Speaker of the US House of Representatives: The culprit of shootings is the human heart, not the gun

[New Sancai Compilation First Edition] In late October 2023, a fatal indiscriminate shooting incident occurred in a small town in Maine, USA. A gunman opened fire on people with a gun at two different locations, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. tragedy. Police later found the body of the gunman who died of gunshot wounds in nearby woods, apparently committing suicide after the attack.

The mass shooting triggered calls from many Americans, including U.S. President Joe Biden, for tighter gun control. In a statement released by the White House on October 26, President Biden mentioned gun violence three times and announced that he would establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention for the first time. The Vice President of the United States issued a similar statement condemning gun violence.

This incident raises the possibility that guns themselves are the cause of violence. However, the newly appointed Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, put forward another view in an interview. He said: "The problem is not guns, the problem is people's hearts." This means that guns do not kill people by themselves, but people use weapons to kill people.

The next day, the White House government refuted Johnson's statement, saying that Johnson's remarks were disgusting. White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement that the Biden administration absolutely rejects this offensive accusation. Bez said gun murders are particularly serious in the United States, and he condemned Republicans in Congress for accepting lobbying from gun manufacturers without regard for the lives of innocent people. He said gunshots are the leading cause of death among American children, not cancer or car accidents. President Biden issued another statement on October 27 regarding the shooting incident, condemning gun violence and stating that he would continue to do his best to end the epidemic of gun violence.

On the other hand, Speaker Johnson pointed out the importance of the Second Amendment to the Constitution in an interview on TV news. He pointed out, "We have to protect the rights of citizens to protect themselves, which is the point of the Second Amendment. That is why the Republican Party supports this so firmly." He said now is not the time to discuss gun legislation.

Residents of the area where the shooting occurred in Maine seemed to support Johnson's sentiments. Because after the shooting, local residents and people in surrounding areas rushed to buy guns and ammunition. Gun dealers told news outlets that mass shootings fuel a sense of urgency in people to own guns for protection.

But if guns cannot be used, gun ownership has no protective effect. An American newspaper revealed a photo taken two years ago showing a sign at the door of a bowling alley that it was a gun-free zone. A sign posted at the museum read: "We urge you not to bring firearms into the museum. We would appreciate it if you left your firearm in your vehicle. Please maintain our family-friendly atmosphere." Unexpectedly, the museum actually became a target of the shooter. While law-abiding gun owners comply with such requests, bad actors and illegal gun owners turn a blind eye. The Maine perpetrator described above is a person classified by the FBI as not allowed to own a gun.

Are guns the culprit? A study released by the Pew Research Center last month showed that 42% of American households own guns and 32% of American individuals own guns. This gun penetration rate makes the United States the country with the highest gun ownership rate. However, according to media reports, in 2019, the United States did not rank among the top ten in the world in terms of the ratio of average gun ownership rate per population to homicides caused by guns. Mass shootings account for only a small portion of gun deaths in the United States, and nearly two-thirds of gun deaths in the United States in 2019 were suicides.

In June 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state in the United States to enact a law allowing people to carry guns without applying for a license. According to FBI data, the state's violent crime rate dropped by 7.5 percent last year. Actual data seems to show that the United States does not have the highest gun crime rate. That’s why U.S. House Speaker Johnson said: “The problem is people’s hearts, not guns.”

(Compiled by: Mulian)
(Editor: Jiang Qiming)
(Source of the article: First published by Xinsancai)