Discussion Question
- How do you think the US is handling gun control? What could they do differently?
Based on a New York Times article, this document provides the basic, yet in-depth information, regarding the violent outbreaks in Jamaica due to the overuse of firearms in society. The Jamaican homicide crisis began in various neighborhoods with small gangs or on behalf of neighborhood disputes. As the violence increased, the U.S. government was sent to the streets of Jamaica as an attempt to ease and hopefully stop these violent outbreaks. It was stated that there are around 45,000 legal firearms currently in Jamaica, and it was estimated that 200 of those guns were brought illegally into Jamaica each month. Tyler Hicks, the author of this article said that “Worldwide, 32 percent of homicides are committed with firearms, according to the Igarapé Institute, a research group. In Jamaica, the figure is higher than 80 percent”. One of the main reasons why the homicide rate in Jamaica is so high is because of the lack of gun control, as well as the loose American gun laws, which influence easy Jamaican access to American firearms. The Jamaican society, including gang members who have witnessed these homicide incidents, voiced their opinions on the crisis and agreed that the violence needs to stop. "Jamaicans say they are dying from it", referring back to the lack of gun control throughout their country.
The U.S. government has proposed a law to be passed which will require a national registry of gun purchases in order for the government to track the owners if needed. This was further looked into after a large number of Jamaican firearms were traced back to guns sold in North Carolina. Guns were being smuggled in through containers brought on ships from the U.S, some even disguised in broken apart pieces. The A.T.F, a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice, spoke out and said that they want to help fight this problem; but the question still remains, what more will they do other than the government enforcing stricter gun laws?
The course theme that relates to this briefing would be how technological change, including weapons, influences tension and overall conflicts. The use of guns around the world has skyrocketed over the last few years. In the U.S. for example, there have been over 50 mass shootings within the last 5 years. Though firearms are essential for military purposes or are used as hunting gear, the mass production of guns has influenced severe violent outbreaks, such as the crisis happening in Jamaica right now.
The US does not pose a strict enough stance on gun control, a fact corroborated by the NYTimes article. The stories of mass shootings on our own soil are tragic, and it is even more so disheartening to hear how our policies on guns have helped wreak havoc on neighboring countries, Jamaica among them. This highlights the global implications of what at first glance seems like merely a domestic issue. Jamaica has relatively strict gun laws, but it still finds itself overridden in guns and gun violence due to arms being brought illegally into the country, a vast majority that were first legally purchased in the US. The most optimal way to prevent this would be to track these arms, which would also help Jamaica break into these gun smuggling rings. However, the 1991 bill signed by Reagan prohibiting the creation of a national gun registry provides a major obstacle, as it prevents the federal government from creating a system to track these guns.
ReplyDeleteThe United States gun control policy has been very loose in the past few years. Pretty much anyone over the age of 18 can go out an buy a firearm with ease. This loose stance has backfired for the US as school shootings are becoming more and more common. In the Parkland shooting, 17 people died. Mass shootings are also a problem in the states as the Las Vegas Shooting left 58 people dead. All these deaths are preventable with a full mental health screening before buying a gun. Only people who have had mental health problems in the past are prohibited from buying guns. There are millions of people with undiagnosed mental illness in the United States alone. The US also has to shut down the unlicensed or illegal gun dealers. The illegal gun dealers don't do any kind of backround check and will just give you a firearm if you have the money for it. These illegal dealers sell guns to Jamaican gang members, further increasing the homicide crisis.
ReplyDeleteIt’s clear that the United States has flawed gun control regulations. Both sides provide some valid points, but the debating has led to no effective legislation being passed. Writing legislation for this issue is really difficult because each year companies come out with new models of firearms and the regulations have to account for those new specifications. Also there are a lot of people who fervently defend the rights given by the second amendment. Although there will be backlash I believe the government needs to make a strict outline that cuts off easy access to acquiring firearms and also shrink the amount of sellers so it can be more easily enforced. This problem has clearly escalated past US citizens abusing gun laws within the country, to foreign parties using them in other countries. This is why there needs to be change.
ReplyDelete-Megan Nash