In the article, “Gun Violence” (Amnesty 2022) I learned that Gun violence is a daily scourge that threatens our most fundamental right: the right to life. More than 600 people die every day as a result of firearms violence, which is driven in part by easy access to firearms whether legal or illegal. This horrible situation has caused many to have mental issues as well as put fear into people permanently. Gun violence is often impacting people of color, men, and teens in deprived communities, and other marginalized groups. The presence of guns can make people feel threatened and fearful for their lives. They may be too afraid to attend schools or health facilities. Guns are given out very freely and are easily accessible. More than 1 billion firearms are in circulation globally. The vast majority (85%) are in the hands of private individuals, 13% are in military arsenals and 2% are owned by law enforcement agencies. The fact that there are more weapons in the hands of private individuals compared to the military or law enforcement shows how bad it’s getting.
I think what is happening in this world with gun violence is a huge problem. As a person who lives in this sad world, guns scare me and every day I wake up hoping I don’t get shot today or I wake up hoping I don’t hear gunshots. People are in hospitals every day fighting for their lives because of serious gunshot wounds. The U.S. needs to do something about this as soon as possible before this gets more serious.
As I continue to learn about gun violence, I want to know more about how bad it will get in 10 years if this rate keeps up as well as what we can do to prevent this.
