Even though we live in a country whose firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 countries with comparable wealth and population size, we haven’t conducted extensive research as to why this is the case (Photo Credit: David McNew/Getty Images).
This past week, Amnesty International USA observed the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, along with our fellow NGOs in the International Action Network on Small Arms.
The majority of human rights abuses documented by Amnesty International are linked to guns. We’ve long recognized that their widespread availability creates a climate of fear and intensifies violence – involving countless numbers of people who have been tortured, killed, injured, raped and forced to flee from their homes.
For decades, Amnesty International and other NGOs have worked to establish strong standards regulating the international arms trade. However, controlling the international flow of guns is simply not enough. The theme of this year’s Global Week of Action, “Stop Gun Violence and Save Lives,” was selected because of the need to focus just as much of our attention on strong national policies and programs to prevent the misuse of guns.
When governments fail to protect citizens’ right to life and personal security, gun violence becomes a human rights issue. Yet in the U.S., gun violence is consistently reduced to a partisan issue, one in which the only rights at stake are those of the gun owner. Horrific events that have rocked our nation have yet to bring about the changes needed to make our public spaces safer.
To the contrary, our nation has seen the proliferation of legislation allowing more guns in our shared spaces, from expanding concealed-carry permits to Stand Your Ground laws that encourage the unwarranted use of deadly force and legitimize racial bias.
Mass shootings, the focus of much media coverage, have become almost a weekly phenomenon. Incredibly, our public schools are buying bullet-proof blankets and staging drills to train children on how to react to a “live shooter event.”
The gun violence ravaging our urban neighborhoods receives much less national media attention, but the toll is nonetheless significant. In Chicago alone over this past Father’s Day weekend, 27 people were shot, two of them fatally. Five of those injured by gunshot wounds were children. Parents in Chicago’s south and west sides are pleading for the city to provide more “safe passage” routes, so that their children can get to and from schools in rival gang territory without being shot or assaulted.
The 5th Biennial Meeting on States on Small Arms (BMS5) adopted an outcome document committing all U.N. members to promote women’s participation in policy, planning and projects related to guns. Critically important all around world, but also here in the United States where women are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser owns a firearm.
When we read about schoolchildren in other countries being seized by armed groups or even killed, we don’t hesitate to urge our government to ensure weapons don’t end up in the hands of assailants. We must be willing to ask our government to do the same when those abuses are happening inside our own country.
Every person, everywhere, has a right to be safe from gun violence – be it at the hands of armed individuals, armed gangs, or security forces. And every government has a responsibility to regulate the sale of weapons both domestically and abroad to ensure respect for human lives and human rights.
Almost all of the ammunition mentioned is used for legal hunting and sport shooting.
Your presentation seems to support the NRA case: the world is a dangerous place. Arm yourself, defend your family. Leave change to the idealists. This is important. Please coordinate with the Brady Campaign. They have experience you need. And, btw, I don't think you can mix gun control globally with US reform. Apples and oranges.
Please support your statements with evidence, not just sound bites. I'm listening.
WOW. I never thought I'd see it on this page… but you guys impress me for going after our own govt. and the U.N. for arms dealing. I couldn't agree with this post more. I think those who read this will finally see that guns belong in the hands of our people and not world Governments and especially not the U.N. Hopefully now we can admit that our pro U.N. gov. is corrupt beyond repair and that both sides of the isle not only don't give a shit about us, but lie to our faces on a minute to minute basis.
Thank you for making me a proud Amnesty member, Steven Hawkins. Again and again, we take on the touch issues, because that's what defending human rights means. Looking forward to seeing you in October in St. Louis. This comment is also for my brother and his family, who I hope someday will understand that I take the necessity of sound research and action on gun violence every bit as seriously as I take his union labor rights. In solidarity….
Of course most human rights violations are committed with guns today. What a brilliant observation.. News flash, most of us drive to work in cars and don't ride horses anymore. How much did the study cost and how long did it take to figure out that guns replaced, rocks, spears, swords, bows and arrows, the cat of nine tails and pots of boiling oil? What you need to focus on is how to remove the hatred that people have for one another. A person with no hate can own a hundred guns yet never harm anyone. Guns are inanimate objects. They are neither good or evil. Guns do not cause crime or violence, they just happen to be the modern means in which an evil person carries out his evil intentions until something else better comes along. They are also the means by which a good person protects himself from an evil person intent on causing him harm.
World history reveals, that when diplomacy, treaties, constitutions, politicians, and government leaders fail us, and all efforts to resolve differences, which normally is in the form of an oppressive government trampling on the rights of its citizens, then we as citizens are left with two choices. Live under tyranny or fight for freedom. Since the government you are fighting is armed, then the only way to fight them is with arms. That is how the United States became a country, which i'm sure you are all aware of. It is also why the 2nd Amendment was written into the Constitution. They knew what it was like to live under oppression and wanted to guarantee that when (not if) our government be came too powerful, and is operating outside the parameters set forth in the Constitution and we are denied our freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution then as a last resort, we as citizens and believers in the Constitution as the best form of government that we can have to enjoy or God given rights, have an obligation and a duty to to overthrow the corrupt and illegal government and reestablish our Constitutional form of government.
I never have quite understood, how some people think that mankind is different now than it was since Cain killed Able, (and without a gun by the way) and that somehow we are smarter than people in years past and that such travesties that have occurred and are occurring will not happen to us. If we were to adhere to the the Constitution, and it's principles, this would be less likely to happen, but in our wisdom we continue to get further and further away from the type of government that it intended. I certainly hope that we never reach that point in this country since we already know the carnage and human suffering that war brings, but we seem to forget that World War II was only 70 plus years ago which is not very long from a world history perspective.
I do not subscribe to the U.N.'s wishes concerning gun ownership in this country Do whatever you want anywhere else, that's not for me to say. I live in a sovereign country and I abide by the laws and rights that it guarantees, and any elected leader in this country that would even consider taking this right away by entering into a U.N. treaty is in violation of their oath of office to uphold the Constitution of United States and should be impeached. They do not have any legal or moral authority to even consider this. It is not up for negotiation, and for any of them to think otherwise shows either their ignorance or utter contempt for the principles on which this country was founded.
In a perfect world, none of us would need guns, nor would countries need to have armies and nuclear weapons, but recent history has shown that had we not had such overwhelming power in this country then the Cold War could have very easily not been so cold. The same principle applies to citizens and their governments. Just the fact that the government knows its citizens are armed helps to preserve our freedoms. If you value the other nine amendments, then you should value the 2nd Amendment since it is the one that keeps us from losing the rest. I am no more willing to give up this right than I would be for the U.S. to give up it's nuclear weapons. Most of the world hates us and would like to see this country destroyed along with it's principles. No one can deny that our military strength is the only thing that has kept this from happening so far. It matters not whether we like it, agree with it, or wish it were different, that is just reality.
Peace
I think the above commentary misses the point — and, indeed, the mission and track record of Amnesty International's work. Yikes. At least we know what we're up against.
Outstanding work, pointing out that Chicago, while having less population than NYC, as well as having some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, also has by far the most gun crime and gun deaths.
As well, it's interesting that the fact that 75% of gun violence victims were Latino and black, and that youths under 25 make up almost 50% of homicide victims in Chicago. I would be interested to know what the nationalities of gun violence perpetrators are ( a percentage would be fine), and the age of the homicide perpetrators in Chicago (once again, a percentage would be fine here). I would imagine (but have no proof, and would love for you to provide the statistics) that the percentages of the statistics I've requested are probably very close to the statistics you gave in this article. As well, I'd recommend that you view the recent report commissioned by the CDC art the behest of our President on gun violence. The salient take-away points can be read here: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/…
i didnt know about this, but ill read it, maybe this info can by a methode to stop gun violance
i think the most effective way to stop that is with prohibited firearms sold in general
This fight has gone on too long .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqGS8M6UeC8
Gun violence is becoming a common phenomenon in the world. If it cannot be sopped then we will have to suffer a long run. Amyway, it would be really a good idea to ban the bad people