The American Privilege of Being Shot and Killed
Maintaining our right to gun violence.
In the wake of every mass shooting, Americans continue to reaffirm their support of gun ownership.
After all, the terrorism of one gun-wielding murderer shouldn’t spoil the fun for the rest of us! A lack of public safety is a small price to pay for days at the range, weekend hunting trips, and that comforting sense of home security that only a gun can give you.
On average, 40,620 Americans are killed by gun violence each year through homicides, mass shootings, intimate partner violence, suicides, accidents, and police brutality.
Each year the death toll rises, but the talking points of the gun debate remain the same: Mental health! More laws! The 2nd amendment! Individual freedom! Self-defense! Gun control now! More police!
We’ve been talking in circles for decades.
Of course, as with every politicized debate, there is money in the equation. Gun rights interest groups provide financial backing for many Republican members of Congress.
But even the most notable of those groups, the NRA, is afraid of guns. Although they tout the responsibility of their gun-owning members, the group bans guns from their conferences.
