Causes of Gun Violence, Essay Example

Gun violence is a political issue that is regularly debated on as the two distinct political ideologies hold different opinions on guns and violence. It is widely accepted that gun violence is common in poorer parts of an urban areas. With statistics indicating that gun violence is increasing, many have sought to find the real cause of gun violence. In 2010 alone, 1,939 murders were reported involving an unidentified firearm, 6,009 murders involving handguns and 358 murders involving rifles. I believe that the two primary cause of gun violence are increased access to guns and the effect of popular culture on the younger generations.

Increased Access to Guns

The increased and easier access to guns by the American public is the number one cause of gun violence within the country. As modernization and secularization continue to affect the developing economy, social vices are bound to arise (Faircloth, 2013). Insecurity is one of them. However, this type of insecurity has been encouraged by the ability of almost any American to own a gun.

A gun may be used in different forms to cause insecurity or a potential threat to human life. The most common use of a gun is to commit suicide. Statistically, suicide comprises two thirds of all deaths which are gun related. This can only be attributed to the access to guns. A comparison can be made between North Carolina and other States in order to show the position North Carolina is ranked at in the United States with regards to teenage deaths as a result of gun violence. Between 2000 and 2010, there have been 948 overall teenage deaths as a result of gun violence. North Carolina has a 3.6 overall gun death rate for teenagers and is ranked 27th out of the 50 states in the United States.

Guns are linked to domestic violence and the ease of access to these guns is rapidly becoming a problem in North Carolina. There is a definite correlation between the accessibility of guns by teenagers in North Carolina and the prevalence of homicides committed by juveniles. 91% of homicides committed by juveniles are carried out using firearms and this is catalyzed by the ease of access to firearms by juveniles in North Carolina (Harris, 2013). Gun control laws offer little in deterrence to prevent youth from owning firearms given minors under the age of 18 are by law not allowed to buy shotguns or handguns. Stringency of gun control laws have not generally reduced the total number of gun purchases and has not limited the number of guns entering into society. Gun control with regard to adolescents has been unable to prevent minors from obtaining firearms either from an owner who has obtained the firearm legally or from an illegal source.

A failing gun control law and the liberalization of gun control threatens the very fabric of security within the society. Gun control is pertinent to the security of the economy and the society. It is therefore paramount that government institutionalizes stringent gun control laws that prohibit gun ownership and limits the places one can store a firearm.

Popular Culture and Gun Violence

The invention of mass media led to the revolution in communication. Mass media enabled people to pass across information to many individuals at the same time. However, mass media has evolved over the years to become an important and effective tool of communication. It is now used to create and shape people’s perceptions towards a specific subject. This very concept, in itself, has been influenced by mass media.

The media in many ways has become the determinant of what is trendy and in fashion. This is owing to the fact that many individuals tend to believe what is in the media. By giving considerable airplay to music and movies that depict violence and guns, it creates the illusion of what is considered cool and/or acceptable by society. This encourages individuals to engage in acts of violence using guns.

The most common notable effect of the media and gun violence is through video games. Video game making companies have become brand names and household names as a result of the quality of work they produce. High intensity video games that depicts acts of violence using guns are the best-selling video games in the world. Games such as Grand Theft Auto V that depicts the life of a gangster taking revenge on the people that betrayed him, encourages gun violence. The video game has earned $32.5 million since its release in 2013 (Cantor, 2012). Another common leading video game franchise is the Call of Duty franchise. Its different instalments have grossed over $20 million in revenue. This only points to the undeniable fact that gun violence is a huge part of popular culture and that it is slowly eroding the family morals that Americans once held.

Most young people acquire knowledge from the world around them. When they are exposed to media with violent content, they tend to adopt and/or develop characters and behaviours that are inclined towards violence, gun violence in particular (Benton, 2008). The more a child is exposed to content containing violence, the more likely that, growing up, they would readily own or use a gun.

Paul Cantor in his publication, The Invisible Hand in Popular Culture: Liberty vs. Authority in American Film and Tv, shows how aspects of liberty and authority have become an integral part of the American dream, transforming it into something different (Cantor, 2012). The popular culture in America has become fixated with the creation of a society where everyone struggles for power. In this case, other seek power through owning a weapon as a way of protecting oneself. Wealth and power are depicted as two important facets of the American dream. Wealth is predominantly the most desired thing in the world, power is also readily welcome by most. Guns offer others the opportunity to gain bot wealth and power. This is because wealth and power denote status in the society.

Popular culture provided the American people with an imaginative way to rethink and reshape the American dream. Through imagination, film has provided way in which people can visualize the destruction as a way of channelling their emotions and fears. This influences an individual’s perception of right and wrong, and their management of disappointment and resentment may be channelled through the use of a firearm.

In conclusion, weak gun control laws have made access to guns easier, as such increasing the rate at which gun violence occurs. Popular culture through film and other forms of media influence people’s perceptions and ideologies in relation to gun control and gun violence. This forms a fundamental problem within society, encouraging gun violence.

References

Benton, K. B. (2008). Guns Are Not the Cause of Youth Violence. In J. Carroll, America’s Youth. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Cantor, P. A. (2012). The Invisible Hand in Popular Culture: Liberty Vs. Authority in Aerican Film and TV. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.

Dziewanski, D. (2011). Popular Culture Promotes Gun Violence. In L. Gerdes, Gun Violence: Opposing Viewponts (pp. 23-26). Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press.

Faircloth, S. (2013, February 8). Why More Guns Won’t Make Us Safer. The Week, pp. 36-37.

Harris, S. (2013, February 1). Why I Own Guns. The Week, pp. 36-37.