US: At least 150 shot dead in more than 400 shootings on the 4th of July weekend
On the 4th of July, the United States celebrated its Independence day. On the 4th of July weekend, 150 people were killed in gun terror across the country. There were at least 400 shootings!
Shots were heard in Chicago, Texas, Virginia and Ohio. In Chicago alone at least 95 people were shot. The city’s top cop said police recovered at least 6,100 guns, this was 26 more than the recovery during the same period last year. In Virginia, a 15-year-old boy was arrested for shooting four children over the weekend all between the ages of six and sixteen. In Texas, an argument resulted in a gun war where at least eight people were shot. Near a car wash in Dallas, five men were found dead investigators are yet to determine the details.
The question is how is the U.S. reacting to all of this? The Chicago Tribune says the independence day weekend was marred by violence. It adds the word gun before violence, but overall the reportage indicated a sense of normalcy. Is it because gun terror is the norm in the U.S.?
Every year around 500 lives are lost to shootouts in America. 615 people died in 2020, 441 in 2019. Schools, nightclubs, places of worship are attacked, African-Americans die disproportionately and the white house maintains a stoic silence. Had it been anywhere else in any other country the U.S. may have sent its troops by now, but at home, a genocide is taking place and it is conveniently being brushed aside.
Had it (gun terror) been anywhere else in any other country, the U.S. may have sent its troops by now, but at home, the genocide is taking place and the state is conveniently brushing it aside.
The question is why? Is it because America does not like to talk about problems at home, and if the problem has to do with America’s very constitution then talking about it is almost blasphemous?
Americans have the right to keep and bear arms, the archaic right is a part of the country’s second amendment. Does this mean that gun laws cannot be amended in the U.S.? They absolutely can, but the gun lobby is extremely powerful. If a leader outrightly opposes guns he or she is likely to be out of office in no time. Not to forget, America has more than 63 billion dollar gun industry! It will cost a leader dearly if he or she tries to hammer this business. So time and again American Presidents have prioritized gun rights over human rights.
American Presidents have prioritized gun rights over human rights
As a result, the U.S. has four per cent of the world’s population but 46 of the entire stock of privately owned arms!
There are 393 million firearms for 27 million people. Anyone above the age of 18 can buy shotguns or rifles, those above 21 can get handguns. Did we mention, in the U.S. there is no need for a license? Yes, that’s correct. Almost anyone can own a gun.
It’s simple: the more the number of guns the more the gun terror, and the more the number of deadly weekends. From Barack Obama to Donald trump American Presidents have endorsed stricter background checks as a solution to combat gun terror. On the 23rd of June U.S. President Joe Biden announced what he called a zero-tolerance policy towards gun terror. He also pushed for tougher background checks. But what happened? Ten days later the sound of firearms drowned the sound of fireworks.
This independence day weekend came as a reminder to the U.S. that human rights and gun rights can not coexist.
If America wants to bring an end to gun terror it must drop arms.
45 American presidents have failed to do this. We ask how is Biden doing differently?
Written by Ruth Jane
