America the Deadly

Gun Violence Makes the Wild Wild West Seem Tame in Comparison

When the United States expanded westward, it was with the intent to increase its borders and unify the nation. Of course that meant displacing millions of indigenous peoples and robbing them of their land. Those who resisted were met with the worst invention ever created by man — the gun.

As Western states were formed and Western towns grew, lawlessness became the way of life. A shootout between bandits and law enforcement happened frequently. Some towns were overrun by bad guys looking to make their fortune. That’s how the term “wild, wild West” was coined. The West was a place of danger and lawlessness for much of the 1800s and early 1900s.

But even during those crazy times, there were rules. You were considered a coward if you shot your opponent in the back. You weren’t considered a man if you harmed women or children. There were even negotiations between bandits and the law. Instead of jail time, bandits were given the option of expulsion from the town. If they returned, they knew they would be killed.

Today, the United States has no rules when it comes to guns. Gun laws are a joke. Depending on the state, gun owners can shoot someone if they feel “threatened” and that’s subject to interpretation. Those laws are called “stand your ground” laws. They’ve caused countless injuries and deaths over the past century — especially to Black and Brown people.

Since the late 1990s, America has seen a massive increase in mass shootings. This is when someone armed with a gun, namely a club, or semiautomatic rifle, begins shooting in a public area. That area could be a restaurant, church, club, movie theater, college campus, or public school. And since the 90s, all of these places have been the scene of mass shootings.

In 2023, there have been over 130 mass shootings, not to mention hundreds of shootings in general. Men, women, and children have been gunned down on the streets, in their homes, and at schools. The most recent shootings have taken place in Alabama at a Sweet 16 birthday party, in Kentucky at a bank, and in Tennessee, at an elementary school. Many people were hurt, and three children, all aged 9, were killed. The shooters in at least two incidents used AR-15s, the deadliest gun on the market.

There have also been shootings involving simple mistakes. A teen boy, Ralph Yarl, went to the wrong address to pick up his younger siblings. He was shot in the head by an 80-something-year-old man. Yarl, currently recovering at home, was Black. The shooter was white. A twenty-year-old white woman, sitting in a car, was shot in the neck by a 60-something man when the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway. As the car turned to leave, the 60-something man shot at the car, striking the woman. She later died from her injuries. Finally, two teen cheerleaders were injured in a shooting when one of them went to the wrong car. The man in the car approached their vehicle and shot at the car, striking the girls. One of them is still in the hospital. The man was arrested.

It just baffles my mind that people are so quick to reach for a gun. It use to be that just showing someone you had a weapon was enough to de-escalate a situation. Now, people are so quick to start firing and the consequences be damned. Why are so many people shooting to kill?

America has become the most dangerous country in the world for gun violence Gun related deaths have skyrocketed. Guns are the number one killer of children. Politicians, mainly Republicans, won’t pass gun legislation. They’ve chosen guns over human life. They’d rather go after drag queens and TikTok, claiming those are endangering our children. Yeah, please tell me of the last drag queen-related injury suffered by a child.

It’s all just a distraction, smoke and mirrors. Politicians worship at the altar of the NRA — the National Rifle Association. They’re controlling the purse strings. The organization has become too powerful. It does not good for the country. People are dying from guns on a daily basis. The NRA doesn’t care and neither do its supporters.

America is the home of guns. There’s no bravery here. Our flag is red for blood, white for supremacy, and blue for the tears of its victims.