The police in Milwaukee have confiscated over 1300 firearms this year alone. This number of guns confiscated is notably higher than the total taken in 2013. It has been theorized that fewer firearms on the street would cut down on the number of senseless violent acts. The police have done their job by cutting the number of guns on the streets. In contrast the number violent acts using guns has escalated in 2014. This fact makes one wonder is it really the gun’s fault?
If all guns were taken off the streets of America the country should be a much safer place. While many argue that gun control would cut the violence in America, that doesn’t seem to be true in Milwaukee. The number of guns confiscated increased while the number of shootings has also. What does this mean? It means that the gun lobbyists may be right. Many Americans feel that people, not guns, kill. Looking at the city of Milwaukee the lobbyists may be correct.
The number of violent acts involving firearms in Milwaukee is alarming. Many of the crimes border on the verge of lunacy. One of the most recent firearm incidents involved seven children. The absurd part of this latest gun battle was that one of the parents of the children was doing the shooting. Is it Smith and Wesson’s fault that the parent chose to bust a few caps?
There are several programs in place to curb gun violence. The police have used gun buy back programs with some success. There are stricter gun purchasing laws in place. There are even classes to enlighten people about gun safety. With all these fail safe measures in place, why is the number of shootings rising? Like the gun lobbyists claim, it’s the people. It is that parent who pulled the trigger. It is the young boy who wants to be hard and shoots into a crowd. It is not the ghost of Sam Colt that is terrorizing inner cities in the USA.
What then is the solution to curb the wave of gun violence, since fewer guns on the streets isn’t working? In Milwaukee several pastors have spoken out to rally the populace. Sadly the pleas of clergy have never worked to stop gun violence or any violence for that matter. Marches and rallies have proven to be as ineffective as clergy at stopping gun violence. It is true that at rallies people gather and hear wonderful speeches, but later, gunshots ring out in neighborhoods.
There has been an increase of police in certain North Side neighborhoods. The number of police has been increasing for years and the shooting hasn’t stopped. Maybe the Marines could stop the shootings, but so far the police haven’t. It’s time to look at the people and the culture they live in.
The level of violence that permeates American culture is astounding. The media dwells on violence. Blockbuster movies are full of violence. Music, sports and even sex have violent undercurrents. With this jambalaya of violence cooking is it any wonder violent acts take place in the USA? Ignorant people will claim it is a racial thing. The number of mass shooting that have taken place in rural or suburb areas defy this statement.
The people in the USA are addicted to violence in one form or fashion. Sadly in the inner city the violence seems to happen with greater frequency. What is the cause for the gun violence in America? Who knows for sure? If the violence is going to cease someone better find out soon.
Frank James IV © 2014
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or NCON Communication, its staff or management. Being Frank is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
