If They REALLY Cared About Ending Gun Violence
The relentless procession of American mass shootings marches on: Chicago (Lawndale neighborhood), 7/7/22, four dead; Gary, Indiana, 7/5/22, 3 dead; Chicago (Hyland Park neighborhood), 7/4/23, 8 dead (including children); Uvalde Texas, 5/24/22, 22 dead (including children); Buffalo, New York, 7/14/22, 10 dead. And, in addition to these “headliner” events, there continues a larger and relentless undercurrent of gun deaths, owing to domestic disputes, disagreements among strangers, gang activity, drug activity, robberies and other factors. All of this finally led to some bipartisan legislation, recently enacted, but in my opinion, nothing in that legislation will make a dent in the plague we find our nation in. Nothing short of a radical change in approach will do.
Unfortunately, the often discussed bromides of “community outreach,” after school programs, restraining orders, “de-escalation policing” and the like won’t do. Petty thieves might be dissuaded from minor criminal activities by such efforts, but not hardened gang members, criminals or thugs who would never in a million years attend such programs. Next, restraining orders are often a joke; enraged perpetrators simply ignore them. Likewise, simplistic strategies such as efforts to limit gun availability, gun “by back programs,” and law enforcement won’t do either. And, it’s not that I disagree with tighter background checks and closing “gun show loop holes,”and the like (I’m in favor of all of the above), but actual criminals won’t turn in their guns, real gang members won’t abandon their gangsta comrades, and, as recently demonstrated by the assasination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Japan has among the strictest gun laws in the world), motivated killers will always find a way to procure their deadly firearms. And, although “de-escalation” training of the police might work in a small number of cases, perpetrators in the heat of some insane rant, violent rampage or other major crime, simply won’t be moved by pleas, exhortations or any and all attempts at “de-escalation.”
No, ladies and gentlemen, if America is REALLY serious about ending gun violence, bold measures will be necessary. These will involve at least the following:
First: STOP AND FRISK. Prior to the the disastrous reign of NYC mayor Bill DeBlasio, a so called “stop and frisk” policing policy had achieved remarkable success in confiscating illegal guns from NYC criminals who were not licensed to carry them, thereby protecting New Yorkers from death by gun. Significant numbers of those stopped and frisked had illegal firearms on their persons and those were then confiscated. But those that did not have illegal weapons claimed they were inconvenienced and humiliated by the search, a complaint that offended liberal sensibilities. Accordingly, this very effective strategy was abandoned. New Yorkers have since paid the price in BLOOD. It needs to be re-enacted. And NOW.
Second: INCARCERATE THEM. Almost all murderers have a history of violence, most of them having had convictions for violent crime. We need to make sure these dangerous criminals are where they belong, behind bars, for a VERY long time. There is NO reason that we have to be sympathetic to the needs of violent criminals; they are dangerous animals that need to be where dangerous animals should be: in cages. And, if long incarceration is expensive (which is likely), we’ll so be it. The reduction in crime will more than make up for the cost.
Third: PUBLICIZE ARRESTS. Judging by the sometimes elaborate schemes that murderers concoct in attempts to evade post homicide capture, almost all of them expect to avoid apprehension after their crime one way or the other. Much of the time, however, they ARE captured, but the perpetrators don’t seem to be aware of this, and many of them believe, with some justification, that even if they are caught, the penalty will be be lenient and certainly not execution. We need to ADVERTISE when a murderer is apprehended, and when they are sentenced and we need to do so in prisons as well as other venues that attract potential murderers: sports events, boxing matches, tobacco stores, liquor stores, and social media.
Fourth: EXECUTE THEM: We need to change laws so that the vast majority of murderers are executed. Very few cases of leniency should be allowed. And, to be most effective, we need to PUBLICIZE the executions. Publicizing executions has been part of society’s response to capital crime through most of human history, with hangings, quarterings, and other barbaric methods done in the public square for all to see and to fear. The very thought of such a barbaric display may repulse many people today, whose delicate sensibilities are offended, but, ladies and gentlemen, IT WILL WORK. Most murderers are, by nature, cowards, and would think twice, thrice or more, if they were certain that such a gruesome public execution would be their fate.
Sixth: HOSPITALIZE. The vast majority of murderers are not savvy calculating opportunists (some are), but the majority are just very sick individuals with warped minds, bizarre personalities and abject psychopathology. And many have actually been identified as “at risk” long before they murder. Extreme sociopaths, paranoid schizophrenics (NOT simple schizophrenics) and certain high functioning autists (low functioning autists are not capable of killing anyone) and individuals who lack “impulse control” and are prone to violent rage, need to be identified, hospitalized, kept on medications and kept AWAY from society.
Seventh: PREVENT THEM FROM COMING HERE. Much gun related violence is perpetrated by illegal aliens (see my essay, “Perfidy” from Jul 1, 2022, for a partial listing of several of nefarious examples), gang members, drug cartels and criminals that enter our country, seemingly at will. We need, simply, to keep them OUT. We need a border wall and strict vetting of all immigrants allowed to cross into our country. Period.
Eighth: INSTRUCT OUR YOUTH. We need to make certain that our youth know the difference between right and wrong. We need to end the current fashionable “moral relevance” philosophy that pervades our culture. Perhaps we need to revive the forgotten notions of heaven and hell and explain those to our children.
Ninth: EDUCATE OUR YOUTH. We need parents, religious leaders, educators and schools to acquaint young minds with all of the above. And we need to do so, again and again and again. And, if we, as a society, have the determination and “guts” to take these steps, the plague of gun violence in this country WILL subside. I would bet my LIFE on it.
Stop and frisk. When they put a stop to this Is when the problems started .. Too many people with illegal gun