We've had 39 mass shootings so far this month, with this past weekend and the shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., on the lunar new year marking a particularly horrific weekend. On a weekend news talk show, several city mayors discussed strategies for dealing with gun violence. Some opted for more funding of law enforcement, others wanted more emphasis on mental health and still others wanted a rational control of gun accessibility.
I agree with all of them, but I was particularly struck by one mayor's "big picture" perspective. He pointed out that we have a large societal problem that none of these Band-Aids will fix. People are anxious, afraid and angry. They are less likely to argue than to pull a gun out of their pocket and shoot a person, or a lot of persons.
A look at recent shootings underscores his point, including the 18 people who were shot across Chicago. Two teens were shot after a verbal altercation with an unknown person inside a vehicle on the city's South Side Saturday night. The person in the vehicle pulled out a gun and shot them. Both are in critical condition.
Another man was shot to death after an argument broke out at a gathering Friday night on Chicago's West Side. The 35-year-old got into a fight with a person he knew. The person pulled out a handgun and shot him in the chest.
Chicago is not alone. It's everywhere. A recent shooting at a Baton Rouge, La., nightclub injured 12 people. Also, two men were killed and two others were wounded when gunfire broke out at a pool party in suburban Nashville on Saturday night. There were two shootings in Portland, Ore.
How can we stop this gun violence? Some will say that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed last year wasn't enough. The bill enhanced background checks for gun buyers 21 years of age, updated the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer and instituted penalties for gun trafficking. But it didn't ban rapid-fire rifles or have a gun buyback program. When Australia legislated a ban and a buyback program, gun deaths fell more than 50% in 10 years. The firearm suicide rates dropped by 74% in five years.
Some say don't mess with Second Amendment rights. Instead, we should deal with mental illness. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provided billions for mental health services and incentivized states with $750 million to start crisis intervention programs. But at the same time, more than 30 states allow open carrying of a handgun without license or permit. How does that help?
If we're to act on threats by the mentally ill, why not support federal red flag laws that allow courts to prevent people who show signs of being a danger from having access to firearms?
The give-and-take on guns was made more complex when Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, suggested gathering public internet information and applying an algorithm that is used to track overseas terrorists. Shall we debate how that's better than red flag laws?
Gun debates can heighten the national anger that fuels gun violence. If and when the topic is taken up by the new Congress, the anger generated will be epic. We could pray that Congress becomes a model of dignity, but dream on. So it's up to us to be that model and create a culture shift that pulls us away from murderous rage and knee-jerk violence. It's time for Humanity-R-Us.
Contact Deborah Levine, an author, trainer/coach and editor of the American Diversity Report, at deborah@diversityreport.com.