Gun Violence in America -- The Price We Pay

by Gregory Allen Butler

Today 33 people died and more than 30 others were injured from gun violence at Virginia Tech University. The shock and horror of that is so overwhelming that it is hard to think of anything else but the grief the families of the victims must be feeling. I pray that the pain in their hearts will one day be healed.

But things aren't getting any better as far as shootings go. Next week, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another 42 young people age 18 and under will die from gun violence. This equates to about 2,200 young people a year dying from firearms.

This is the price that we pay for the right to bear arms. Is the price worth it? If you had a choice to lose your child to gunfire or have the right to bear arms, which would you choose?

How many people will have to die, will have to be killed by guns, before guns are outlawed? I found it interesting that the White House Deputy Press Secretary made it a point to get President Bush's position on gun control out immediately after relating how horrified he was: "He was horrified and his immediate reaction was one of deep concern for the families of the victims, the victims themselves, the students, the professors and all the people of Virginia who have dealt with this shocking incident. His thoughts and prayers are with them. The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."

Are battle lines already being drawn on what is sure to be a renewed debate on the issue?

How would you feel if it turned out you were the person who sold the two handguns to the assailant at Virginia Tech? The weapons that were used in the Virginia Tech killings will be traced back to where they were purchased. The salesman probably made a good chunk of change in the sale. But will he ever have a good night's sleep?

Here are some figures to think about: In the year 2000, homicide with firearms took the lives of 10,801 Americans. Add another 776 died from unintentional firearm fatalities. We are living in a war zone.

It seems our efforts would be better spent if we focused on ending the terrorism and gun violence in our own country rather than cracking down on it in Iraq. But with the current administration, we have a president who is both pro-war and pro-right to own arms. I don't expect any change in his point of view. Sad to say, but look for another 10,000 or so Americans to be killed by firearms this year and again in 2008.

If this still hasn't registered in your consciousness how bad the gun violence situation is, consider these statistics from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

Guns in the United States - Easy Access to Deadly Weapons
· There are approximately 192 million privately owned firearms in the U.S. - 65 million of which are handguns.
· Currently, an estimated 39% of households have a gun, while 24% have a handgun.
· In 1998 alone, licensed firearms dealers sold an estimated 4.4 million guns, 1.7 million of which were handguns. Additionally, it is estimated that 1 to 3 million guns change hands in the secondary market each year, and many of these sales are not regulated.
Gun Deaths and Injury - The United States Leads the World in Firearm Violence
· In 1998, 30,708 people in the United States died from firearm-related deaths - 12,102 (39%) of those were murdered; 17,424 (57%) were suicides; 866 (3%) were accidents; and in 316 (1%) the intent was unknown. In comparison, 33,651 Americans were killed in the Korean War and 58,193 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War.
· For every firearm fatality in the United States, there are two non-fatal firearm injuries.
· In 1996, handguns were used to murder 2 people in New Zealand, 15 in Japan, 30 in Great Britain, 106 in Canada and 9,390 in the United States.

I hope the tragedy from Virginia Tech can be a catalyst for new thinking on how to prevent something like this from ever happening again. It's going to take new vision to elevate the consciousness of America to the point where such a tragedy would be an impossibility. Let's hope that enough people share this vision so that new leadership will eagerly embrace it.