America’s Gun Violence Epidemic

A sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship ofthe New River Valley, March 18,2001,by Steve Keighton, Fellowship member, concerned parent, and participant in a local citizen's alliance to stop gun violence.

When I was first approached last year by Morton about speaking to the Fellowship on the gun violence issue, I was just beginning to get involved in local activities and felt extremely unprepared and unknowledgeable at the time; I was mainly a concerned citizen and parent. In fact, this all really started when I stood up in the Fellowship about a year ago during "Joys, Sorrows, and Concerns" and expressed some feelings. Since that time, however, through my involvement with a local gun control group known as CASGOAL (Citizen’s Alliance for Sensible Gun Ownership and Legislation), and from a recent opportunity I had to attend a national conference in Washington D.C., I think I’ve learned quite a lot about the nature of the problem, what the potential solutions are, how people in American feel about this issue, and how I personally feel about it as well. Yet, while I’ve come a long way in terms of my knowledge and understanding in the last year, I feel I’m a still a long way from considering myself an expert of any kind. In fact, I imagine many of you have been concerned about the issue of gun violence an awful lot longer than I have, and have studied it to some degree or another. So I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and any discussion following my comments.

The title of this talk refers to the gun violence epidemic, and that really is exactly what it is, and is the spotlight we need to shine on this issue. The fact is that an average of 30,000 people in America die from firearm injuries per year (~3,700 of which are children and teens age 0-19); 20,000 Americans are paralyzed by gunshot injury, and tens of thousands more injured in other ways by guns. Comparing these numbers with polio in the 1950s: 20,000 people were paralyzed by this dreaded disease (in 1952), and 3,500 died that year. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more Americans are dying by guns each year now than die from AIDS, and they estimate that by the year 2003, firearm deaths will exceed motor vehicle deaths as the leading cause of death due to injury in the United States. So this is clearly as much a health and safety issue as issues such as AIDS and drunk driving. This is also a uniquely American problem in many ways. The firearm death rate is three times higher than the next closest industrialized country, which happens to be our neighbors to the north, where incidentally, violence in the entertainment industry and media is just as prevalent as in the U.S., but where guns are much less accessible due to stricter control. [And would anyone like to wager a guess as to where most of the guns used for crime in Canada come from?]

I would like to place some focus of this talk on how gun violence affects our youth, since of all the thousands of innocent victims, they are perhaps the most innocent in all of this, and certainly deserve our protection the most. In fact, we seem to be protecting our gun rights more than our children’s rights these days, something that this country in particular, should really be ashamed of! When you consider the death rate by guns for children age 15 and under, the U.S. really stands alone at 12 times higher than 25 other industrialized countries combined! In 1998, an average of 10 children or teens died each day from gun injuries. A 1994 government study found that on average, throughout American schools, 1 out of 20 high school students has a gun in class on any given day…1 in 20! That suggests that in any given high school class, chances are good that someone has a gun with them (and I assume this would be a handgun since it would seem impossible to conceal anything larger). While this may seem rather extreme (and it does seem a bit unbelievable to me), other studies show that 1 in 5 high school students know another student who has brought a gun to school, and 1 in 3 high school students know someone who has been threatened by a gun. These statistics are enough to prove to me, and to many others, that guns are simply way too accessible to young people.

Actually, in our country guns are way too accessible period. There are an estimated 200-250 million guns in the U.S. — one for almost every man, woman, and child. 3.5 million new guns enter the U.S. market every year, and at one time (probably in the mid 90s), the number of gun dealers outnumbered McDonald’s restaurants (a truly American statistic), and there are countless more locations where guns can be purchased through private sales (most commonly at gun shows). Given these facts, there is an apparent demand for guns, but I often wonder how much the marketing strategies of the gun manufacturers and the NRA artificially create much of this demand (analogous to the tobacco industry, especially a number of years ago).

I want to briefly examine why people choose to own guns, in order to understand the reasons for this great demand. Hunting of course is a popular reason for owning rifles and shotguns, and sport shooting and collecting are other big reasons people have guns, but I actually want to focus on the need for protection, which is what many gun advocates are most vocal about. This includes protection from intruders, attackers, robbers, and in some cases, the protection from a perceived threat from a dictatorial government out of control trying to strip us all of our democratic rights! The need for protection is based on fear of one kind or another, and for many people this fear is certainly legitimate. But, the fact is, a gun in the home (whether for protection or some other reason) is 43 times more likely to be used against a member of the household or an acquaintance then it is to be used against an intruder. Also, for every "justifiable" shooting (in other words self defense), 22 people die at the hands of a gun for some other reason (these break down to 11 suicides, 7 homicides, and 4 accidental shooting deaths). People may have reasons to fear attackers and intruders, but those who keep a gun in the home should know that they are actually much more likely to die from a gunshot then they would be if they didn’t have that gun.

Many Americans also feel, and feel passionately, that the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution guarantees them the individual right to own firearms (any kind of firearms for that matter, including military style weapons). This is, quite simply, an incorrect interpretation of the 2nd Amendment according to the Supreme Court and other courts at all levels. No court has ever allowed the separation of "a well regulated militia" from "the right of the people to keep and bear arms". So when I’m confronted with the 2nd Amendment argument, I like to share my support for it as well, but especially the "well-regulated" part.

The easy accessibility of guns (especially by young people, convicted criminals, and mentally ill) is a very big reason for the gun violence epidemic in the minds of many, but there are certainly many other important reasons which need to be addressed as well. Gun safety (or the significant lack thereof) is one of them. This includes how easily many guns can be fired (even by very young children), unsafe storage of both firearms and ammunition (such as not using a trigger lock), lack of indicators that clearly show whether a gun is loaded or not, lack of thorough training on handling, and probably there are many others. In fact, firearms are a curious exception to America’s proud record of holding industry responsible for product safety; toy guns and teddy bears must comply with more federal safety standards than firearms (which are subject to absolutely none!). Yet another American distinction is that we stand alone (with the Czech Republic) as being the only two industrialized countries with no national licensing system (and licensing is usually equated with required safety training and mandatory background checks and waiting periods before any gun can be purchased).

Many vocal pro-gun supporters argue that the real problem lies with such things as declining moral values and lack of parental responsibility. They say that "guns don’t kill people, people kill people". I do happen to agree that these are important problems that contribute to the gun violence problem, and need to be addressed. Certainly I believe that the prevalence and glorification of violence (particularly gun violence) in the entertainment industry and in media is having an impact on young influential minds. We could, and maybe should, plan to address these issues on another Sunday, and since these issues are very complex and don’t necessarily have simple or quick solutions, maybe we need a couple of Sundays. However, to imply or outright declare that guns play no role in this serious problem is like wearing blinders on a busy city sidewalk. The simple fact is, guns make it so much easier to commit violence (especially life-ending violence) against another person or oneself, and many psychologists agree that people (particularly young men) change dramatically when they get a gun in their hands. They become more aggressive and excitable, feel more powerful, and often lose many of their fears of conflict (the gun becomes an easy conflict resolver). Well, guns in fact do kill people, even if you only consider the roughly 1,000 per year that die from unintentional shootings. And I think the evidence is clear that guns make it so much easier for people to kill people.

There is a well organized and vocal movement in America that is strongly opposed to any further regulation of firearms in any manner, which is lead of course by the NRA. But does this voice really represent America? Gallup polls from 1999 and 2000 show that well over 60% of Americans favor stricter gun control, and even a majority of gun owners favor most types of stricter safety measures that have been proposed. A vast majority (~90%) of Americans favor required background checks at gun shows where, incidentally, a majority of guns used to commit crimes come from. This is referred to as the "gun show loophole", where current federal law only requires background checks when purchased from licensed dealers. Despite overwhelming support from the public, only a handful of states have passed laws to close this loophole, and two years ago the U.S. Senate narrowly (thanks to V.P. Gore breaking the tie) passed a bill to close this loophole, but it has so far failed to make it through Congress. Improved safety measures get support from 80% of Americans, and over 70% favor required licensing and registration. Also, 60% favor a ban on the sale of assault weapons. So the bottom line is that despite the majority opinions (expressed in polls anyway), new laws have been extremely difficult to pass at the federal level, and very slow at the state level.

There appears to be even stronger support among young people. A poll of high school students from across the country was conducted by Hamilton College last summer. The poll found that about 90% of these students favored a list of four general areas of stricter gun regulations, and 96% specifically favored registration of all handgun purchases. So there is clearly some power to be tapped from our young folks in the gun control movement, and perhaps there is a wave of new voters who will soon have an effect on our lawmakers. However, it is worth noting that polling organizations have also found that in recent elections the issue of gun control is far down on the list of important issues among voters. So while a majority of people may favor stricter gun control, they don’t all vote that way…yet.

There is some concern among the gun control community that the churches haven’t been involved enough, when perhaps it should be just as much of a religious issue as it is a political one. Maybe there is reason to be concerned about apparent lack of action when you consider that a large number of churches have taken formal stands in favor of stricter firearm regulation as a means of reducing gun violence. I’ll offer just a few examples:

  • The American Baptist Church issued a 1993 Statement of Concern that concludes: "It is time to declare that [the NRA’s] avarice and lust for money — justified in bogus constitutional disguise — results in the destruction of our communities."
  • The American Jewish Congress in 1999 sent a petition to the U.S. Congress urging the passage of legislation on specifics such as closing the gun show loophole, licensing and registration of all firearms, and required safety devices.
  • The Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1993 issued an Assembly Statement calling for their congregations to work for "strict local, state, and national legislation that rapidly controls the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, and possession of handguns and assault weapons, excluding shotguns and rifles."
  • The Disciples of Christ passed a resolution back in 1977 calling for handgun prohibition, then backed off in 1989 calling for a two week waiting period on handgun purchases, but a ban on automatic rifles.
  • A statement by the Presbyterian Church in 1990 surprisingly (to me anyway) speaks generally to the issue of violence in society, while working with gun owners and the NRA on safety education, and even refers to opening dialogue with the NRA to determine appropriate gun control legislation.
  • In dramatic contrast, the United Methodist Church in a 2000 resolution calls for the banning of handguns and assault weapons by the general public!
  • The United Church of Christ hasn’t issued anything since 1969 when they called for limiting handguns only to those whose occupation requires it.
  • The U.S. Catholic Conference in 1975 called for licensing and registration of handguns, and a ban on "Saturday Night Specials" (which are the cheaply made and very unsafe junk guns used in many street crimes).
  • The Friends Committee on National Legislation in 1993 issued a general but strongly worded statement calling for more legislation to restrict the proliferation of guns.
  • And finally, our own UUA has passed three resolutions since the early 70’s, but most recently in 1991 calling for support of current gun control legislation such as the Brady Bill which included registration, licensing, and waiting periods, and also calling for mandatory safety training prior to purchases, and banning of assault weapons. An earlier 1976 resolution did actually call for handgun prohibition.

In addition to many statements from the religious community, professional organizations such as the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Bar Association, and even the conservative leaning PTA have all taken positive stands on stricter gun control. There is power in these organized and well respected groups, as evidence by the fact that the AMA has already been successful in their push to ban the hollow-tipped "exploding bullets" (surgeons were cutting their hands on the shrapnel scattered throughout the patient).

I personally am in favor of any and all of the solutions that have been touched on so far, including the noticeable trend in the statements by some of the churches that actually back down from the more extreme measure of banning all handguns. I think it’s become obvious that the best path to stricter gun legislation is the "baby steps" approach, rather than alienating a significant population by going after the extreme solution. Of course, many "gun rights" supporters believe that even small steps toward stricter gun regulations will eventually lead to confiscating all guns and maybe even removing many other rights of citizens. I can’t confidently tell those people that the ultimate goal of gun control groups is not to eventually ban all handguns (I think most people in these groups would be happy if that were possible someday), but there is certainly no danger whatsoever of the government conspiring to someday confiscate all guns from law-abiding citizens.

The citizens alliance in the New River Valley that I am involved with (CASGOAL) has the following specific goals for stricter sensible gun control:

  • License all gun owners and register all guns, regardless of where they are purchased. (Licensing mandates safety training and requires background checks, while registration establishes accountability and enables more efficient law enforcement through tracing - so we can actually do a better job of "enforcing the current laws", another slogan from the NRA).
  • Require background checks for all purchases, including gun shows (which will hopefully include sufficient waiting periods to determine that someone like a Ronald Gay does, in fact, have a history of mental illness and should not be allowed to buy a gun…meaning the murder of Danny Overstreet in Roanoke would have likely been avoided).
  • Make trigger locks mandatory and pursue other safety features such as "smart gun" technology and load indicators.
  • Ban assault weapons, and…
  • Launch safety education programs for gun owners.

So, what are some things that all of us can do to help what I believe are positive trends, to continue (even during the current administration…perhaps?)? The first and foremost is simply to make your voice heard. That is especially important in southwest Virginia where the voice might be in the minority, but we need to let legislators know that it won’t be a silent voice. Write letters and e-mails to state and U.S. lawmakers. Write letters to the paper. Take part in local activities such as rallies and marches, and better yet, get involved in a local group (such as CASGOAL) that is working to organize these efforts. Realize that knowledge is power, so do your homework by reading and visiting web sites (and I’ve got a list of some good ones for anyone interested), and be prepared to discuss your thoughts with others. The NRA likes to rely on catchy slogans and emotions and less on knowledge, and I think that will eventually catch up with them. Also, encourage young people to get involved; university students as well as those in the local high schools have especially strong feelings and are energetic. Perhaps we as a congregation can have a voice in the community by forming a coalition with other area churches to make a public statement or organize activities in support of gun control and the reduction of violence in society.

Let me conclude by saying that gun control by itself is not going to solve the gun violence epidemic we are currently living with (and dying with) in this country, but it is a critical aspect of the problem. In parallel with the pursuit of stricter legislation to make guns safer and less accessible to kids, criminals, and mentally ill, we need to each do what we can toward reducing violent tendencies in our schools, our communities and throughout American society. Whether it be putting pressure on the entertainment industry and media to stop inundating us with glorified violence, or by asking for more conflict and anger management programs in our schools and the workplace, or taking time to volunteer with disadvantaged kids, there’s an awful lot that can be done. I would also urge that all parents talk seriously with their children (at an age when you feel it is appropriate) about the real dangers of guns, and not just to the point where they nod their heads in acknowledgment of your words. Make sure you see the understanding and concern in their eyes and in their actions, and that they fully understand the reality of how quickly and easily a gun can ruin or completely snuff out a human life.

Based on slowly declining numbers of deaths the last few years, there is reason to be hopeful that the few gun control measures that have been passed during the last 10 years are having an effect. Based on pressure by groups such as the AMA to deal with this as an epidemiological problem, and if we can eliminate the legal immunity that the gun industry now enjoys, there is reason to be hopeful that gun manufacturers will keep feeling financial pressure much like the tobacco industry has recently faced, thereby reducing the availability of guns. If the silent majority becomes the vocal majority, as is happening more and more with each tragic event, and we work toward pursuing all these solutions in parallel, there is reason to be hopeful that the senseless thousands of deaths by guns each year can be significantly reduced. And if could borrow our minister’s popular closing sentiment…

"MAY IT BE SO".

Copyright 2001, Steve Keighton; Commercial Duplication Prohibited

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