Our country has a gun problem. And it's not just the highly publicized mass shootings with military style weapons where we lead the developed world. We also lead in the number of firearms owned and the number of firearm deaths. And in 2022 firearms passed auto accidents to become the leading cause of death for children.
How did we get here? The typical process for dealing with public safety is to gather data, identify root causes, and propose rules or regulations based on the findings. This is how deaths due to auto accidents were reduced over the years, starting with seat belt laws in 1984. But firearms regulations have always been contentious due to the second amendment provision that guarantees US citizens the right to "keep and bear" arms. Over time this debate has become politicized to the point that the usual process doesn't work.
For some, the solution is more guns. Guns in classrooms to prevent school shootings, good guys with guns to protect the public, and individuals carrying guns to protect themselves against others.
This path leads to a world where individuals and the police have to assume that anyone could be armed and dangerous, and every fight is a gun fight.
Where do we go from here? It's not clear that there's an easy path forward, but we can start with recognizing the problem. Wear this shirt to question the premise that we are better off with more guns. Start a conversation. Make a difference.