The United States is a violent place. A variety of measures validate that fact. A Congressional Research Service study estimates that of the 650 million civilian-owned guns worldwide, Americans possess 310 million. Wow. Five percent of the global population and nearly 50 percent of the world’s privately-held firearms. And we have the tendency to use them. The Centers for Disease Control and fivethirtyeight.com report that the American homicide rate is 5.2 per 100,000 compared to a range of .8 to 1.9 in other industrialized nations.
While school shootings are not unheard of in other countries, America certainly leads the pack, a dubious distinction. After Columbine, many cried out for gun reform and a plan for better school safety. Little changed. You would think that the massacre of elementary school children with an AR 15 style assault rifle at Sandy Hook would inspire change. Not so much. And now the 17 dead at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas in Florida. The rhetoric of “never again” renews, but what are the chances of real change?
Sadly, I am not optimistic. The NRA has tremendous influence in our political system and many politicians can be slow, or even reluctant, to act. Yet while the Second Amendment does guarantee the right to bear arms in the context of “a well-regulated militia,” the Founding Fathers could not have anticipated the mass destructive force of military-grade weapons in the hands of individual citizens. If they had, would they have written something different?
While we will never know the answer to that question, it does seem that at least some regulation of guns is appropriate in a modern context. Yet even if we banned bump stocks and raised the purchase age for assault weapons to 21, is it enough to stem the rising tide of school shootings? Gun violence in general?
One proposal by the President that has been backed by the NRA is to arm “specially trained” teachers to combat active shooters. This is an unlikely solution. Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson, who worked as the school’s resource officer, was “highly trained” yet he remained outside as the bloodshed ensued.
Teachers specialize in math, history, and English, not urban warfare. How can we expect them to do better than law enforcement officers who spend years preparing for such events? What happens if a teacher in a moment of confusion or panic kills an innocent student instead of the shooter? Teachers dedicate their lives to helping and serving students. I can’t imagine the grief, and the guilt, of a teacher in that situation.
This is a complex and difficult issue with no easy solutions. Yes, the Second Amendment to our Constitution does guarantee the right to bear arms. Those rights need to be balanced, however, with the rights of people in general to have a reasonable expectation of safety from gun violence, especially students.
One shining ray of hope penetrates the darkness: the grassroots movement by students. On March 14, students throughout the United States staged a walkout to protest gun violence. As I stood amongst the hundreds gathered at Temple City High School, speaker after speaker advocated for unity, peace, contacting their representatives in Congress, registering to vote, and dialogue with those who have different perspectives. Some spoke in defense of the Second Amendment, which is, of course, their right. These students embody the true spirit of democracy where vox populi, the voice of the people, matters. Their actions open up possibilities for progress and meaningful change.
Mr. J. Ryan Hoague
AP English Literature & Composition