Gun epidemic: Another summer of discontent in Violent States of America

By Shabbir Rizvi

Memorial Day weekend in the United States, observed on the last Monday of May, marks the start of the summer season in the country – beaches and parks flooded with revelers, fever of festivities gripping all and sundry and summertime events galore.

However, not even the summertime festivities can escape the looming shadow of what can only be considered a truly American phenomenon – the epidemic of gun violence. 

For those outside the United States, the long-known issue of American gun violence can seem like a bleak exaggeration. Unfortunately, it is the prevailing truth.

For example, it only took three hours of the beaches being open in Chicago for someone to draw their weapon and open fire at others present. The result of shootings in Chicago alone over the weekend added up to 9 dead and over 40 wounded. 

Gun violence transcends the liberal-conservative state divide. On May 6, conservative Texas experienced a horrific mass shooting at a mall - where a gunman opened fire on random targets, killing even children before being shot dead by local authorities. 

Then, to end the month, 5 more people were shot dead in a single night in Stockton, a city in liberal-controlled California. The dozens of shootings sent shockwaves across the country. 

Notably, the police forces in the United States are also a significant factor contributing to this cataclysmic pandemic. Last year, they shot and killed the most people on record - 1,176. 

This comes only two years after the George Floyd uprising - the biggest uprising in United States history - which sought to put an end to police brutality. 

Excess arms from the US military are auctioned off or donated to police forces domestically - creating a hyper-militarized police force that feels emboldened to shoot first and ask questions later.

One would think with an epidemic level of violence gripping the nation for decades that a bipartisan political solution would be found. 

However, even gun laws are seemingly useless. Between the failure of local authorities to enforce certain bans, to the ease of transport of weapons from states with loose laws to strict laws, the proliferation of guns on the streets continues. 

One only needs to travel 10 miles outside Chicago where there is a ban on assault weapons to purchase an AR-15 and bring it back to the city. 

The Small Arms Survey, an independent firearms research project, found there are more guns in the United States than there are people. And firearms companies have no intention of slowing down production. 

In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, firearm sales skyrocketed, even causing ammunition shortages in liberal states like Illinois. 

Above all is the United States Constitution itself, the 2nd amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, is second only to the 1st amendment, which promises so-called freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. 

Many politicians outright refuse to limit the second amendment, stating the Constitution is the “perfect document” that cannot be altered. Liberal politicians even fall short - fearing the bending of one constitutional right will lead to the bending and retraction of others.

The lack of political action combined with the ongoing proliferation of guns creates a perfect storm every summer, where Americans are more likely to be outside harm’s way. 

Without fail, every summer in the United States is marked with mass shootings, the political blame game, then the rinse and repeat. 

Even if Americans somehow usher in an era without guns - the fact is, the cycle of violence remains. At the heart of the issue is something the American public needs to struggle with - widespread poverty, depleting mental health conditions, a life without stability and dignity for millions of people. 

Violent crime in the United States is but a means to an end for thousands of people. Look at where most of the pockets of violence are and you will notice a pattern - closed schools, closed factories, closed hospitals and clinics - and a population forced to deal with the brutal reality of American life - a life that is not popularized on television and magazines.

In Chicago, then-mayor Rahm Emanuel closed 50 schools citing a reprioritization of the budget. Students who were once within walking distance of their schools now had to find alternative routes, rely on broken transit services, or endure extremely long commutes just to get to school. 

For many students, this was near impossible, and as expected, dropout rates increased. 

With no education, promising students are transformed into alienated workers and ultimately many resort to a life of crime to make ends meet. 

It’s not just the lack of educational opportunities. Entire cities like Detroit, which experienced a massive shutdown of factories for decades, are left with hundreds to thousands of workers who once had it all but now are forced into the streets. 

Government safety nets are non-existent. Housing and food benefits are cumbersome to attain, and the government is actively gutting them - the Biden administration cut SNAP benefits in March, which takes away food and resources from millions of people. 

Coupled with this is a hyper-militarized police force that is notoriously known to shoot, kill, and walk away freely. Americans are stuck in a paralyzed state of violence that is not taken seriously politically and accepted as an everyday reality socially. 

As summer begins, Americans will need to again reckon with the harsh reality and threat of imminent violence once again. 

The reality is that shootings will continue, and people will be killed until the root issues are addressed and resolved. And currently, there is no political leadership or social movement strong enough to effect that change. 

Shabbir Rizvi is a Chicago-based political analyst with a focus on US internal security and foreign policy.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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