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Gun Silhouette
(mzacha, Morguefile)

"Well-regulated" & George Washington
(Unknown source; fair use, educational)

Gun Control Sign
(davidpwhelan, MorgueFile)

Knotted Gun
(hacaspi, MorgueFile)

Nuclear Weapon
(Sergey81, MorgueFile)

Fire Skull
(wintersixfour, MorgueFile)

Any Idiot
(Manny Schewitz; fair use, educational)

Gun Murders per 100,000 Residents
(The American Journal of Medicine, 2015; fair use, educational)

Republican Endorsed Killings (Unknown source; fair use, educational)

Rights & Responsibilities (Unknown source; fair use, educational)

Beach Peace Sign
(Schick, MorgueFile)
 Gun silhouette Gun Control 

This article tackles the highly polarised topic of gun control.

USA Gun Control = God & More Guns?

In the US Constitution, the Second Amendment of 1791 basically allows individuals to keep and bear arms. The meaning of this is complex and highly contested.
However, when it was created, they did have repeating firearms.

Anyway, some Americans believe there should be little or no gun control.
"Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own."
(Donald Trump cited at Business Insider, posted 9 October 2016, accessed 8 November 2017)

They believe the answer to any mass shooting is God and more guns.
"The reaction of the gun lobby was to say more guns, less crime - arm everybody, (and) so this spiralling descent into gun madness continues. I do find it stupid and I do find it dangerous."
(Piers Morgan, posted 9 January 2013, accessed 3 February 2013)
ww
US gun proponents always forget the Second Amendment's 'well regulated'

So, I believe the US Constitution needs to be adapted for our times, as the arms at that time were far different in terms of rate of fire, reliability, accuracy, range and cost.
For example:-
  • "It's very simple. It's not about banning all their guns or attacking the Second Amendment. It's a very specific campaign to take these military-style assault weapons off the streets." (Piers Morgan, posted 9 January 2013, accessed 3 February 2013)
  • "My thoughts and sadness and outrage are with the people who've lost love ones. But prayers are not what stopped more atrocities like Dunblane from happening in the United Kingdom. Gun control did." (Lauren Mayberry cited in BBC Music News LIVE, 09h38, posted and accessed 7 November 2017)
  • “If you overexpose a society or culture to cheap, plentiful food, you'll have an obesity epidemic. If you overexpose a culture to opioids, you're going to have an opioid epidemic.” (Van Ingram, executive director for the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, former police officer, cited at BBC, posted and accessed 23 February 2018) [Therefore, if you overexpose a society to guns, you will have a shooting epidemic. USA is an example of all three epidemics!]
  • The Second Amendment of 1791 which gives Americans the right to 'keep and bear arms' can be altered or reversed. The 18th Amendment prohibiting alcohol was reversed with the 21st Amendment. (BBC, posted and accessed 21 February 2018)
Gun control sign

Gun Control for the World?

Whatever USA believes, should civilians legally be able to use a weapon that fires 400-800 rounds per minute?
Although such a weapon is not technically a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction), I believe it is indeed a WMD. Do you agree?

Although the pro-gun lobby say that there are only 89 firearms per 100 Americans, 78% of Americans don’t even own a gun. And 3% of Americans own 50% of the guns in the USA. (Sources: The Guardian, posted 19 September 2016, accessed 24 September 2016; SNL, 1m57s, posted and accessed 8 October 2017; BBC, posted 24 December 2012, accessed 8 November 2017)
Should civilians be allowed to amass a giant stockpile of such weapons?

As I said here, guns surely need to be restricted?

Good guys with guns is a fantasy, and the macabre USA truth is that:-
  • toddlers kill more than terrorists! (The Guardian, posted 13 March 2016, accessed 7 January 2017)
  • the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. (BBC, posted and accessed 11 November 2017)
  • in 54% of the 156 mass shootings between 2009 and 2016, the victims were current or former intimate partners or other family members. (BBC, posted and accessed 11 November 2017) [So, cause of mass shooting is attachment trauma rather than terrorism.]
If your country allows them, then surely there needs to be extensive background checks? Ban assault weapons? And a mandatory gun licence that needs to be regularly renewed?
And law that allows the removal of guns from people who are a danger to themselves or others (e.g. domestic violence and animal abusers), such as USA red-flag laws.
Surely avoid the militarisation of the police and the resultant arms race between police and criminals? Japan does this and has one of the lowest gun crime rates in the world.

Gun statue with knotted barrel

Nuclear Weapons

For me, somewhat related to gun control is nuke control.
Should all nations be allowed to possess and use nuclear weapons?
Why should USA and China and a handful of other powerful states be allowed to have nukes, whilst others should not, including North Korea?
Is Kim Jong-un unstable and Trump is not??
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
Nuclear weapon

Mental Health, Blame & More Solutions

The blame for a mass shooting is often the mental health of the perpetrator.
So, as already mentioned, thorough background checks and licences are important.
Also, mental health support and treatment needs to be available in an effective national health system.

But few seem to look at why these mass murderers develop terrible mental health.
Cutting closer to the truth, we can read that some believe it is men making society unsafe. However, I suggest it is more complex.

I believe that an infamous and terrible psychopath is largely right when he said, "My father is your system... I am only what you made me." (Charles Manson, cited at BBC, posted and accessed 18 November 2014) In other words, there are deeply-entrenched societal practices that allow these evil guys to flourish. 

That is why we need to Build Babies not Jails.
That is why we need to Cut the Gordian Knot.
That is why we need a Culture of Love.

Fire skull

Summary

I believe disarmament is the way for guns and nukes.
However, we may need them until we can create a naturally occurring peaceful world.
In the meantime, let us do all we can to stop the proliferation of guns and nukes!
Let us Cut the Gordian Knot and create a Culture of Love!!
"We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience." (Martin Luther King Jr.)
A photo of military grade weapons on a table and the words 'The 2nd amendment calls for "a well-regulated militia." Nowhere does it state "let any idiot have a gun."'

Resources
 Articles
A graph showing gun murders per 100,000 residents of 16 countries. The USA is by far the highest with 3.6. The next highest are Canada and Portugal with 0.5. The lowest are UK with 0.04 and Japan with 0.01.
If more guns and fewer gun laws made us safer, America would be the safest nation in the world.
But 400,000,000 guns in the hands of civilians coupled with weak gun laws have given us a
25 times higher gun homicide rate than any peer nation.
It’s the fucking guns.
(Shannon Watts, 23 November 2022 tweet)

Domestic Violence & Guns
 Petitions
A public service announcement, white letters on a red background. It reads: 'New rule. Effective immediately. Mass shootings are now to be referred to as "Republican Endorsed Killings". Thank you.'

Videos
On an orange background, at the top there is an assault rifle or similar. Below it are the words, 'Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn't freedom, it's adolescence.'

Nuclear Weapons
  • CND (The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) [CND campaigns to scrap nuclear weapons and create genuine security for future generations. Also see here.].
  • ICAN (The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) [Awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. ICAN campaigns to stigmatise, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. It is a coalition of NGOs promoting adherence to and implementation of the UN nuclear weapon ban treaty.].
  • Let's Be Realists (ICAN PDF booklet) [11 answers to common questions and comments about nuclear weapons. Also see here.].
  • Ukraine war shows ‘nuclear deterrence’ doesn’t work. We need disarmament (Rebecca Johnson, openDemocracy, 2022) [Nuclear armaments have for far too long been treated as magical objects that confer power, status, safety and impunity. Despite leaders’ claims, nuclear weapons don’t prevent war or make life safer or more peaceful – they put the survival of the whole planet at risk. Deterrence theories don't factor in narcissistic leaders seeking to blot out futures their egos refuse to face. Far from deterring war, nuclear possession encourages reckless military behaviour that ignores real-world dangers and enables certain leaders to believe they can deter others while enjoying freedom of action and impunity for themselves.].
Beach peace sign
Peace Sign/Symbol = The Nuclear Disarmament Symbol

 Also see:-

Gun Control Quotes

Violence articles

Toy Guns by Peggy O’Mara

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Page last updated: 6 May 2025.