Assignment 16- Annie Varner

Annie Varner

More than 80% of the world’s cocaine was distributed by his very own Medellin cartel, and as he and his men smuggled nearly 15 tons of cocaine to the United States per day, the death of thousands was imminent.  Pablo Escobar became responsible for the killing of around 4,000 people, this including 200 judges and some 1,000 police workers, journalists, and government officials.  It was no doubt the US government would become involved, and soon the entire globe had eyes pointed at Pablo.  It became a common mission to take out the Medellin Cartel and end the violence once and for all, but numerous failed attempts by the United States DEA and even the Colombian government proved they would have to be thoughtful and decisive in taking him out.  What finally worked was “de-arming” him and his cartel from behind: cocaine imports and exports were seized, advisors to Pablo tracked, and his biggest source of power stopped from flowing in; money.  

Although it may seem a stretch, we must come to realize that our very own Pablo Escobar has taken the form of firearm use in the United States.  Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that on an average day, 91 Americans are killed with guns, including an average 7 children and teens.  But the statistics have yet to gather attention to make a valuable impact on gun usage at all.  The death toll is swelling, yet our people remain stagnant.  The task must be addressed quickly and efficiently as we “de-arm” the American people and close the curtain on gun violence from behind the scenes, just like we did Pablo Escobar.  

Just two months ago, Lexington’s very own Trinity Gay was taken away by this ceaseless fire that plagues our nation.  Fayette county felt the immediate impacts as 15-year-old daughter of Olympian Tyson Gay was shot in the neck and killed that October morning at 4 a.m.  Her life so full of potential cut so tragically short, the city and country together mourned the death of another victim fallen to gun violence.  Her own mother commented to the New York Daily News, “She was so innocent. I just want people to stop shooting and realize who they’re hurting. They don’t understand. They don’t understand who they’re hurting.”  

Perhaps what’s more concerning is the lack of movement and reform in response to tragedies like these.  Michael Moore’s 2002 documentary Bowling for Columbine worked to explore the leading causes behind Columbine’s High School massacre and argues that America’s conventional use of firearms should be controlled with a governing hand.  The attacks of 9/11 instilled a persistent fear in our people and even encouraged the household possession of firearms.  But seen now more than ever, our own selfish reasons for safety and comfort have literally “backfired”.  Moore further dissects the debate after concluding that the U.S. cannot simply turn to aggressive entertainment, our nation’s violent history, or even the accessibility of guns to explain gun violence when similar cultures share those same factors but lack a similar outcome.  According to an analysis by the World Bank, America’s gun homicide rate is more than 25 times the average of other developed countries.  

The gun control discussion must include the regulation of the distribution of private firearms but also cannot fail to mention the culprits and their individual motivations.  Those in opposition to gun control argue that criminals who don’t follow the law will continue to break any gun laws if enacted.  However, US News’ Susan Milligan states that recent mass shootings are committed by those who we would least expect; gun violence perpetrators are not always the “classic criminal”.  Gun rights advocates will continue to allege that banning guns will only leave guns in the hands of criminals, but nonetheless many murders could be prevented if guns weren’t so easily accessible.  Milligan makes a point many of us are too scared to make: our least-suspecting neighbor could very well be the next mass shooting culprit.  

However, it seems apparent the country still doesn’t know how to tackle this epidemic.  After this summer’s shooting in Orlando, Florida, the gun control debate was once again reignited.  June 2016 left us with an enlightening periodical, Act up for Gun Control, about our nation’s response to the incident, and how it was both critical and influential yet lacked appropriate gun control measures.  It highlighted our new president-elect’s comments on the nightclub affair claiming it caused by “radical islamists”.  Mr. Trump managed to redirect his attention to religious affairs and effectively failed to address the real issue at stake- gun violence.  We must tighten restrictions on firearms, and until we focus our efforts on doing so, our own unwillingness will lead to more and more deaths.  

A simple, no strings attached solution to the problem could be-- gasp-- banning guns altogether, confiscating those if need be, and making the private ownership of guns illegal in the United States.  You own a gun, you go to jail, unless you are a police official or whomever else that has the license and right to do so.  Those in opposition like conservative economist John Lott would argue “the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”  But recent research proves his claims inconsistent and untrue, the best way to lower gun crime is to decrease the availability of guns and simply take them out of the hands of Americans.  According to a National Journal analysis, the stricter the gun regulations in a given state, the fewer number of gun-related deaths per capita.  

Gun violence in America should be tackled with the same resilience and fervor with which we approached Drug Lord Pablo Escobar.  By seizing the so called constitutional “right” to bear arms, we will save the lives of thousands across the world.  The fight against guns must begin where it started-- with the gun itself.  We must first stand together and “de-arm” America to put an end to the senseless shooting made possible by firearms.