Roger Passman-Fischel 
The Epidemic of Gun Violence, Judicial Hypocrisy, and the Cost of “Thoughts and Prayers”
The Epidemic of Gun Violence: An Introduction
The Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States is a theme to which I will often return. Gun violence continues to plague the United States, claiming tens of thousands of lives annually. Despite the horrifying regularity of mass shootings, Congress remains paralyzed, the Supreme Court expands firearm access, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) fuels gun culture with propaganda. Meanwhile, families receive empty condolences instead of meaningful policy changes.
What Exactly Am I Arguing For?
I am not suggesting in any way that guns must be banned from circulation. What I am advocating is that as Americans we vaccinate against The Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States through the creation of common sense laws that regulate the sale and distribution of guns to minors, and criminals convicted of violent crimes.
I am advocating that we take a look at open carry, after all, we do not live in the Wild West where Hollywood would have us believe that everyone from the barber, mailman, lawyer, and criminals carried guns, and had gunfights in the streets. Historians tell us that this picture is false. Why then do we celebrate such outlandish lies?
I am advocating for basic, common-sense regulations for the sale and ownership of deadly weapons. The five suggestions I put forward later in this piece have worked in other nations with a frontier history, Australia, Canada, England, and more practicing sensible regulations against guns as a fact of life.
Who is to Blame for The Epidemic of Gun Violence
In the Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States I place the primary blame on the Supreme Court for ignoring the first clause of the 2nd Amendment which set the purpose of a well-regulated militia aside focusing only on the right of the people to be unincumbered in their ability to keep and bare arms. This alone, over the years, has diminished the purpose of the amendment while valorizing the ownership and display of deadly weapons.
The court, it seems, ignored its responsibility to the health and well-being of citizens including elementary school children, high school students, shoppers, peaceful protesters (a right also protected by the Constitution), and more. Shame on the Justices who place profits over the safety and well-being of people.
The 2nd Amendment: Twisted Beyond Recognition By the Supreme Court
The Second Amendment states: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” For decades, this amendment was interpreted as linked to militia service, yet recent Supreme Court decisions have dismantled regulation and established an individual right to gun ownership devoid of historical context. But let’s look at some of the egregious errors made by the Supreme Court. Frankly, The Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States lies at the feet of the Supreme Court and its outright ethical failure.
The Supreme Court’s Role in the Crisis
Sparked by the Supreme Court’s indefensible decisions, the Epidemic of Gun Violence United States creates the consequence of around 42,500 deaths per year from firearms in the United States. The Second Amendment interpretation debate, mass shootings, and gun laws, NRA influence in Congress, Supreme Court gun rights rulings, common sense gun control policies, background checks for gun sales, school shootings and gun regulation, the impact of assault weapons ban, red flag laws effectiveness.
In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own a firearm for self-defense, unraveling a long-held understanding of the amendment’s purpose. This ruling, reinforced by New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), invalidated sensible firearm restrictions and led to an increase in unregulated gun ownership.
The Court’s originalist interpretation disregards historical precedent and public safety concerns, enabling unrestricted access to deadly weapons. It has provided the legal backing for the gun lobby’s most extreme positions while ignoring the epidemic of mass shootings. Of course, to claim originalism, the Court would have to consult the words of the 2nd Amendment but they chose to disregard those words of purpose to broaden the right to keep and bear arms. Shame on the Justices who call themselves originalists when in fact they are usurping the Congressional privilege of creating law by flim-flam decisions on gun regulations.
Congress as A Body Held Hostage by the NRA: The Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States
Despite overwhelming public support for universal background checks, red flag laws, and assault weapon bans, Congress has failed to act. The NRA, through aggressive lobbying and campaign contributions, exerts enormous influence over Republican lawmakers and centrist Democrats, ensuring that even the most modest gun control measures die in legislative purgatory.
The aftermath of mass shootings follows a predictable cycle: outrage, media coverage, political posturing, and, ultimately, inaction. Lawmakers send “thoughts and prayers” while refusing to confront the epidemic they enable. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) was a rare exception, but it failed to implement comprehensive reform, leaving loopholes that continue to endanger Americans.
Of course, the NRA would not have the ability to buy Senators and Congressional Representatives were it not for a series of decisions that led to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) that created the farce that corporations are people and have a free speech right to lobby with cash to legislators in Congress.
The United States far outpaces other developed nations in gun-related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 45,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2021. Mass shootings in schools, grocery stores, shopping malls, and churches have become horrifyingly routine, yet policymakers refuse to act. This, of course, raises the issue of whether the United States is, in fact, a developed nation, especially now as the Trump Administration is taking a wrecking ball to the Constitution.
School Shootings: America’s Ongoing Shame
From Columbine (1999) to Sandy Hook (2012) to Uvalde (2022), school shootings remain a defining stain on America’s conscience. Instead of enacting policies to protect children, lawmakers suggest arming teachers, increasing security budgets, and fortifying classrooms—none of which address the fundamental issue: the easy access to firearms that enables mass slaughter. And these are the ones that captured the media’s attention. How many others faded away into the dust of memory?
Armed Assailants in Public Spaces
Mass shootings in supermarkets (Buffalo, 2022), music festivals (Las Vegas, 2017), and places of worship (Charleston, 2015; Pittsburgh, 2018) illustrate that no space in America is safe. The ease of purchasing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines ensures that a single shooter can maximize casualties in minutes. And all that is offered are thoughts and prayers as consolation.
With this brief look at mass shootings we may all catch our breath and explore solutions that truly developed nations have implemented and they work quite well.
Sensible Regulations Work—When Implemented: The Evidence is Clear!
The argument that gun control does not work is demonstrably false. After a mass shooting in 1996, Australia enacted strict gun laws, including a buyback program. The country has not experienced a mass shooting of comparable scale since. Similarly, Japan and the United Kingdom, which have stringent firearm regulations, report gun homicide rates that are a fraction of America’s.
Even in the U.S., past regulations have been effective. The Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004) significantly reduced mass shootings, but Congress, under pressure from the NRA, allowed it to expire. Since then, mass shootings have skyrocketed, proving that restrictions save lives.
What Is Possible to Curb The Epidemic of Gun Violence in the United States
If the United States is truly the “Greatest Nation in the World” as politicians like to claim, why are we not acting as if we are? Simple common sense regulations work elsewhere. Are we so special that they won’t work here?
Universal Background Checks – Every gun purchase must require a comprehensive background check to prevent access by those with violent histories or mental illnesses.
Red Flag Laws – Courts must have the power to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
Ban on Assault Weapons – Civilians should not have access to military-style firearms designed for maximum lethality.
High-Capacity Magazine Bans – Reducing magazine size limits the damage a single shooter can inflict.
Stronger Licensing Requirements – Gun ownership should require training, testing, and periodic renewals, similar to driver’s licenses.
Conclusion: Enough Is Enough
America’s gun violence epidemic thrives on legislative cowardice, judicial negligence, and corporate greed. The Supreme Court prioritizes gun rights over human lives, Congress bows to the NRA, and families bury their loved ones while politicians offer hollow condolences. Sensible regulations have proven effective worldwide and in America’s past. The time for action is long overdue.
Sources Cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Firearm Violence Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/index.html
Supreme Court of the United States. (2008). District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2022). New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S.
Giffords Law Center. (2022). Impact of Gun Laws on Gun Violence. Retrieved from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/
U.S. Congress. (2022). Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2010) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310
Suggestions for Further Reading
Bellesiles, M. A. (2000). Arming America: The origins of a national gun culture. Knopf.
Follman, M. (2022). Trigger points: Inside the mission to stop mass shootings in America. Dutton.
Winkler, A. (2011). Gunfight: The battle over the right to bear arms in America. W. W. Norton & Company.
Melzer, S. (2021). Gun crusaders: The NRA’s culture war. New York University Press.
Henigan, D. A. (2016). Guns don’t kill people, people kill people: And other myths about guns and gun control. Beacon Press.
DISCLAIMER: The images on this page, and across the whole blog are created using AI imaging and are intended to illustrate the argument in the post. They are NOT representing real people or events directly, rather the images enhance the argument and nothing more. We do not intend any offense, nor do we wish to single out individuals in any way by the images themselves.
—
Here are some posts we think you’ll like
The Trump and Musk Vision to Dismantle Government: 5 Shocking Scenarios
Illusion of Truth the Outcome of Chaos Propaganda: 5 Ways Big Lies Shape Common Belief
Understanding 15 Understanding 15 Common Logical Fallacies: The Ultimate Key to Critical Thinking
P.S. I confess, I am not a gun owner, nor am I a member of the NRA. What I am is a concerned citizen who ponders the question of the ethics of turning our legislative and executive bodies into a handful of corporations and a smaller group of potential oligarchs and what that means to the stability of the Democratic Republic we call the United States. Gun violence is stoked precisely by the NRA using Supreme Court decisions to legally purchase the loyalty of Senators, Representatives, and those who enforce the laws. It is only in this world of legalized bribery that such upside-down politics flourish.
