America’s image is constantly being tarnished by gun culture

America, which considers itself civilized and self-proclaimed in the world, along with the increasing ‘gun culture’ among the people, the ill effects of increasing intolerance, violent mentality and easy availability of weapons are coming out in the form of recurring tragic incidents. It is worrying. In America, a murderer killed about 21 people by firing bullets and injured many others. After firing at three places, the killer managed to escape from the scene. It is surprising that the world’s most intelligent and capable American police became so helpless in catching a murderer that it had to appeal to the common people for cooperation. America, which speaks the language of violence, provides fertilizer and water to the land of violence, and brings a storm of weapons to the world, is now itself becoming a victim of violence. The biggest difficulty of America’s modern civilization has been that violence has become so natural here that the answer to everything has started being given only in the language of violence. The atmosphere of violence there has become so strong that the people there have become very unsafe in their own homes due to the gun culture there. America should be aware of its deteriorating image because it is a bad stain which is hurting its international image.

For America, which promotes gun culture in the world, this has now become a big problem for itself. America is becoming known as a bastion of hatred, crime, violence and gun culture. Be it the murder of a Sikh or a Muslim child or the brutality on a black person, the situation in America is becoming increasingly condemnable, scary and unbalanced. Any normal looking man comes with a weapon and kills many people. The latest incident took place in Lewiston, Androscoggin County, late at night on October 25. The worst part of this accident is that many people were injured due to the stampede and many fell asleep due to the killer’s bullets. Robert Card, 40, the alleged massacre accused, has been considered by the police as an armed and dangerous person, but the question is whether he has become murderous and violent overnight? The killer, Robert Card, served in the US Army and is a firearms instructor. Many complaints had already been received against the murderer suffering from mental illness and mental disorders, the question is why they were not taken seriously. Every day there are reports in America that some crazy person starts firing indiscriminately with his gun, somewhere in a school or sometimes in a market, and people are killed unnecessarily. Now even American children have guns in their hands. A major reason behind this is the easy availability of all types of guns to the common people there and these guns have been used for indiscriminate firing over trivial matters and in cases of madness, which has become a cause of deep concern.

In common people’s life, there is always a fear of some major disaster due to the whims of some crazy person. The beliefs and loyalties there have become so wounded that there is no protective shield like trust between humans. It is difficult to say what ugly and crazy minds are hidden within the clean faces. America’s arms race and technological race are pushing the entire human race to a corner from which it has become difficult to return. Now, along with the world, America itself is a victim of these weapons and violent mentality. In fact, America is failing in its campaign to stop hatred, mental imbalance, rebellion and discontent. The FBI’s annual crime report highlights that gun culture and the violence associated with it have become widespread. Guns were used in nearly half a million violent crimes in the US last year. Gun culture became the leading cause of death of American children in 2020 and the situation became worse in 2022. The number of children who lost their lives increased by 12 percent. Under these circumstances, how can America become a role model for the world? While the world follows American culture, America releases social and human rights reports of many countries. If America moves towards eliminating the difference between its words and actions, the world will benefit more along with it.

According to political observers, negative politics plays a big role in increasing the ‘gun culture’ in America. The general public is in favor of curbing weapons, but due to their vested interests, the powerful arms lobby in America and people associated with politics who promote weapons do not allow it to be curbed. Whenever the issue of controlling gun culture arises, the leaders of the ‘Republican Party’, which is considered a staunch supporter of the constitutional right to possess arms, and their supporters come out against it, in front of which the Democratic Party remains helpless. In June last year, a large number of people took to the streets and demanded change in the law related to the purchase and sale of guns. What is needed is that along with providing relief to the victims of this problem, everyone from the buyers of guns to their manufacturers and sellers should also be brought under the ambit of strict laws. The irony is that America is the most powerful and secure country in the world but its citizens are the most insecure and fearful citizens. There are more prisoners in the jails there today than in any other country in the world. There have been many such incidents where some crazy person suddenly started firing at a restaurant, hotel or gathering and a large number of people were killed.

In a study conducted by the government itself, the fact was revealed that about thirteen hundred children under the age of seventeen in America are injured by guns every year. The American administration will have to curb not only the ‘gun culture’ but also the weapon culture, now it will have to change its mentality to make the world livable. Any sensitive society should see and understand this situation as a serious problem. It is not without reason that in America, where most of the families have different types of guns, now voices have started being raised against this weapon culture. According to the saying, better late than never, if America opens its eyes then the message of peace and non-violence will go to the world with America.

The mentality of ‘do whatever you want’ flourishes where the values ​​of human relationships have ended, where children become independent as they grow up in an individualistic system. In a state of ‘not good mood’, an event is just an event, it gives neither happiness nor sadness. In such a situation man dwarfs his infinite powers. This is a conservative way of revealing inner chaos. Such people do not have a decent and non-violent way of living properly. There is no recognition of time. Such people do not have much regard for dignity, etiquette, intimacy of relationships, peaceful co-existence etc. Material comforts become the ultimate goal of life. This kind of isolation among American citizens is filling them with deep despair, intense anger and poisonous vengeance. They become mentally ill and commit murders using dangerous and deadly guns available with them.

-Lalit Garg

(The author is a senior journalist and columnist)