Firearms Affecting U.S. Culture And The Public
By: Zachary Aguirre
Tags: Gun Violence, Culture, 2nd Amendment, Gun Control

One dead at local Bellaire High School. 16-year-old suspect used a .32 caliber pistol to kill fellow JROTC cadet, Cesar Cortes, 19-years-old. Since the turn of the decade the U.S. has already experienced another school shooting. Last year in 2019, 110 school shootings occurred nationwide. The shooting at Bellaire High School marks the first in the U.S. this year.

The second amendment was intended to grant U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. Throughout the course of its history, the second amendment experienced various laws that attempted to regulate it.

In 1938, the National Firearms Act was implemented to prevent organized crime from purchasing automatic weapons and modifications. They placed tax stamps on these items and required firearms be registered in order to complete this.

However, in the Haynes vs United States case of 1968, the Supreme Court found that the language and effects of the NFA violated fifth amendment rights. Haynes went to register his unregistered firearm which he was then arrested for. The Supreme Court found that Haynes possession of an unregistered did not violate the NFA’s “failure to register a firearm.”

Thus, their ruling in favor of Haynes essentially nullified the NFA of 1938.

Later in 1968 Title II of the Gun Control Act, the language presented fixed the mistake of the previous NFA. Also, it expanded the definition of “machine guns” and included “destructive devices.”

In 1986, the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act made ownership and purchasing of “machine guns” or automatic weapons illegal.

Reported on usafacts.org, since the 1990s, the U.S. has seen a gradual increase in firearm manufacturing. In 1990, nearly four million firearms were produced, since then firearm production has reached 8,327,792 as of 2017.

Data gathered on usafacts.org illustrates the increase in firearms manufacturing over decades.

In 1999, the Columbine Shooting had casualties up to 33. 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary 26 children and staff were killed. Later in 2017, Las Vegas experienced a mass shooting that had up to 58 people killed and 413 others wounded. Parkland, Florida had a school shooting of 17 people dead and 15 wounded. Some of the U.S.’ most deadly mass and school shootings in its history.

Recently gun control and reform increasingly became a point of contention between the Democratic and Republican parties. Now U.S. citizens debate on the accessibility of firearms and the second amendment’s effects on U.S. society and culture.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt, Jacob Eaves, has been deployed twice around the world. His first time in South Korea and now Djibouti. Raised for most his life in Texas; Eaves was exposed at an early age to firearms by his family. “My first gun was gifted to me when I was born actually, it was a .410 shotgun. I was no older than four when I shot my first gun at my family ranch. In Texas there is a lot recreational and hunting uses for guns,” said Eaves.

When asked about his knowledge on current gun laws and regulations, Eaves stated that he was fairly versed in them. “I’m absolutely in favor of the second amendment. I’m more in favor towards states with gun laws such as Texas, Arkansas, and etc.,” said Eaves. “States with heavier gun regulations like New York and California I oppose, because I believe they missed the intent of the second amendment. I believe the amendment isn’t there for hunters, but for citizens to protect themselves from government tyranny. That’s why I believe they’re infringing on our right.”

Eaves went on about the effects of gun culture in U.S. society, contrasting it against other states and their cultures. “I don’t think the accessibility of firearms or the presence of the second amendment affects culture in the U.S., people with intent to harm someone will do it no matter the tool,” said Eaves. “In South Korea the need or recreational demand for guns isn’t present like in the U.S. There aren’t many places to hunt and the need for defense is satisfied, because of their mandatory military service there. Though, I can’t say as to the effects on crime,” said Eaves. “Also, in Djibouti it’s not uncommon to see someone walking down the street with an AK-47 strapped to their back. The problem in the country isn’t the murder, but really the famine, poverty, and etc.”

Reported by the FBI in a data table there has been a steady increase of gun related deaths from 2014 to 2018 in the U.S. Handguns being the leading category for guns used in homicides.

Above is a GLOCK 23 Gen4 .40 caliber

Eaves believes more gun laws aren’t necessary, even presenting a solution of employing military veterans to provide security for soft targets (public areas, schools, and etc.).

Houston resident Tyler Guillory disagrees. “I think we should make the criteria for obtaining a gun much stricter. I think there should be more extensive background checks and I think we should look more into how people with mental illnesses are getting a hold of these guns,” said Guillory. “The problem is no matter what we do, humans will find a way to kill someone else.”

“We hear about these people or kids in some cases getting ahold of their parents semiauto and using it later to do some damage,” said Guillory.

Houston resident Diana Arellano, originally from Michoacán, Mexico, was in support of the second amendment as she shared her experiences Mexico. “In Mexico it’s way easier to buy a gun than in the U.S. You either buy it through the government which is tracked or you buy from the cartels which also have their own consequences,” said Arellano. “Violence is common in Mexico.”

In 2019, the Secretariat of Public Security announced Mexico experienced its highest record number of murders in its history. A total of 34,582 people were murdered in Mexico last year.

“Its common knowledge in Mexico that government officials are bought off by the cartels, corruption is bad in Mexico. So the fear of the government and cartels drive people in Mexico to buy guns.”

U.S. citizens will continue to debate the effects of the second amendment and firearms as the Democratic and Republican parties debate gun control.