting for the next innocent lives to be claimed by unnecessary and preventable gun violence. I am tired of living in fear. I am tired of living in a country with so much gun violence. I am tired of living in the United States.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit: Thank you for the feedback. I am pro-gun control; I am not anti-gun. I am tired of living in a country where mass shootings are a norm. I don’t think you should take everyone’s guns away, but I think there needs to be stricter laws.