NRI Pulse

Perspective

Gun violence in America: Thoughts, prayers, flowers, and candles are futile without action

DR. SHAILENDRA PALVIA AND SUBHOJIT ROY*

Cover photo: Ahimsa volunteers at a recent meet.

Gun violence is a leading cause of death in the United States, with rates higher than most other developed and developing countries. Every day, more than 120 people are killed by guns, and twice as many are shot and wounded. With only 4.2% of the world’s population, the U.S. accounts for 46% of global civilian gun ownership. Since 1999, mass shootings have erupted in schools, theaters, supermarkets, restaurants, places of worship, and malls—essentially all the places Americans visit. No place is safe. Americans are living in fear.

The ongoing backdrop of violence continues to erode the sense of well-being, putting children and teens under severe anxiety and mental stress. Time and again, each act of gun violence is followed by thoughts and prayers, candles, flowers, widespread media coverage, and resolutions to act, but nothing really changes. These tragedies happen far too often, and the aftermath is tragic and heartbreaking. Yet, the political class in this country has remained paralyzed and ineffective for far too long in curbing gun violence.

History of Love for Guns in America

To understand the origin of this epidemic, we must look back to the Second Amendment, ratified in 1791. The thinking of the framers of the Constitutional Convention is now obsolete. There have been several paradigm shifts since then regarding people’s security needs. The one-sentence amendment reads:

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

This amendment has created colossal confusion. The sentence shifts from the rights of a well-regulated militia to the rights of individuals. It seems to suggest a providential proclamation that people have the right to bear arms—and then, tragically, kill human beings indiscriminately.

Another major obstacle to curbing gun violence is the National Rifle Association (NRA), founded in 1871, which currently has 4 million members. Although the IRS considers the NRA to be operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, in reality, it is quite the opposite. Legislators curry favor with the NRA and other gun advocacy groups to secure campaign funding during elections.

Horrifying Gun Violence Statistics

Since 1990, more than one million lives have been lost due to guns in the U.S. The frequent occurrence of firearm violence and mass shootings serve as grim reminders that every person in the U.S. is potentially vulnerable. Should we wait until a friend, acquaintance, or family member becomes a victim?

Firearm violence is a relentless clinical, public health, societal, and political concern. Morbidity and mortality attributed to firearms continue to rise, affecting individuals, families, and communities with devastating societal consequences. Some of the major mass shootings include:

  • Apalachee High School, Barstow County, Georgia (2024)
  • Las Vegas Strip Massacre (2017)
  • Orlando Nightclub Massacre (2016)
  • Virginia Tech Massacre (2007)
  • Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre (2012)
  • Texas First Baptist Church Massacre (2017)
  • El Paso Walmart Mass Shooting (2019)
  • Robb Elementary School Massacre, Uvalde, Texas (2022)
  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting (2018)

The number of people killed in these shootings has ranged from 14 to 58, with the number of injured from 4 to 546. A widely repeated hoax is that mental illness is the cause of homicides. This is not true. Less than 5% of mass shootings are committed by mentally ill people. Instead, most of the shootings are carried out by individuals who should not have had access to assault weapons.

The 2018 Florida high school shooting led to visible and passionate youth marches across the U.S. and globally. Yet, even this did not weaken the resolve of gun lobbyists. Gun violence has become a fixture of American life, and the national psyche has grown numb.

A recent protest against gun violence at the Georgia State Capitol.

Organizations Standing Up to Curb Gun Violence

Several organizations have emerged to combat gun violence, including:

  • Everytown for Gun Safety (the largest gun violence prevention organization)
  • Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
  • Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
  • March for Our Lives
  • Moms Demand Action
  • Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) working in 22 Chicago neighborhoods

Ahimsa, a Georgia-based Grassroots Community Organization

A community organization called Ahimsa that took root here in Georgia has taken the lead in raising awareness about gun violence and mobilizing young people to be foot soldiers of the anti-gun violence movement.

Ahimsa was launched to address the root causes of the epidemic and to educate our youth to spearhead a long-term sustainable crusade against the madness of gun violence.

Being proactive and working to elect state and federal political representatives who help pass stricter gun laws to curb gun violence is of paramount importance. Accordingly, this organization has focused on educating our youth through Ahimsa Internship Camps about the evolution of gun violence in our country, keeping track of the lobbies that sustain this curse on our nation, and learning about ways to curb gun violence. Our interns have done superb research on selected topics and then presented their findings along with written reports. They are now engaged in activism. Ahimsa promotes marches, and donations to fund candidates that support stricter gun laws, and endorse candidates that support stricter gun laws like registering of each gun, mandatory safe storage of guns, not allowing concealed weapons, banning automatic assault weapons, universal background checks and red flag laws.

All Ahimsa Internships were conducted by Professor Shailendra Palvia and enriched by three guest speakers: Vaisheshi Jalajam, Swati Narayan, and Shveta Jain. Swati has been a crusader for curbing gun violence for over two decades and was an invited participant at the Gun Sense University Conference on June 12, 2024, in Washington, DC, which was addressed by President Biden.

The Ahimsa Interns’ graduation ceremonies were attended by local politicians such as Michelle Au, Ashwin Ramaswamy, and Michelle King, who support sensible legislation to curb gun violence. Ahimsa has partnered with the Smart Program of Everytown for Gun Safety. Ahimsa graduate Saankhya Jalajam has published a book of poems on the theme of Ahimsa to end gun violence.

Many in the South Asian community have shrugged off the threat of gun violence, thinking they will not be impacted by it. The fallacy in this thought process is that when it touches your life and affects your family or friends, it is already too late. Indian Americans, like other minority groups, are unfortunately not immune to gun violence. Several people of Indian origin have been victims of gun violence. To mention a few: a 61-year-old man from Telangana was shot dead by a teenager in a carjacking incident in November 2018; a 25-year-old Indian man was among three killed when a gunman opened fire in a bank building in Cincinnati in September 2018; a US Navy veteran received three life sentences for killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla in August 2018; Aishwarya Thatikonda was among nine people killed in a mass shooting in Dallas, TX, on May 6, 2023; and in the Wisconsin Sikh Gurdwara, a mass shooting took place on August 5, 2012, when 40-year-old Wade Michael Page fatally shot six people and wounded four others. A seventh victim died of his wounds in 2020.

Economic and Social Impact of Gun Violence

Gun violence costs the U.S. economy an estimated $229 billion annually. Guns kill more than 38,000 people and injure nearly 85,000 each year. The American Public Health Association (APHA) recognizes that a comprehensive public health approach is necessary. Gun violence leads to immense healthcare expenses and indirect costs, including lost wages, fractured families, and devastated communities.

According to the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), more than 5% of America’s children have witnessed a shooting. The problem of gun violence deeply affects the quality of life in the U.S.

Politics and Legislation to Address Gun Violence

Our rights to walk, shop, learn, worship, and sleep safely are under attack due to rampant gun violence. The U.S., though the most powerful nation in the world, is seemingly powerless to protect its citizens from the terrorism perpetrated by gun advocates.

The persistent partisan divide between Democrats, who support tighter gun restrictions, and Republicans, who favor fewer regulations, prevents a consensus from being reached, despite over 70% of Americans supporting sensible gun laws.

However, things have started to change. On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed a sweeping gun violence bill. This bipartisan legislation toughens requirements for young people to buy guns, denies firearm sales to domestic abusers, and helps local authorities temporarily remove weapons from dangerous individuals. A significant portion of the budget is allocated to bolster mental health programs in schools.

Despite the progress, the fight is far from over. In Georgia, a recent deadly shooting at Apalachee High School reignited debates about gun safety and storage laws.

Conclusion

There is undoubtedly a perennial epidemic of gun violence in America. Misrepresenting rights as enshrined in the Second Amendment, the NRA, gun manufacturers, and lobbyists continue to fuel this crisis. Thoughts, prayers, flowers, and candles are futile without action. We must all vote to end gun violence in the United States.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”

We must create our destiny or be confronted by it.

*The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NRI Pulse, its editorial team, or its sponsors. NRI Pulse encourages open dialogue and respects diverse perspectives but does not endorse any specific views presented in this article.

Related posts

Gandhian Nelson Mandela: a hero who battled apartheid

Veena

Bridgerton’s homogenization of ‘Indianness’ is cringe-worthy

Veena

Five ways you could be snooped on in 2014

Veena

Leave a Comment