The mass shooting of 19 school children in a Texas town is yet another grim reminder of endemic gun violence in the United States. Once again there are concerns that in the country with 400 million firearms, there will be several incidents unless gun control reforms are not seriously taken.
There have been 214 mass shootings in the US within the first 145 days this year. Among developed countries, none is even close to the US in gun-related deaths. Such horrendous mass shootings have become far too common as the US fails to address gun laws amid stiff resistance from powerful gun lobbies and politicians.
Countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Columbia, where gang violence and drug trafficking is prevalent have a high homicide rate. In 2021, Mexico used US gun makers for loose gun controls and contributing to illegal flow of weapons across the border. Many Latin and South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Columbia allow possessing guns with strict control.
In India, getting a gun involves thorough scrutiny and background checks. The country of 1.4 billion issued about 3.3 million gun licenses in 2018. In 1996, China adopted the strictest gun control laws, banning the possession, manufacturing, trade and lease of guns except for security personnel.
Southeast Asia has strict gun controls though it is a hub for cross-border arms smuggling and trafficking. Cambodia and Vietnam have bans on firearms while Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand have restrictive controls. The death penalty can be imposed for gun-related crimes in these countries.
European countries have strict regulations that ban civilians from bearing guns. In the UK, policemen do not possess a gun even on active duty. Europe has a lower frequency of mass shootings than the US but still has strict regulations on gun ownership. Following the Texas shooting, Canada has imposed a freeze on sale and import of all handguns.
The US is the biggest proliferator of guns across the world. But it also faces the effects as thousands of its citizens are killed every year in mass shootings. Lawmakers have succumbed to powerful pro-gun lobby and politicians in Washington openly propose more guns to the solution. This time around, there are concerns the dust may settle down and the situation will remain the same.
