The Best Way to Prevent Gun Violence
Like many of you, I’ve been grieving the gun violence that is plaguing our nation. I’ve been processing. Trying to find a path forward amidst all the understandable rage and unhelpful social media arguments.
After weeks of mind-spinning, the question I keep coming back to is this:
Why are we framing the conversation about how to curb gun violence as a matter of opinion? It’s not a matter of opinion. There’s data (cold, hard numbers) about which tactics are effective and which are not.
I see so many people posting their opinion about which approach they think would most effectively protect kids and decrease gun violence. But it doesn’t matter what they think—or what I think, or what you think—would work best. There’s no need to debate whether “hardening” schools, arming teachers, giving kids kevlar backpacks, or passing stricter gun policies would be most effective… we already know the answer.
Here’s one of the best collections of data and research on gun violence I’ve found. For those who don’t want click to read the data, here’s a summary of what dozens of studies have found:
More guns in a community = more homicides + more suicides + more law enforcement officers murdered + more violent child death.
Fewer guns in a community = fewer homicides + fewer suicides + fewer law enforcement officers murdered + less violent child death.
That is not an opinion. It is data. If you don’t believe me, click the link and read the research. The only thing left to debate is whether or not we will listen to the data.
We must decide which we want more: Ultimate freedom regarding guns? Or safe schools?
According to the data, we cannot have both.
The data also says the vast majority of Americans (probably including you) would choose safe schools over total gun freedom. Even most gun owners, like my hunter husband, support some increased stringency around purchasing guns.
But we don’t have those laws because our lawmakers are choosing guns over the safety of our children and the wishes of their constituents.
Or… perhaps it’s more accurate to say they’re choosing money over the lives of our kids and the wishes of the people who put them in office. They’re actually, literally, being paid to ignore the data. They’re being paid to put our children’s lives at risk.
Corruption of this sort is a problem in both political parties, but when it comes to gun laws, it’s a critical problem amongst Republican politicians who take millions (sometimes tens of millions) of dollars from the gun lobby every year. In return, they prioritize gun freedom over community safety.
And voters accept this blatant disregard for their wishes and their children’s safety… why?!?
Economics? Immigration? Taxes? What issue could possibly be more important than preventing our school children from being blown to bits while learning how to spell “giraffe”? (If you say “abortion” please see my recent piece about how we’re failing to listen to the data on that issue as well.)
My Republican friends speak often about how much they care about children and I believe them. I want to see it inform their vote on this issue.
We need to start making data-driven choices about how to protect kids from gun violence. And the only way we’re going to get that is by refusing to vote for politicians who are in bed with the gun lobby.
This doesn’t mean you have to vote for a democrat (especially since both parties are failing so spectacularly at this point)... just vote for someone with enough integrity to refuse gun lobby money, follow the data, and represent where you are at with passing common-sense gun laws.
Elections are coming in November. Please please please take this opportunity to vote for people who listen to data instead of dollars.
Looking for more data? Here’s another great article about proven (and disproven) strategies for stopping school shootings.