Gun violence runs rampant all across the United States. More than 79% of all homicides in the US have been committed with guns. At the time of this writing, there have been 247 mass shootings in the US with 27 occurring in schools. However, does America actually have a gun problem? Is the gun culture toxic or is it actually a mental health crisis as many people speculate? To address these questions, a survey of American gun violence needs to be conducted. The number of cases of gun violence in the US is so massive because of the myriad types of gun violence (suicide, homicide with only a one or two people shot, mass shootings, accidental misfires, and gun negligence on behalf of the parents). Emphasis shall be placed on mass shootings (more than three people being shot) as mass shootings seem to represent an overall picture of gun violence in the United States and concrete data seems to be more readily available. When general homicides are mentioned, mass shootings are a part of the percentages and other numbers.
Apart from the mass shooting data, a comparative analysis needs to be conducted to examine US gun violence versus gun violence in other developed nations. Then, considerations from the “other-side” need thorough attention as well. As the research will show, there is a strong correlation between relaxed American gun laws and culture and violence in the United States. Stricter gun regulations need to be enforced to prevent the deaths of innocent lives. From a Christian perspective, the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, a topical approach from the Old and New Testament, and ethics from the marginalized will be studied to demonstrate why this issue should be a top priority for Christians across the US.
American gun culture derives from the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution which 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.” Even though modern Americans understand this to mean individuals have the right to bear arms, for the first 218 years of American history, the 2nd Amendment was interpreted as the right for states to form militias, which make the 2nd Amendment a collective right and not an individual right. However, the 2008 case of District of Columbia v. Heller overturned the long-standing precedent in favor of individual rights for gun ownership. So, the legal precedent for individual rights to own guns is only fourteen years old. However, the conservative justice, Antonin Scalia, even admitted, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose."
Like most fads, fashions, and other cultural phenomena, guns were popularized by commercialization. After the Civil War, the gun industry was failing because they didn’t have any international contracts, so the marketing was turned inward. Winchester claimed that their guns would turn boys into men; thus, guns were tied to masculinity and class. Gun culture made its way into Christianity, which then elevated the status of the 2nd Amendment from an American ideal to Scripture and (for some) a biblical mandate.
The cause of such commercialization has led to the US owning over 46% of the world’s civilian owned guns despite having only 5% of the world’s population. The US, on average, has 120.5 firearms per 100 residents, which more than doubles the next highest civilian owned country, Yemen, that only has 52.8 firearms per 100 residents. According to Pew Research, there were 21,570 homicides in the US in 2020 and 79% were caused by firearms. Canada experienced 743 homicides in 2020 and 37% were used with firearms. Only 4% of the homicides in the UK and 13% in Australia were gun related. So, there is a strong correlation of guns and higher homicide rates among developed nations.
What about mass shootings in which 3 or more people were shot? From 2014 to 2021, there were 3,393 mass shootings in the United States. Each year mass shootings steadily rise. In 2014 there were 272 and in 2021 there were 692 mass shootings. As of May 30, 2022, there have been 229 mass shootings, which means the US is on pace to roughly match the 692 mass shootings in 2021. In 2014, 1,355 people were shot and 270 were killed. In 2021, 3,053 were shot and 513 killed. Collectively, from 2014 to the end of May 2022, 17,769 people have been shot and 3,841 have died just due to mass shootings in the United States. Of the 229 shootings in 2022, 27 have taken place in schools where children have been shot and killed.
Children in the US are now disproportionately affected by firearm-related deaths than adults. In 2020, all types of firearm-related injuries (suicide, homicide, mass shootings, unintentional, and undetermined) became the leading cause of death in people from 1-19 years old. 75% of teens killed in mass shootings experience the shootings inside their home. Children seem to be primary target for mass shootings.
Not only are children primary targets but women as well. Every month an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner. Abusers with a gun are five times more likely to kill their significant other. Of course, the death doesn’t stop at the woman but eventually makes its way to the children. 92% of women killed in high-income countries with guns come from the United States. Among the women, black, American Indian, and Hispanic women experience the shootings by an intimate partner at a higher rate. In fact, black women have three times the amount of death as white women even though black women constitute 12.4% of the female population and white women represent 68.3% of the female population. With 61% of mass shootings in which four or more people were killed from 2009-2020 occurring in homes, women and children are among the most purposefully targeted groups in the United States.
To have a well-rounded idea of American culture, considerations must be given to those who place no fault on the massive number of guns. Many claim violent video games have an adverse effect on aggression and mass shootings. The thought process follows: video games are violent, teens play video games from early ages, so people become violent. It’s difficult to calculate the exact percentage of people who play violent video games in every country. One of the best estimates may be how much a country invests in their video games. As of 2012, on average, Americans spend roughly $40 on video games per person. Among developed nations, this isn’t much. Netherlands and South Korea spend more than twice that amount per capita. In fact one of the few countries behind the US is China with a spending around $10 per capita. Yet, the United States continues to have the highest gun violence than the rest of the developed world. The contrary seems to be the case in that “countries where video games are popular also tend to be some of the world's safest” with the obvious exception of the US. Even the leading researcher of the effect of violent video games, Andrew Przybylski, says, “There’s absolutely no casual evidence that violent video game play leads to aggression in the real world.”
Those who don’t want any more gun restrictions also say America has a mental health issue. This talking point appears to have some validity. Among high-income nations, the US has the highest percentage of adults (23%) who have a reported mental health diagnosis. The second highest nation is Canada with 20%. 26% of Americans report having “high emotional stress.” One sixth of adults in the US claim they are unable to get or afford professional mental help. Only one third of primary care practices have mental health professionals. Since 2000, suicide rates in the US have been increasing and now has one of the highest suicide rates with 13.9 people committing suicide for every 100,000 people. So, there does appear to be some correlation between mental health issues and gun violence.
However, there is still evidence that may point to the contrary. For example, more Canadian adults (27%) experience high emotional stress, but Canada doesn’t experience the same gun violence the US has. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), only 2.9% of people with serious mental illness have committed violent acts compared to 0.8% of people with no mental illness and 10% of people with serious mental illness and substance abuse. However, the presence of mental illness alone usually isn’t enough to motivate people to commit violent acts. Other factors such as internal conflict (anger, perceived threats), external conflict (finances, divorce), and drugs and alcohol are usually present in violent acts. Once these factors are removed, a person with mental illness commit violent acts at a lower rate than a person without mental illness. However, the APA admits “research in the area is still mixed” and needs further studies.
Thus, the US may have a mental health problem, and there is some room to believe mental illness and gun violence has some correlation. However, even if mental health is the obvious problem, two problems can exist. Both problems coexist to some degree and perpetuate with each other, which is logical. Rarely, if ever, is there ever just one problem in the world. It’s commonly reported that people with guns feel empowered, which is by design. As previously stated, gun manufacturers equated owning a gun to obtaining power. In domestic abuse cases, abusers with a firearm are five times more likely to kill their victim(s). The confidence people have when having a firearm increases the chances of a violent and deadly confrontation to happen. So, it’s a false dichotomy to say it’s either a mental health problem or gun problem. It’s possible to have a both/and situation where a country with a mental health problem combined with a massive number of deadly weapons is a recipe for disaster.
Now that a case has been made supporting the notion of a gun violence problem in the United States, it’s important as Christians to understand what the Bible would say on the issue. It’s vital to remember that the US Constitution, as great as it is for Americans, is not Scripture. Jesus was not and is not a gun-totin’, white American who has declared the United States and its constitution to be the epitome of proper Christianity. This disclaimer is sadly needed for many Americans so the Bible can remain in its proper context and not inappropriately extrapolated to our modern context. To properly look into Scripture, it’s important to examine the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and perform a topical study.
The Sermon on the Mount is the largest body of dialogue from Jesus that covers a myriad of topics. Pursuing peace is one of the first blessings Jesus gives to the crowd: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). Being a son/daughter of God is a high honor for the child of God, like Jesus, represents God’s nature. Pursuing peace, therefore, allows humanity to grow in our position as children of God. In line with pursuing peace, Matthew 5:43-48 states, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus elaborates that it isn’t good enough to just love those who love you for even those who don’t follow God do that. To do more than those who don’t follow God and to accomplish more with your enemies, loving your enemies is an essential aspect. Reducing and putting an end to gun violence is pursuing peace to save lives of innocent people. It is a struggle to put an end to needless suffering and harm to the victims and their families. The enemy in this case is more than the killers who often commit suicide. The enemy is anybody who doesn’t want peace or doesn’t want to pursue thoughtful and practical means to bring about peace. It’s easy to point to politicians or organizations and be mad at them, but we must be willing to pray for them instead of harboring anger and hatred. Pray for those who obstruct the path of peace so their hearts may be changed.
The talk around gun violence is about valuing life. In a topical study of valuing life, the Bible gives much insight. From the very beginning in Genesis 1:27, God made humanity in his image, which is why in Genesis 9:6 it says, “Whoever sheds blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” So, being human intrinsically makes our lives beyond valuable. This is the reason for the apodictic law to not murder (Ex. 20:13). Humans are called to treat one another with respect and dignity because we individually expect to be treated as such (Matt. 7:12-14). The notion of treating others how we want to be treated is echoed in Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, and Romans 13:9: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Thus, human life is intrinsically valuable because humans are made in God’s image. If human life is so cherished by God and those who follow God, Christians have an obligation to seek the preservation and protection of life. There is an obligation to pursue peace and grow into our position as children of God. One more aspect to consider is to protect the most vulnerable in society. As previously mentioned, women and children are the two largest targeted groups. When it comes to women, black women are the most at risk. These are the most vulnerable groups who live on the margins of society. The Bible specifically instructs Christians to protect the most vulnerable in society. Psalm 82:3 says to “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.” The fatherless were unprotect people in the ancient world. They were most vulnerable to abuses and were often the beggars. Because of the vulnerable social status, specific and extra protection was to be placed on them. James 1:27 even defines what a “pure” and “undefiled” religion looks like: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit the orphans and the widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Visiting the orphans and widows, two of the most vulnerable classes of people at the time, was what made and still makes the Christian religion pure and undefiled. This means we not only have an obligation to end gun violence because for the masses, but we owe it to the most vulnerable groups impacted by the violence and death.
There must be something that can be done. Many Christians, whether actual or nominal, will say “thoughts and prayers” are needed most. Indeed, prayer is a staple in the Christian faith. Christians approach God to request provisions, protections, care, and comfort for people suffering during this time. However, there is more that can be, and therefore, must be done. James 2:18-19 emphatically states, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Prayer is great, but when we don’t seek the guidance from God to fulfill that prayer, what good is our prayer? In the case of American gun violence, there are answers to prayers present.
Universal background checks need to be expanded. This isn’t a novel idea. Around 83% of gun owners support universal background checks no matter where the gun is purchased. Even 62% of NRA members agree with expanding background checks to cover personal and internet gun sales. In line with Michael Austin, conditions for who can purchase a firearm should be stricter. Persons with misdemeanors should have to wait fifteen years for purchasing a gun; violent juveniles shouldn’t own a gun until they are 30; people with drug or alcohol charges should have to wait 10 years; and drug traffickers, those under 21, any who violate restraining orders, and those convicted of stalking shouldn’t be able to purchase a gun at all. Federal red flag laws should also be implemented, so qualified people (police, mental health professionals, social workers, family members, and close friends) can help identify those who are prone towards violence or mentally unstable; therefore, guns can be removed from their possession for an appropriate period of time (potentially a lifetime) and put them on a list to prevent them from purchasing a gun. Lastly, mental health professionals should be well-funded. We should aim to be like Netherlands and Sweden and seek to integrate at least 90% of primary care practices with mental health professionals to make mental health treatment widely available and affordable.
There is much more that can be done, but this is a good start. Note that removing guns entirely isn’t an option. Guns are part of rural cultural as farmers and ranchers use their guns to protect their land from animals. Guns are also used for recreation and hunting. Guns aren’t inherently bad, but they are dangerous since they were exclusively created for destruction. However, it’s important to remember that the right for individuals to own guns is a relatively recent interpretation of the constitution. Like other rights, the right to own a gun isn’t absolute. For instance, Americans have the right to free speech and press via the 1st Amendment, but it is illegal to commit sedition (inciting people to rebel against the authority of the state) and libel (publishing false statements that damage a person or company’s reputation). Rights have been and should be limited for the preservation of our democracy and the common good, which includes and emphasizes the rights of the most vulnerable in our society (black women and children). As Christians, we need to seek the preservation of all life since all of humanity is created equal in the image of God our Father.
Bibliography
Armstrong, Amelia, and Brianna Jaffray. “This Annual JURISTAT Article Presents 2020 Homicide Data. Short and Long-Term Trends in Homicide Are Examined at the National, Provincial/Territorial and Census Metropolitan Area Levels. Gang-Related Homicides, Firearm-Related Homicides, Intimate Partner Homicides, and Homicides Committed by Youth Are Also Explored. This Juristat Also Presents Data for Which Complete Information Regarding Indigenous Identity Has Been Reported for Both Victims and Accused Persons, Regardless of Gender.” Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, November 25, 2021. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00017-eng.htm.
Austin, Michael W. God and Guns in America. Eerdmans, 2020. Kindle edition.
BBC. “America's Gun Culture - in Seven Charts.” BBC News, May 25, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081.
Biskupic, Joan. “The Supreme Court's Key Second Amendment Opinion and What Might Come Next.” CNN, April 16, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/16/politics/second-amendment-heller-scalia-indianapolis/index.html.
DeAngelis, Tori. “Mental Illness and Violence: Debunking Myths, Addressing Realities.” American Psychological Association, April 1, 2021. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/04/ce-mental-illness.
Diaz, Jaclyn. “27 School Shootings Have Taken Place so Far This Year.” May 25, 2022. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/05/24/1101050970/2022-school-shootings-so-far.
Goldstick, J. E., A. S. Levey, and R. Leidner and Others. “Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States: Nejm.” New England Journal of Medicine, May 19, 2022. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2201761.
Everytown. “Guns and Violence against Women: America's Uniquely Lethal Intimate Partner Violence Problem.” Everytown Research, February 23, 2022. https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/.
Everytown. “Mass Shootings in America.” Everytown Research, October 29, 2021. https://everytownresearch.org/maps/mass-shootings-in-america/.
Fisher, Max. “Ten-Country Comparison Suggests There's Little or No Link between Video Games and Gun Murders.” The Washington Post, December 1, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/12/17/ten-country-comparison-suggests-theres-little-or-no-link-between-video-games-and-gun-murders/?variant=95d42e19c24b03e7.
Gramlich, John. “What We Know about the Increase in U.S. Murders in 2020.” Pew Research Center, October 29, 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/10/27/what-we-know-about-the-increase-in-u-s-murders-in-2020/.
Gun Violence Archive. “Mass Shootings 2022.” Gun Violence Archive, May 31, 2022. https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting.
Masters, Jonathan. “How Does U.S. Gun Policy Compare with the Rest of the World?” PBS, May 26, 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-does-u-s-gun-policy-compare-with-the-rest-of-the-world.
Tikkanen, Roosa, Katharine Fields, Reginald D. Williams, and Melinda K. Abrahams. “Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries.” Mental Health and Substance Use in U.S. and 10 Other Countries | Commonwealth Fund, May 21, 2020. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/may/mental-health-conditions-substance-use-comparing-us-other-countries.
Timm, Jane C. “Fact Check: Trump Suggests Video Games to Blame for Mass Shootings.” NBC, August 5, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-suggests-video-games-blame-mass-shootings-n1039411.
Woodcome, Tricia. “Release: Gun Owners Overwhelmingly Support Background Checks, See NRA as out of Touch, New Poll Finds.” Center for American Progress, June 6, 2022. https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-gun-owners-overwhelmingly-support-background-checks-see-nra-as-out-of-touch-new-poll-finds/.
Comments