Dear Editor:
How often have we heard the quote from the Diva from Philadelphia, Patti Labelle, in her hit song of 1984, “New Attitude.” We need a new attitude concerning the gun violence in the United States and the daily carnage occurring throughout our nation. Will we ever learn, despite the slogan of the NRA, GUNS DO KILL. It seems that most Americans appear to be immune to this danger with multiple shootings making headlines on a continuous bases.
So far this year we have had 297 deaths by mass gun murders. Just recently 22 killed in El Paso, Texas and nine in Dayton, Ohio. How many remember the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last year? We listen with horror of the 31 recent people killed and dozens injured and still get a night’s sleep. Wake up, America!
These mass shootings make the United States look like a savage, primitive society, compared to our Western peers. It’s all because of the easy availability of guns and their wide circulation in our nation. The abundance of guns has caused the casual attitude that most Americans have toward them. Even worse, the number of individuals carrying and using guns to kill other citizens is unbelievable. Doctors and concerned citizens have urged Congress to lift the ban on gun violence research, a law banning important information due to the power of the NRA.
In the United States, firearm-related deaths and injuries are a major public health problem that requires diligent and persistent attention. Each year, more than 32,000 persons die as a result of firearm-related violence, suicides and gun accidents in the United States. Firearms are the second-leading cause of death due to injury after motor vehicle crashes for adults and adolescents. What’s more, the number of non-fatal firearm injuries is more than double the number of deaths. Although much attention has been given to the mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. in recent years, the 88 deaths per day due to firearm-related homicides, suicides and unintentional deaths should be of equal concern.
Today the solution may not be found in the new laws but in a new mindset toward guns and their potential danger of serious harm to society. We truly need a new attitude and as stated in the film “Network,” “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” This is not something that the government can do alone but it will take a groundswell of concerned citizens. Only then will we get our government, public service agencies, and a strong education awareness programs to emphasize the danger of firearms. Cigarettes are still legal for adults but their use has declined due to a public education program. Lives have been saved due to not smoking, why not with guns?
Robert Berkley Harper
Retired Professor of Law
University of Pittsburgh
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