Gun crime?

The above article recounts a public shooting by an 18-year-old student, in America. For residents of Singapore, the very idea of possession of firearms and killing of innocents would be both frightening and absurd. The article also mentions a separate shooting incident in which a businessman killed three people because "he was angry about losing money in a failed business venture".

This article illustrates two things. Firstly, the almost commonplace occurrence of public violence in America, and secondly the public attitude there towards such events. Contrast this with the average Singaporean attitude towards this, that of shock, and the much lower occurrences of such violent events in Singapore. Obviously, strict gun laws in Singapore, among other legislation, have been very effective in curbing such violence.

The general American attitude that this kind of behaviour, although unacceptable, is inevitable and to be tolerated, is a blinkered one. Many countries (those with strict gun laws) have been extremely successful in curbing extremely violent acts, such as public shootings. The article mentions a shooting because a man was “angry”. I ask you, is anger a reason for shooting someone dead? Every year, thousands of innocents die in shooting rampages across America, yet Americans still hold on to their freedom to bear arms.

Americans maintain that it is their constitutional right to bear arms, and are indeed right. However, what is disturbing is that despite the large number of gun crimes, Americans still have not taken the steps to introduce stricter gun laws, or vote on a constitutional amendment.

This article was written to honour a man for bravery beyond his call, and I concur that Officer Hammond should be commended for his action in trying to protect as many people as possible. However, the article also reflects on a disturbing side of society, America being a prime example of such social degeneration. A teenager taking to killing innocent people, should not and cannot be tolerated, under any circumstances or for any reasons.

The individual in this article, 18-year old Bosnian immigrant Sulejman Talovic, killed five people, for unknown reasons. I would hazard a guess that he was dissatisfied with his life in America, dropped out of school, and was lost and confused. Many gun crimes in America end with the shooter committing suicide.

I hope that Singapore, or any other country for that matter, will never degenerate to such a degree as can be observed in the United States of America. The idea of killing an innocent to relieve anger or stress is revolting and vile to the human consciousness, and should remain so. Rising violence in the youth of this generation is a disturbing trend that should be curbed, else it lead to the state where it is so rampant and widespread that we take it for a societal norm. I leave you with the thought of a nightmare future, a dog eat dog world, without law, where the “fittest survive”.