The Problem Lies in System, Gun Violence is Just a Symptom

On Wednesday, thousands of students across the United States of America (USA) staged a walkout from their schools, demanding stricter gun controls in wake of a series of gun related massacres on campuses. Amid the call for “gun control legislations” by the students, there were certain voices that rallied for measures that go beyond a mere enacting law. They called for community transformations, as the real problem that led to rampant gun violence in the country lies in the system.

The Chicago’s students and youth movement demanded the state to stop perpetuating and enforcing the conditions that lead to intra-community violence, calling upon the government to create an inclusive education system that deals with racist and highly masculine structures that exacerbate the gun violence.

What is Second Amendment?

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." It was adopted on December 15, 1791.

After the nation wide walk out, some of the students from Chicago organized a small rally in the downtown to confront the city officials and demand an end to the threats of school budgets cuts and school closing. The students argued that greater investment in special education, ESL services and mental health services, rather than policing, metal detectors and further criminalization, will help create a “safe and welcoming environment for students.”

The students also demanded restorative justice trainings for school staff, more jobs for youths and an end to expansion of charter schools. More school counselors (a ratio of at least 1:200 students), librarians in every school, more after-school programs and a full-time nurse for every school, were some of the other demands put forward by the students.

“Don’t arm our teachers! Arm us with books and resources,” said one the students referring to the recent statement by US President Donald Trump supporting arming of teachers. 

The students want the gun control movement also to focus on the police killings of black people in the country. Speaking about the recent movements against the police-killings of people of Afro-American origin, journalist Sarah Ruiz-Grossman said:

“Young black activists who have been mobilizing around gun violence, including police shootings, for several years are generally perceived negatively by white Americans, are often arrested for protesting, and have been labeled as “extremists” by the FBI.”

Gun Violence, explained:

The available data on gun-related violence show that rarely a day passes by in the United States without incidents of shooting - both accidental and premeditated. Everytown’s research reveals that, on an average, around 96 people are killed daily.

The gunviolencearchive.org reports that there had been already 34 mass-shooting incidents in the United States in the year 2018.

In a statement issued during the nationwide rally, the Juntos and Philadelphia Student Union called upon the divestment from School Police Officers, and a comprehensive mental and emotional health services to be put in place. They demanded the creation of restorative justice programs and measures aimed at protecting students and families from Immigration Customs Enforcement, in addition to stricter gun control regulations that do not “result in targeted policing of black and brown bodies.”

“Decriminalization of black and brown students in our schools,” demanded Students at New York’s Central Park East High School.

The systemic problem is much deeper and goes beyond the educational structures. National Rifle Association (NRA) is one such problem that has embedded itself inside the system, backed by the powerful arms industry.

After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland (Florida), 18-year-old Emma Gonzalez in a powerful speech said, “If the President wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy and how it should never have happened and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I'm going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association.”

Also Read: How Powerful is the NRA?

“Politicians who sit in their gilded House and Senate seats funded by the NRA telling us nothing could have been done to prevent this - we call (this) BS,” Gonzalez bellowed to a crowd chanting “throw them [politicians] out.”

As per the available data, the NRA, in their effort to propagate gun culture in the United States, has provided more than $335 million in grants since 1990 to various school, clubs and institutions.