Our culture is absolutely insane. Insane that it’s harder to get a driver’s license than it is to get a gun. Insane because anyone over the age of 18 can buy a gun and 10 days later pick it up, and nobody would know. I decided to find out for myself how easy it is to buy a gun. My findings left me with a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Buying a gun is chillingly simple. Go to a licensed dealer, like Big 5, pick your gun (handguns non-withstanding) and pay up front for the gun plus a fee for a simple background check. Ten days later go to the store and pick up your gun. That’s it. Ten days and I could have a gun that nobody knows I have. Not my parents, school, friends or anyone. Nobody had a chance to say, “Stephen is diagnosed with a mental disorder that inhibits his self control.” Nobody could pipe up to say, “Stephen suffers from mild depression, maybe he shouldn’t own a gun.” Not a single person who personally knew me was given a chance to provide additional information. Yet I was able to walk into a gun store, pick my gun, and get ready to swipe my credit card and become the proud owner of a rifle. And nobody would know.
The answer to our problems is definitely not arming the populace. The argument that killers will be deterred by armed guards in school is equally incorrect and relies on the assumption that mentally disturbed individuals weigh risk logically. The problem is that they don’t. People who go into schools and brutally slaughter children have no grasp of reality and a guard with a gun isn’t going to stop them. Most times these individuals aren’t concerned with self-preservation, and the possibility of death isn’t a concern of theirs.
Even the idea that armed guards are an effective form of protection and deterrence seems shaky. Columbine High School had an armed guard when it was attacked, Virginia Tech had an entire police force and Fort Hood had base police as well as trained military personnel.
An armed security guard would cost at least $55,000 a year, the same as the average school counselor. This could create a dangerous situation where schools choose security guards over counseling staff, removing one of the most valuable assets a school has when it comes to preventing school violence. Counselors are the eyes and ears of the school staff and can effectively steer troubled students away from future violence. Helping troubled teens with their serious issues can greatly reduce the risk of dangerous behavior.
Guns beget violence, and have no place in a school environment. Statistically, gun owners are four and a half times more likely to be shot in an assault than non-gun owners. Common sense says much the same: police officers carry guns, but criminals still shoot at them, so what difference does it make if the police officer is at a school?
Gun violence disproportionately affects youth more than any other group. Firearms are the second leading cause of death in children ages 10-19. Across our nation it is the youth who are paying the price for our parent’s negligence. A 2005 study showed that although 17-24 year olds accounted for only 4.3 percent of the population, they accounted for 11.2 percent of all firearm homicides. This epidemic of violence isn’t between adults, it’s youth killing youth. Our generation can’t afford to remain idle while we systematically kill each other.
There is no reason that a teen should be able to go out and buy a gun, especially with complete anonymity. Pumping more guns into our schools and streets is murder by proxy. Those who surrender to inaction have blood on their hands. Pundits, politicians and proponents argue over high capacity magazines, assault weapons and mental health, but the basic issue is that we, as a society, are insane. I can go out, buy a gun, and no one will know. That’s insane.