Introduction
Gun violence has become one of the most persistent problems in many countries. This has led to the unmitigated loss of lives and disruption of society because of trauma. Many debates involving warring parties have been conducted to discuss gun possession issues. Some support the idea, while others strongly fight against it. Some countries have laws allowing citizens to own guns, but more people have begun championing more gun regulations due to increased violence and crime. Some people believe guns are necessary for self-defense and should not be regulated (Mencken & Froese, 2019). However, others argue that more regulations are needed to reduce the costs incurred by society due to gun violence and to minimize the risk posed by armed civilians. This essay will examine that gun control is more than just giving or taking the people’s choice; it is also about reducing the societal costs associated with gun violence. Additionally, situations are likely to escalate in cases where civilians have firearms.
Societal Costs of Gun Violence
Financial Costs
The financial costs of gun violence in the United States of America are very expensive, leading the government to spend more money. These costs have impacted all aspects of life, including individuals and the community. These costs are in terms of treatments, incarceration costs, and investigations. The cost of medical treatment for individuals whom guns have injured is a significant component of the financial toll of gun violence. According to Peek-Asa et al. (2019), the average firearm injury hospitalization cost is over $33,000. The costs are even higher if the victims require extensive surgeries.
Lost wages
Gun violence has also reduced wages for many families due to the loss of breadwinners. In most cases, victims of gun violence can barely function normally even after healing and thus cannot provide for their families adequately. The loss of income can have a significant impact on the financial stability of families, particularly those who are already struggling economically. Mass incarceration and death of the productive population have led to loss of wages in many countries.
Emotional and Psychological Costs
Gun violence has led to extensive emotional and psychological scarring of many community members. Gun violence’s emotional and psychological costs are just as significant, if not more so, than the financial costs. Gun violence can profoundly impact individuals, families, and communities, leaving behind a trail of trauma, fear, and loss. During the aftermath of shooting incidences, the people involved are filled with fear and this impacts their interactions with friends and family due to increased paranoia.
Trauma
Gun violence can cause immediate and long-lasting trauma to those directly impacted, such as victims and witnesses. The traumatic experience can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including flashbacks, anxiety, and depression. This can interfere with daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life. The trauma of gun violence can affect entire communities, leading to feelings of fear, mistrust, and increased levels of violence. The effects of gun violence are felt more among the marginalized communities and this culminates to trauma.
Fear
Gun violence can also create a sense of fear and insecurity within communities. This fear can be especially pronounced in communities where gun violence is frequent, leading to a sense of hopelessness and a belief that there is no escape from the violence (Spitzer, 2022). This can contribute to a cycle of violence, as individuals may become more likely to resort to violence themselves in an attempt to protect themselves or others.
Loss of life
Death is the most devastating effect of gun violence; many people have lost their lives, which has implanted permanent scars on the people left behind. This has destroyed many homes and lives since some people were unable to recover from the death of their loved ones. Aside from these individualized perspective impacts, gun violence hasa loss of contributed to losing trust and confidence in law enforcement (Siegel & Blocher, 2020). Consequently, this has impaired the effort of most law enforcement agencies to perform their assigned tasks of servicing the public and maintaining law and order.
Impact on Community
Effects on Social Cohesion
Gun violence has eroded the cohesion that exists among people in society. Due to people living in constant fear and suspicions of each other, communities have split into factions and severed most interactions and relationships (Braga & Cook, 2023). People have retracted and disconnected from their societies, leading to reduced growth and development of community resources. The violence leads to the loss of life, which in turn causes the loss of social capital and the erosion of relations in the community.
Impact of Armed Civilians
Over the past years, many shootings have been attributed to armed civilians. As such, it is proven that civilians are more likely to escalate firearm violence because they lack the necessary training to handle such situations (Smith et al., 2020). They lack the acumen to interpret situations correctly and thus cannot respond correctly in different instances. Additionally, most people have been known to carry their firearms, which has significantly contributed to increased casualties in shootings, proving that the presence of a gun tends to escalate even dangerous situations by giving them a false sense of strength.
Refuting Opponents’ Arguments
Second Amendment rights
People who believe that the Second Amendment guarantees their right to own and carry firearms argue that gun regulations would infringe on this right.
Refutation: The Supreme Court has recognized that the Second Amendment does not protect unlimited rights to bear arms and that reasonable firearm regulations are constitutional. Moreover, many other constitutional rights, such as free speech, are subject to reasonable regulation, and gun regulation should be no exception.
Personal protection
Those who believe they have a right to protect themselves and their families with firearms argue that gun regulations would make it more difficult for people to defend themselves.
Refutation: Gun regulations can make people safer by keeping firearms out of the hands of those who are not legally eligible to possess them, such as criminals and those with a history of violence. Additionally, studies have shown that households with firearms are more likely to experience firearm-related deaths and that gun ownership does not necessarily provide a protective effect.
Hunting and recreation
People who enjoy hunting and shooting sports argue that gun regulations would make it more difficult for them to engage in these activities.
Refutation: Most gun regulations, such as background checks and restrictions on certain types of firearms, would have little impact on the ability of hunters and recreational shooters to participate in these activities. Responsible gun ownership and use are important values shared by many hunters and recreational shooters, and common-sense regulations can help to promote these values.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of gun control is a complex and controversial topic that has been debated for many years. Nevertheless, it is essential to understand that gun control is not just about taking away the choice of individuals to own firearms but also about reducing the considerable societal costs associated with gun violence. Financial costs of medical expenses, lost wages, and criminal justice costs to the emotional and psychological costs of trauma, fear, and loss of life, the impact of gun violence on communities is significant. Additionally, evidence suggests that crime and violence are likely to increase rapidly in situations where civilians are armed leading to loss of lives and injuries. This can only be attained through comprehensive understanding of boundaries between the rights of the people and the need for public safety. While weighing these two aspects may seem impossible it will help to ensure public safety.
References
Braga, A. A., & Cook, P. J. (2023). Policing Gun Violence: Strategic reforms for controlling our most pressing crime problem. Oxford University Press.
Mencken, F. C., & Froese, P. (2019). Gun Culture in Action. Social Problems, 66(1), 3–27. Web.
Peek-Asa, C., Butcher, B., & Cavanaugh, J. E. (2019). Cost of hospitalization for firearm injuries by firearm type, intent, and payer in the United States. Injury epidemiology, 4(1), 1-9. Web.
Siegel, R. B., & Blocher, J. (2020). Why regulate guns? The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 48(4_suppl), 11-16. Web.
Smith, M. E., Sharpe, T. L., Richardson, J., Pahwa, R., Smith, D., & DeVylder, J. (2020). The impact of exposure to gun violence fatality on mental health outcomes in four urban US settings. Social Science & Medicine, p. 246, 112587. Web.
Spitzer, R. J. (2022). The Gun Dilemma: How History is Against Expanded Gun Rights. Oxford University Press.