Gun violence in America is problematic, and its causes are rooted in a lack of regulation. People highly suspected to be terrorists are allowed to purchase weapons of all types, and our background checks are at best mediocre. This gap in American legislation is supported by the wallets of corporations that profit greatly from gun sales and also a constituency of uninformed voters whose bigoted opinions on the matter are passed down from generations with antiquated views, rather than being birthed out of rational deliberation and science.
Many conservatives argue that the Second Amendment is quintessential to being a free American and that it should be at least mostly unbounded by any regulation. I believe this common conservative standpoint to be horribly detrimental to society, and I think I can easily show this.
When I hear conservatives talk about gun regulation, I tell them that it boils down to this: Would you rather be free to purchase an assault rifle, or would you rather be free from the harm an assault rifle could cause you or your family should it fall into the wrong hands?
Almost all of the archetypal conservatives I’ve talked to have responded to this by saying that gun violence is not caused by a lack of gun regulation, but rather people, namely gangs and radical Islam.
I think this viewpoint alone is perhaps even more detrimental to our society than the gun violence it gives rise to because it allocates to innocent people the culpability of gun violence and all of the bigoted racial prejudice that comes with that. It perpetuates a system of oppression that has left the lives of countless individuals in ruin, scathed by discrimination all the way from their jobs to the criminal justice system.
So when a conservative says that gun violence is caused strictly by gangs and not a lack of gun regulation, remind them that over a thousand people have been injured or killed this year alone in the U.S. in mass shootings.
When a conservative says that gun violence is due to radical Islam, remind them that nearly every shooting in America in the past year came from a variety of different causes unrelated to religion. And, according to a study done by New America Foundation, right-wing extremists have killed almost twice as many Americans as jihadists have since Sept. 11.
Lastly, remind the conservative that 12 of the largest last 80 mass shootings were carried out by illegally obtained weapons, and that most of the rest were carried out by guns bought perfectly legally, many in gun shows and others in stores with improper background checks. Many of the shooters exhibited signs of mental illness or had a violent criminal history in the years preceding their attacks.
To conclude: No, gun violence is not caused by Muslims or solely by gangs, and yes, increased gun regulation would help the situation tremendously. If there is any argument by any conservative, all that I would ask for is a rationale based not on fear but rather on reason.