Is Gun Control the Answer? 

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Eric DeVore
September 13, 2024

As gun violence continues to wreak havoc and tragedy in the United States, the debate on gun rights and gun control also continues. Both sides of the debate continue to use the same arguments to the point where it has grown stale and ineffective. As Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Each time an incident occurs, the easy go-to response and answer is and always has been stricter gun laws. The problem with that is that it does not work. It never has, therefore there is no reason to believe that it will in the future.

The first issue is the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. As well-versed as we all are at this point on the Second Amendment, as it is the rallying cry of the gun rights side, there is more to be considered. Throughout American history, there has been a deep relationship with firearms and its connectedness to independence and sovereignty. The framers of the Constitution felt so strongly about it that it was included as part of what is known as the Bill of Rights. Rights that many today consider to be fundamental to America. It is ingrained in the DNA of America and cannot be easily dismissed.

The one thing that both sides seem to agree on is that safe, responsible gun ownership is paramount. However, stricter gun laws have not slowed the violence. We have created gun-free zones, and several states have passed many laws restricting guns and gun ownership. More and more often, we see horrendous acts of gun violence taking place in gun-free zones, like schools and outdoor concert venues. We are also seeing that the states with the strictest gun laws, like California, New York and Illinois, also have the highest rates of gun violence. 

Calls to ban guns altogether are just unrealistic. To begin with, guns exist and they will not cease to exist. Illicit drugs have been banned; in fact, the United States fought a war on them, yet people who want the drugs are still able to get them through illegal means. If guns were banned, those who want them would still be able to get them. We must remember that criminals, by definition, do not follow the law. So, not only would banning guns altogether create a black market for them, but it also would not rid the world of them.

If we could make all guns disappear as if they never existed, that certainly would end gun violence. But would it actually end the violence of humans killing other humans? Since 2006, there have been 596 mass killings (four or more deaths in a single event) in the United States alone. Of those 596, 126 of them did not primarily include the use of a gun (21 percent of the time), resulting in the death of 585 people. Mass murder without the use of guns has been prevalent throughout history, including in countries with the strictest gun laws, like China and Japan.

As much of a cliché as it has become, there is a lot of truth in saying that guns do not kill people; people kill people. As evidenced in the United States and globally, guns are not the only weapon used in mass killings. Beginning with the first mass killing at a school in the United States, the Enoch Brown school massacre of 1764 in Pennsylvania, a teacher and nine of his students were bludgeoned to death.

Conclusion

Throughout history, people have killed each other, regardless of the weapon available. For evidence, one needs to look no further than the Bible and the story of Cain killing his brother, Abel. The existing policy attempts of stricter gun laws have not had the desired impact on the problem. It is time to find a new and different approach and examine what is really behind these acts. The drive and desire to take the life of another comes from within. The problem lies in the mental health of the individual.

It would not be fair or accurate to characterize the perpetrators of these acts as having mental illness. Mental health is not just about mental illness; it is about the overall health, happiness and well-being of the individual. By coming together to recognize the signs and the cries for help and then getting the individuals that help, we can work toward changing the mindset and culture of society. By normalizing asking for help and seeking professional help while reinforcing and embracing it as a society, we may begin to see fewer acts of violence.

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Author: Eric DeVore has a Master of Public Administration from California Baptist University in Southern California. He is currently in the DPA program at CBU. He has served the public for over 16 years with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Initially, he worked in crime scene investigations with their forensics unit. He is currently a deputy coroner with the Department, conducting death investigations. Email: [email protected] 

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