On Wednesday, at the end of a celebration for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, multiple shooters are alleged to have killed one and wounded approximately 20-plus others in a mass shooting. The individual killed was the mother of two children. It was the 40th mass shooting to have taken place in our country in the last 45 days. Let me repeat that: It was the 40th mass shooting in the United States of America in the last 45 days! Commentators on this event have expressed the opinion that, because of the vast number of firearms possessed by individuals both legally and illegally in this country, it now appears that we, as a nation, can no longer guarantee the safety of individuals participating in any kind of group event, even church!
Just a few days prior to this date, a woman in Texas entered a church and allegedly opened fire with a weapon that she had concealed upon entry. From reports, this individual had a history of mental illnesses. Two off-duty police officers returned fire and neutralized the situation. Collateral damage? Yes, her child was in the line of fire as the police successfully attempted to neutralize her.
How do we solve this problem? I am sorry to say that I think it is way too big of a problem to be solved. But there are ways to help. For example, one state, approximately 10 years or so ago, instituted a buyback program for unwanted firearms. They payed individuals $200 for each firearm turned in to the police, no questions asked. The police collected over 2,000 firearms with that program, which means that 2,000-plus guns were kept out of the hands of would-be perpetrators. A drop in the bucket, yes, but it was an attempt.
In a past Opinion to this newspaper, I listed all the gun attacks on schools in the United States between Dec. 14, 2012, and March 27, 2023 (“Where is our outrage about school shootings?”). How many of these attacks were orchestrated by student-aged individuals? Though I don’t have an exact number, be assured that the vast majority were from current or past students of said schools. I am happy to report that the state of Delaware did not appear on that list. But be advised that that does not mean Delaware is free from such an event. As long as firearms are easily purchased, either legally or illegally, the carnage will continue. Likewise, as long as our politicians refuse to address this major problem in our country, the body count will grow. Their reason for not doing anything is simple: They do not want to lose votes from gun lobbyists, who also support politicians with their wallets. How do school-aged children get their hands on firearms? They can easily be purchased in a number of illegal ways. Or they take guns from their homes that were not properly secured under lock and key.
Our State Department informs travelers about certain countries to avoid because of potential dangers to individuals. Ironically, other nations are now doing the same with their citizens with regards to visiting the United States. Unfortunately, this is what the United States has become. When will we learn and how many more lives will we lose?
Peter Graffagnino
Bridgeville
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