“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” This was a call made by Dwight D. Eisenhower, Former US President in his Chance for Peace Speech on April 16, 1953. This suggests that the resources that could be used to fill an empty stomach are used by empty-hearted people to empty enemies' veins. Instead of covering a man with clothes, he is being wrapped up in coffins. War benefits none of the parties.
US is the world's biggest superpower but that comes at what cost? Imagine you go to school just to see firings and killing. The concern is if everybody possesses a gun for self-defense, who is supposed to attack? Does having such lenient gun laws increase or decrease the safety of citizens? A country that tops the list of largest weapon producers or can we say the list of destroyers? If the US president is not safe, what about its citizens?
Arms producing Arms
The United States of America, the most developed nation emerges as the world's most dominant power in economic and military realms. The nation has the largest fields, growing crops of arms and weapons. The world's top 5 weapon crafting companies including Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and many others originate from the US. Out of the top 100 companies producing weapons, 51 are from the US. The industry is highly driven by geopolitical maneuvers. This unrivaled advantage of military concentration reaps the fruit of authority and influence. The point not to be skipped here is that the majority of the arms sellers are not government companies but private manufacturers. America is in charge of supplying weapons to countries in wartime. The US government when in need, purchases weapons from these private ownerships. The irony is that the government uses the money of the common man (taxpayers) to buy weapons that are used against the common man. The ultimate sufferer in the war between the two countries turns out to be the common man.
Let us further understand the position of the US in the world.
Trade of Lives
The US is the world’s largest producer and supplier of arms and is responsible for more than 40% of global weapon exports. In 2023, the US sold a record-breaking $238 billion in military equipment to foreign governments. The industry faced a striking 49% rise in exports from previous years. These exports were done to 58 different countries. The US has mastered the import sector as well, being the 10th largest importer of weapons. This dual trade system as a leading exporter and importer demonstrates unparalleled influence in the defense area. But does the industry truly benefit the country, or has it plunged the nation into turmoil?
The Price for the Prize
The country that suffers the most because of this deadly industry is the US itself. To obtain a gun in the US is as easy as obtaining any other legal license. Tragically, the US is the world leader in the field of mass shootings too, a record no nation wants. These events have been increasing abruptly. The US has faced over more than 630 mass shootings in the year 2023. It’s profoundly heartbreaking to realize that these shootings cast a long shadow over schoolchildren, with some incidents tragically influencing young minds to become part of this cycle of violence. In 2021-2022, more than 327 school shootings have been observed in American schools. These shootings have led to the birth of a new weapon that everybody fears, ‘school shootings’.
According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in June 2023, “About four-in-ten U.S. adults say they live in a household with a gun, including 32% who say they personally own one”. The Americans have been locked in a nearly even split as to whether possessing a gun increases or decreases safety. This is because the US govt highly favours guns. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution in 1791 provides the right to bear arms. Gun sales have tripled from 2005 to 2020. In 2022, Americans amassed a dismaying 16.6 million guns, representing how deeply the nation has been drenched in the culture of arms and firing.
Security Malfunction?
With the near-approaching American presidential elections in 2024, politicians are busy conducting their rallies with high spirits and marches. Donald Trump, former US president’s rally was being held at a fairground in Pennsylvania, Butler. On a 100-acre land, trump was open-fired by a 20-year-old guy named Thomas Mathew Crooks with a semi-automatic AR-15. Fortunately, Trump unknowingly dodged his head out of the way of the bullet, piercing his right ear. Two people in the rally were injured and 1 was shot dead. Our Indian prime minister tweeted regarding the same issue.
Trump was rescued from the firing by his men and the moment his security killed the gunman, trump ascended like a heroic figure and in full aggression raised his arm and signaled the audience to “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT…..”.
Many people on the internet argue whether it was an assassination or a political stunt. It is still not known who that gunman worked for. Some conspiracy theories predict he did not belong to any terrorist group and was a single-man army. One such conspiracy theory is that he was wearing a t-shirt from a YouTube channel “demolition-ranch” which particularly reviews rifles and shotguns. So he had easy access to guns, however, the reason behind this is still unknown.
Conclusion
So can we say that this was the result of the leniency of the gun laws that resulted in the open firing on the presidential candidate Trump? The twist of fate lies in the fact that the party Trump aligns with “The Republican Army” relaxed gun laws (in comparison to Democrats), paving the way for the very issues we've seen unfold.
Whether it was a political stunt or not, it will surely alter the opinions of the public. With his bold and fearless look, Trump has become an idol and no wonder he has attracted the public in his favour. Moreover with Joe Biden stepping out from the elections, the results are very unpredictable and it is very hard to comment on it.
For the safety and welfare of its own citizens and the world, America needs to restrict its gun laws. Similar tragedies were faced by Australia. However, the government responded with the National Firearms Agreement (NFA) between October 1996 and September 1997, and around 650,000 private guns were held. More security should be installed at schools to prevent any mishappenings to occur from the school. Remember, war benefits no party, it's a cycle of arms producing arms to arms killing arms. It just leaves traces to build graveyards, spreading nothing but dismay all around.
Author: Anshul Sethi
Illustration: Cheruvu Sai Kartikeya
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