Last Friday, 50 lives were lost in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a gunman opened fire in two mosques. The perpetrator is understood to be a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online prior to the attack and live-streamed the killings on Facebook. He was identified as 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant from Australia. According to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, he will go to trial in New Zealand where he will face the justice system for the acts of terror he committed.
The shooting came as a shock to many – especially because mass shootings are not the norm in New Zealand, unlike the way they are in the U.S. Before Friday, the last mass shooting in New Zealand took place in 1997 and resulted in six lives. The deadliest mass shooting the country had ever seen, which left 13 dead, happened seven years prior, in 1990.
After the 1990 shooting, New Zealand almost immediately altered its gun regulation laws. Since these legal changes were put in place almost 30 years ago, New Zealand has had about four gun violence incidents where five or more people were killed.
When these gun violence statistics are compared to our own, the contrast is stark. Since 1990, there have been 103 mass shootings in the U.S., killing over 800 people. Despite the obvious problem the U.S. is facing, we continue to reject efforts to enforce stricter gun regulations.
According to Ardern, the government plans to make changes to the already strict gun laws in response to the most recent shooting. For New Zealand, what made this atrocity possible is not a mystery. If people don’t have guns, they can’t kill others with them. For some reason, America has yet to grasp this seemingly obvious cause and effect chain. As a result, the best we can offer our citizens is “thoughts and prayers.”
New Zealand does not guarantee a constitutional right to bear arms, unlike the U.S. This is why their government, and many others across the globe, have an easier time restricting firearm access. That being said, it should also be kept in mind that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1791. In the late 1700s, women still didn’t have the right to vote, African Americans were only considered three-fifths of a person and the U.S. was made up of only 14 states. So, maybe we should consider that this law might be antiquated.
Beyond the archaic nature of the Second Amendment, we also need to remember that the guns available in 1791 were hardly capable of the damage seen today. A typical musket could fire one round per minute, maybe three. An AR-15 can fire about 600 rounds per minute.
You do need to pass a background check in most U.S. states to obtain an AR-15. However, there are easy ways for those who might not pass the background check to get their hands on an AR-15 and similar weapons. People can borrow or steal weapons from someone who did pass a background check or they can take advantage of the loopholes at many gun shows that circumvent the necessary background checks.
With more guns in circulation, there is a larger chance that a dangerous weapon could get into the hands of someone who should not have it. For some reason, however, Americans continue to reject this obvious rationality. Instead, they continue to fight for guns, even if it means more lives will be lost.
The rate of mass shootings in the U.S. should be considered a national emergency. How much longer do students need to sit in fear throughout the school day, wondering if a gunman will burst through the doors? When will churchgoers feel safe in their places of worship? At what point can yogis practice in their studios without fear?
It’s time that Americans look around them and realize that our laws cause innocent people to die every day and that the extent to which this happens is unique to our country. The evidence is there: Countries with stricter gun laws have fewer shootings. It’s time we realize this, follow logical countries like New Zealand and take legal action to keep our citizens safe.
Abigail Miller is a UF political science and journalism senior. Her column appears on Mondays.
Ambulance staff take a man from outside a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. A witness says many people have been killed in a mass shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
