~ Shooting to Kill ~
An essay on guns and violence intended to spark class and family discussion
People have been killing people for a very long time. First we used rocks. Then we used iron. Next we used gunpowder. Now we use incredible killing machines invented by our amazing minds. In this essay, we look at guns.
The Problem with Guns
Let’s be clear about this. There are all kinds of guns and all types of reasons people want to have them, but the basic reason guns are made is to kill something. That’s what they are designed to do best.
Hunters – to kill animals. Sometimes to eat. More often as trophies.
Law Enforcement – to kill people who they think are doing bad things. Note: They are specifically trained to shoot to kill – not wound.
Homeowners – to kill people they think will hurt them and their loved ones, and sometimes, their spouses and children either by accident or by intention.
Target shooters – to hone their skills at being the best at hitting a mark thereby becoming the most lethal among their friends.
Suicides – to kill themselves
Mentally ill or persecuted, bullied people – to kill the demons that terrorize them.
So just picking up a gun and learning to use it means you are also accepting the fact that you are willing to kill a living being.
Discussion Question 1: Would you be able to shoot and kill an animal or another human being? How do you think you would feel afterward?
Discussion Question 2: Who on the list above do you think should or should not be able to own a gun? Why?
Extension: Interview someone who has shot and killed another person, perhaps a soldier or officer of the law. Find out how they felt afterward. Then interview someone who has been shot. How did it feel?
Guns and Human Nature
If we accept the fact that guns are designed to kill, then we need to ask ourselves why we need them. Is allowing everyone free access to a lethal way to kill sensible?
Research shows that human beings have trouble controlling violent behavior. In fact, it is postulated that responding aggressively is a part of how we are made. Others have countered that we also have the ability to cooperate and live in peace and have effective ways to control ourselves.
Here are some illuminating readings on the topic by a variety of writers. Read all three and decide which author you agree with the most.
“The Human Nature of Violence” by Robin Fox
“Are People Violent by Nature?” by Luke Glowacki
“Violence and Human Nature” by Richard Taran
Discussion Question 3: Under what circumstances would it be right for someone to shoot another human being?
Discussion Question 4: If there were no guns, how would that person solve their problem?
Who Guns Kill – the Statistics
So many people in the United States die from gun shots that the death toll from 1966 to 2011 alone equaled all the deaths that occurred in every war ever fought by this country. This graphic from the Washington Post gives us a visual of gun-related shootings from 1996 to March 2018.
The following USA statistics are from Everytownresearch.org Violence by the Numbers
- 98 people are shot and killed every day.
- 7 of those 98 are children and teens
- 50 women are shot and killed every month by their intimate partners
- 13,000 people die from guns every year.
- 62% of those killed are suicides
- The rate of gun deaths is 25% higher in the US than in any other high-income country
- Black Americans make up 14% of the population, but are victims in 50% of gun shootings
More statistics to ponder…
“The Geography of Gun Violence” by Richard Florida
A Guide to Mass Shootings in America by Mark Follman, Gavin Aronsen, and Deanna Pan
“Things We Know about School Shooters” by Erica Goode
“Gun Deaths are Mostly Suicides” by Margot-Sanger Katz
“10 Essential Facts about Guns and Suicide” by Kerry Shaw
“National Police Shootings Database”
“More Police Officers are Killed in States with Most Guns” by Maggie Fox
Comparison of gun deaths in four countries with different gun laws. Source http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604
Discussion Question 5: Which of these statistics is most surprising? Which is most upsetting? How many did you already know?
Extension: Search the web for related statistics and specific incidents. Is there bias in the way these statistics are used and stories reported? Create your own charts and graphs.
The Solution to Guns
On March 14th , 2018 7000 pairs of shoes were laid on the Capitol lawn in Washington DC. Each pair represents a child or teen killed by guns since Sandy Hook. Source: www.upi.com
Call for a limit on the numbers
In a country where there are so many guns every man, woman, and child could have one, it is not surprising people use them to kill themselves and others. Even more telling is the fact that the US represents 4.4% of the world’s population but owns 48% of the world’s guns.
Discussion Question 6: Do we really need so many guns?
Insist we ban weapons of mass killing
There is something wrong in a country when an untrained person can buy a weapon that cannot only kill up to 40 some odd school children in a single minute, but when that same weapon makes those who are wounded impossible for doctors to save. A semi-automatic weapon like an AR-15, unlike a pistol or revolver, destroys interior organs and turns bones to dust.
Discussion Question 7: Do we really need to allow anyone who wants one to own a military semi-automatic weapon?
Make gun owners more responsible
When cars were first invented, there were no laws to protect the public from damage or death in a car accident. As the death toll rose, the government quickly put into place commonsense laws that we all follow today. Cars have to be registered and licensed, and the owner must have liability insurance in case they and their vehicle cause bodily injury or death before they can drive on the road.
Discussion Question 8: As we have seen in recent years, vehicles can be used as deadly weapons. How are guns different than cars?
Create art from guns not death
We will know progress is being made when people no longer want their guns. What to do with them all? Guns have been recycled into sculptures by a number of artists. Wallis Kendal and Sandra Bromley used 7000 guns to create The Gun Sculpture in 2001. It has been displayed all over the world, including the United Nations.
The Gun Sculpture by Wallis Kendal and Sandra Bromley 2001 Source http://www.gunsculpture.com/ohd2g7s0ipfr6s3xbiih7rgdy9p3hu
Discussion Question: In what other ways can we work to change the gun culture of our society?
TPN Recommended Young Adult Books Addressing Gun Violence*”
*Note: All of these contain violence and emotional triggers and are most suitable for 14 years and up
The Hate List by Jennifer Brown When her boyfriend starts shooting in the school cafeteria, Valerie tries to stop him. She saves the life of another student, but bears the guilt of being partially the cause of the incident.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds A young teen sees his brother gunned down in the street and goes out to get revenge. But on the way he meets six ghosts of gun-violence victims who change his perspective.
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult An ordinary day turns violent when a bullied student starts shooting in the local high school. The story hinges on the trial and the key witness’s inability to remember what happened.
Quad by C. J. Watson Six students from different groups are caught in the school store while a student terrorizes the school. Slowly as the students share, the identity and motivation of the shooter are revealed.
The Shooter by Walter Dean Myers Written in the form of a fictionalized threat analysis, this book looks at a school shooting for all different side.
