Hundreds of people pass away on the daily basis because of gunshots and about three times of these people get severely injured. Thousands of families are destroyed; fractured bones and hearts broken are a result of gun violence. If wounds and disabilities resulting from guns were characterized as a disease, it would have been viewed as a widespread problem across the globe. Although, human beings are the creator of this weapon, guns are obviously not good for health of human beings. The incidents occurring around the world due to gun violence are of different types. A mass execution in high school of U.S. is seen differently as compared to suicide in Finland, gang wars in Brazil, terrorism in Afghanistan or a gun point gang rape in Sudan. The cause of all these different forms of bloodshed might not be solely because of guns, but gun violence do proliferate it dramatically. Other social issues like injustice, poverty, depression, unemployment, jealousy, frustration or fear can stimulate violence. Adding on armed weapons to such hot blooded atmosphere is like adding petrol to already burning fire (IANSA). The argument based on this research is that gun violence is increasing on day to day basis in different forms around the world. The countries globally would have to work together as well as on their own to reduce guns violence and its control. The following paragraphs will highlight the violence of guns around the world in different countries, and the strategies, tactics that can be used to reduce gun violence globally.
As a consequence of gun involvement in fights where it replaces fists or another small weapon it is more probable to be the reason of a death in that violence. For instance, a routine case of road anger, an argument after alcohol consumption or an act of disloyalty in personal relations results into killing with the involvement of weapons like gun. These types of events are very usual in United Sates. It was revealed in the research that possessing a gun at home increases the risk of someone being dead by 41% in the U.S. (Samsa). However, during the last few years anotherform of gun violence has raised its head in the U.S., and that includes gun violence at educational institutes like school, colleges and universities. On January 14, 2014 a 12 year old boy came to the school with a gun and opened fire resulting in wounding two students (Samsa). In the same month on 17th, a teen wounded two students in school of Philadelphia (Samsa). There are several other instances when students or even staff member get themselves killed or injured because of gun violence. The worst event of gun violence occurred in 2012 when twenty kids and six members of school staff were killed in Sandy Hook (Samsa). These actions of gun violence have provoked uproar across the whole U.S. against gun violence. The residents of the country are becoming distressed due to these violent acts (Samsa).
The power to transmute anxiety into a catastrophe in a quick instant is a planned characteristic of small weapons. Weapons are made with the intention of killing and causing violence. The injuries due to small weapons like guns are predominantly more severe as compared to other injuries, due to severe harm to adjacent body tissues. Guns can result in killing people from a distance, unlike knives. The existence of a gun in a conflicting situation minimizes the mediating of other participants in the surrounding atmosphere to aid the victim or calm down the attacker. Although, gun violence in Canada is uncommon as related to the U.S., according to statistics, it is about seven times less often than in the United States. However, there are more killings by guns in Canada than several other developed states. The casualties caused by gun in Canada are 1.44 per 100,000 whereas total numbers of severe crimes were 1092 per 100,000 (Florida).
A physical attack with the help of a gun is 12 times more probable to prove deadly than any other attack. The presence of a firearm in conflicting situations is more likely to be danger for life. The national borders are unsecured, and firearms are being carried across borders with a lot of ease. Guns are considered as a dream product for smugglers whereas a horrible nightmare for law enforcing agencies. Brazil is considered as a country with fewer guns but still killing in Brazil with guns is more than the U.S. The reason for this is that the vast majority of deaths in the country are due to non-registered weapons. According to the statistics, the people in Brazil owned only 15 million guns as compared with 270 million owned by U.S. citizens (Gayle). Still, the death toll in U.S. because of gun violence was 9,960 whereas Brazil had nearly 36,000 deaths due to guns. Brazil is a country where gangs are very active (Gayle). These gangs are involved in kidnapping, robberies, drug dealing, and muggings. Therefore, there are huge amounts of illegal weapons in the form of guns present in the country (Gayle).
Guns are a type of weapon that last for several decades. These weapons move many times from one user to another during its functional life. In a country, suffering from conflicts on a wide scale, additional weapons in the form of guns are easily traded in. There have been occasions where guns supplied to freedom fighters have been used in violence of several types. Hence, one such country that has faced the consequences of gun violence to a huge extent is Sudan. The country has been suffering since the past few decades. Especially, the south Sudan has witnessed heights of violence due to the presence of armed criminals like no other area before. It had been estimated that in the region of Juba only, at least one person died because of gun violence every day. The south region in Sudan has suffered because of weapons struggle between different groups. At present, guns are the only other source apart from diseases that take lives promptly and at a high rate. The residents have also used gun violence as a source of stealing things like food, properties from others (Paterno).
Also, another region in the world that has been under instability for the past few decades is South Asia. This region has been suffering from conflicts between states, militarization and consequent flow of guns across the borders. The countries like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran are the center to these issues. Afghanistan and Pakistan are fighting against terrorism. Thus, because of this military activity in the region they lose borders due to unrest, there have been flowing of illegal weapons across the countries. Pakistan and India are ranked as 6th and 2nd in the whole word for the number of guns possessed by residents, in order of 18 and 40 million (GunPolicy). Illegal weapons are a source of gun violence in these countries where daily a huge number of people are getting killed because of robberies, stealing, kidnapping for ransom (GunPolicy).
The free flow of small weapons across the globe is an enormous threat to human safety. It is estimated that about eight million guns are manufactured each year. From the public point of view, firearms are usually associated with law enforcement agencies like police and military. However, from 875 million guns moving around the world at present, 74% are in the possession of civilians or non-state forces (IANSA). As the bulk of the guns are possessed by citizens around the globe, the mass of people suffering from gun violence are mostly civilians. It is estimated that 25% of 1000 deaths every day occur in an armed conflict, whereas 56% are murders and 14% commit suicides (IANSA). It is a blend of lethality and durability that makes guns an effective source of violence spread. To reduce the number of deaths and gun violence injuries, the states around the world have to work together to control the easy accessibility of guns to everyone. Gun violence is very dangerous and can have negative impacts on the whole society. Children are the easy targets that can suffer the most from gun violence. Several studies have suggested that teenagers open to gun violence at their homes, school or in the community suffer negatively from the psychological point of view as well. The effects can be high stress, poor progress in studies, abuse, increased crimes and susceptible of violence. There are different ways in which gun violence can be controlled. The governments should establish and promote a culture of guns safety. Gun owners should be given proper trainings and lectures from time to time to make sure they keep their weapons as a safe place (Futureofchildren).
The states around the world should make effective laws related to guns. They should restrict the capacity limit of gun magazines and ban the deadly guns. It should make sure that guns have no place in the community places like schools, mall, theaters, the holy place of worships, and streets. There should be educational sessions in schools, colleges and universities to keep the people away from guns. Parents at home should safeguard their children from revelation to guns by vigilant parental checking. Law enforcement agencies can partner with local community members to hold programs to educate people that gun violence is not the best and acceptable way to resolve their conflicts. There should be a close association between the law enforcement agencies and local inhabitants to control crimes related to gun violence before it takes place. One of the highest backers of gun violence in the world is drug wars. A huge number of people are getting killed because of drug wars. The governments should put special efforts on safeguarding national boundaries in such a manner that drug smuggling can be controlled from moving through. There should be strict punishments for the people involved in drugs or any gun violence related activity. Apart from that, law enforcement agencies should take deadly actions against the groups involved in such crimes to safeguard their residents (Asham). Another way to reduce gun violence is by changing the designs of guns. The governments can direct weapons manufacturers to develop guns with the latest technology so that only an approved individual can operate the gun. By achieving this, the illegal use to gun can be controlled because the guns with fingerprint recognition will be of no use to a stranger (Davis).
It can be concluded that gun violence has an impact on all countries but poor countries suffer the most. Poor and needy people are the easiest to be shot with the gun and, they have the least probability to get proper treatment. People who get disabled because of gun violence suffer the most. Disability can result in stress that can make the people become useless for their countries. Disabled people need the help of other members of the society to take them from one place to another. Gun violence can also have a negative effect on the workforce availability in the country. Gun violence results in a very limited number of job opportunities in any society which can have an impact on economic progress of the country in short and long run. Therefore, controlling the gun violence should be the top priority of all the states around the world. Developed countries should help the poor countries in fighting gun violence. Education of any society about the impacts of gun violence is crucial in alleviating this curse from the world permanently.
Works Cited
Ashman, John. Gun control laws: 10 better ways the government can reduce violence. 29 December 2012. Article. 12 November 2014.
Davis, Heather A. Rational ways to reduce gun violence. 13 February 2014. Article. 12 November 2014.
Florida, Richard. The deadly mixture of guns and class in Toronto. 3 March 2013. Article. 12 November 2014.
Futureofchildren. Children, youth, and gun violence: analysis. Article. Williamsport: The Future of Children, 2012. Report.
Gayle, Damien. Children who carry guns through Salvador's slums: Shocking images that show drug gangs' brutal grip on Brazil streets where hundreds of thousands will travel for next year's World Cup. 2 May 2013. Article. 12 November 2014.
GunPolicy.Armed violence and guns in South Asia. 2014. Facts and Figures. 12 November 2014.
IANSA.Gun Violence: The Global Crisis. campaigning for fewer guns and safer communities. London: International Action Network on Small Arms, 2007. Report.
Paterno, Steve. The role of guns in the violence in South Sudan. 16 December 2012. Article. 12 November 2014.
Samsa, Ashley Lauren. Americans are becoming numb to gun violence. For teachers, it's all too real. 23 January 2014. Article. 12 November 2014.
