Armed and afraid

How did Americans get so scared?

How did the people of the bold country that won its independence from the then mightiest nation in the world on the battlefield, went on to save that world from totalitarian domination and then built the most powerful economy and military in the world get to be so fearful?

In manifestation of that fear, 60 million guns were purchased by Americans in the past two years. By far, most of them were bought for self-defense against feared threats, rather than for hunting, target shooting or collecting.

Those who for political or economic reasons applaud the addition of these guns to the 450 million firearms already privately owned (in a country with a population of 332 million) preach that the proliferation of guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens makes the U.S. a safer place. Realty does not agree with that rationale.

Guns now account for nearly 49,000 deaths per year in the U.S., more than ever before. Guns have become the leading cause of death for children and teenagers.

A number of gun deaths and injuries involve innocent victims of armed individuals who are so in the thrall of their fear of imagined enemies that they shoot to kill in accidental encounters with harmless strangers.

This month, three examples of this craven acting out of self-defense fantasies made news. In Kansas City, Mo., a homeowner shot a 16-year-old who rang his doorbell by mistake. In cowardly fashion, he shot the boy twice through the glass of his door without exchanging a word.

In upstate New York, a man shot and killed a 20-year-old woman who was a passenger in a car that turned into his driveway by mistake. He shot into the car even though it was driving away.

In Austin, Texas, a man shot two high school cheerleaders after one mistakenly got into the wrong car in a supermarket parking lot. The girl was walking away when he shot her and a friend.

These gun crimes by “law-abiding” citizens came to national attention because they were committed in the span of just a few days, but many more so-called wrong-address shootings have been recorded.

Besides the appalling negligence and moral vacuity of the shooters, these are signs of the effects of fearmongering in the media, political messaging by those doing the bidding of the gun lobby and the marketing strategies of gun manufacturers. The message is: Be very afraid, it’s a violent world, arm yourself.

A Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans believe crime has increased. This is a misperception, according to FBI data, which show that the violent crime rate has fallen by 49% in the last 25 years.

This doesn’t mean that people should not take reasonable steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their homes, and that can include owning guns. But the right of gun ownership comes with responsibilities, and that should be the thrust of legislation that affects firearms.

In a number of states, unfortunately including Wisconsin, lawmakers are going the opposite way by weakening gun restrictions. Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are pushing to repeal the law that requires a permit to carry a concealed gun. This would eliminate the firearms training that is a requisite of the gun license.

The perverse notion that making it possible for anyone of legal age who is not a felon to carry a gun for protection without any training in its safe and responsible use fits with the myth that the more guns around us, the safer we are.

The myth finds ready acceptance in a country where so many have been convinced to be afraid.