Mass Shootings and Our Responsibilities
South Street, Philadelphia. Another mass shooting, another city, more bodies to bury, more victims of horror, and another moment to champion for weapons bans. The topic rolls on in increased intensity, a reflection of the amount of mass shootings scarring our population. The weekend saw too many. We will see more in the weeks to come.
We are a democracy. We expect our government to hear our demands. And, in the case of these mass shootings, many have voiced the need for our government to enact "gun" bans.
Our nation remains split due to a lack of understanding from both sides.
"Ban guns!" Which kinds of guns? Remember, we still have a population that needs to hunt to put meat on their table. Some are so poor that they resort to poaching.
"Ban semi-automatics!" But this includes pistols. The average pistol owners won't back this bill. Hell, I won't support this bill.
"Ban high-capacity magazines!" Yeah, I agree with this o-
"And make it so guns can only fire one round at a time! No magazines!"
Are you fucking kidding me?!
"You don't support life! You support violence!"
No. Seriously. This needs to stop. I support life. Most people with legit weapons do. So our only option is-
"BAN ALL GUNS!"
Why does this sound like Prohibition? You know, that stupid part American history where we screwed the pooch. Remember that?
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution–which banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors–ushered in a period in American history known as Prohibition. Prohibition was ratified by the states on January 16, 1919 and officially went into effect on January 17, 1920, with the passage of the Volstead Act.1
Hey, how did that work for us?
Despite the new legislation, Prohibition was difficult to enforce. The increase of the illegal production and sale of liquor (known as “bootlegging”), the proliferation of speakeasies (illegal drinking spots) and the accompanying rise in gang violence and other crimes led to waning support for Prohibition by the end of the 1920s. 1
I see. Why did we even do that in the first place?
In the 1820s and ’30s, a wave of religious revivalism swept the United States, leading to increased calls for temperance.1
A movement was instrumental in the legal ban of something. Did alcohol go away? No. Crooks gotta crook. If anything, their job became more lucrative. We need to keep this colossal mistake in the forefront whenever we discuss bans.
Back to South Street, Philadelphia. Back to the legitimately concerned public there. Protestors are not shy in Philly. They are standing on the street corners. They are a reminder that lives were lost via senseless violence. They have every right to mourn and to raise their voices.
The Philadelphia Inquirer posted an article on their web site just a few hours ago. The article, titled "Gun violence prevention advocate holds demonstration at scene of shooting", lays out the basic sentiment found among those protesting.2
WARNING: I'm going to play devil's advocate here. Go find something better to do if you don't like it. Comments are turned off.
Gun violence prevention advocate Jamal Johnson and three other activists staged a demonstration Monday afternoon at the scene of Saturday’s mass shooting on South Street, calling attention to the hundreds of other shootings that have plagued the city this year and asking city leaders to take action.
Holding a sign that read “stop killing us,” Johnson, a 65-year-old retired postal worker, said the public attention heaped on the South Street tragedy would do little to quell the shootings citywide.
“Every life is important,” Johnson said. “All this media, all this coverage we’re getting, that’s not doing anything to deal with the whole epidemic that’s happening inside this city.”
I absolutely agree with Johnson. Every life is important. Johnson is also correct when saying that this moment in time will not quell shootings citywide. It can't. I'll get into why a bit later.
Johnson has advocated for Gov. Tom Wolf to send the National Guard to Philadelphia — something he acknowledges is unfavorable among many people, but a move he nonetheless feels would help staunch the city’s relentless tide of gun violence.
Here's where I get a bit bitter. The National Guard will not be able to quell the violence and illegally possessed firearms. It can't. Law enforcement has tried for decades. And getting all guns off the streets isn't the job of the National Guard!
The Guard is generally called up to respond to state-level emergencies, such as natural disasters. But, unlike most of the other military forces, it can also serve a domestic law enforcement role.3
There is still a lot of controversy over the role the National Guard plays when activated to serve as law enforcement. We need to look no further than Trump's time in office to see why this is a potential epic failure.
“We want to stop the killing, bottom line,” Johnson said.
Philadelphia has had 218 homicides as of Monday, according to police data, down 4% from this time last year.
There are sites that report these figures. And this is the crux of using police data as a means of supporting a firearms ban. In 2021, there were 551 homicides but there were also 2,398 robberies committed with a firearm. There were also 4,197 shooting incidents and 2,328 shooting victims.4 These armed robberies involved too many weapons that were not registered, were not purchased from a licensed and reputable seller, and were not traceable. This is, in part, why a ban on guns won't work. Remember what we learned from Prohibition!
Johnson also called out Mayor Jim Kenney for what he said was an unwillingness to try creative solutions to staunch the bloodshed.
“For two years, they claim they’re doing something, and nothing is working,” Johnson said, referring to the historic spike in gun violence since the pandemic began. “All we’re saying is do something that works — listen to other people, listen to other strategies, stop being stuck in the box.”
He's correct. Nothing is working. We just covered why a ban won't work. Lawmakers and law enforcement have their backs against a wall. Go ahead, rage at them. They can't walk into our communities and achieve the impossible.
Asked if he had a specific ask for Kenney, Johnson said, “Yeah, I do have a specific ask for Mayor Kenney: get off your ass.”
No, Mr Johnson, we need to get off our own asses. Our communities have not only tolerated it - They've glorified it.
I'm not here to debate the influence, or lack of it, by rap artists. The Boombox has a solid article about that topic, "Rappers and Gun Violence: Exploring Hip-Hop's Love of Firearms". Instead, I'm looking at what each of our communities can do to increase intolerance of violent crimes.
You see, it's not just about guns. It's about culture and the messages we send. Ethnicity doesn't matter. Socioeconomic status doesn't matter. What message are we sending? When is too much considered bad enough?
The government can't solve this mess. It's on us. We have to begin changing our perspective. We're responsible for our own actions. We're responsible for the message we broadcast. Gun misuse isn't cool. Firearms are not props. Owning them doesn't make you special nor should it have any part in defining who you are. Displaying them doesn't make you untouchable.
Maybe it starts in our own homes with our children before it even reaches the rest of our community or the the youth organizations available. In early childhood, our kids start to mimic behaviors learned when observing how we act. Maybe we can put our own projects and pleasures aside and become active in our kids' lives. That's what it takes. Kids need good role models. They need us to invest our time and efforts towards helping them become positive and responsible adults.
Maybe we can then take it outside our home, step up and call it out when we see it glamorized in our schools, on social media, by our political figures, and via video hosting platforms.
These are a few avenues avenues available to us.
Change won't happen overnight. It won't happen this decade. It won't come by the hand of any government.
Mr Johnson unknowingly hit the nail on the head when he said, “All we’re saying is do something that works — listen to other people, listen to other strategies, stop being stuck in the box.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Three people were killed and 11 others wounded when multiple shooters fired into a crowd on South Street late Saturday night, according to police.
- Authorities have identified the three victims killed, and said the 11 wounded ranged in age from 17 to 69.
- One suspect has been taken into custody. Police are searching for a second suspect who will also be facing charges.
- Here’s what we know and what we don’t know.
CURRENT AS OF 10:46 PM EST 6 JUNE 2022
1. Editors, "Prohibition", History
2. Editors, "Gun violence prevention advocate holds demonstration at scene of shooting", The Philadelphia Inquirer
3. Anshu Siripurapu, "A Unique Military Force: The U.S. National Guard", Council on Foreign Relations
3. Philidelphia Police Department, "Crime Maps and Stats", https://www.phillypolice.com/crime-maps-stats/