Gun Laws in USA/Mass shooting in Las Vegas

Another tragedy took place in USA when a 64 year old man opened fire on a crowd of 22000 people in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 58 have been killed and the number may rise. Over 500 have been injured. - Source

There have been many responses on Twitter regarding the incident.
From people praying for Las Vegas:

To people stressing the importance of stricter gun laws in USA:

 


To people urging us to realise that this man was a terrorist and there's no excuse for that:

 

 


This has -once again- started a discussion about gun laws in USA.
Many people claim their amendment rights are important, whereas others stress out that human life is more important.
Others highlight their right to protect themselves, stating that owning a gun is self defense.

Many non USA citizens still don't understand this logic. And I am one of them.

• You cannot continue enforcing laws the same way you did hundreds of years ago. Society changes, technology changes, culture changes and law needs to reflect those changes in order to be considered effective. When you have identified that there is an extreme gun violence issue in your country, when your country becomes the country with the overwhelming majority of mass gun shootings and gun violence in the Western World, then something is wrong. Guns are weapons of death. The rest of the world can see it, so why can't USA citizens see it? I deliberately say USA citizens instead of Americans, because as many people forget, America comprises of many countries, not just USA.
  So, why does the law -of some States- make it so easy for people to own guns? And also, why do retailers make it so easy for people to purchase guns? Why do people even need to own guns?
• And now we're getting to the 'excuse'/argument most people bring up when told that civilians shouldn't own guns: Safety. And so, let me ask you five key question regarding your safety, owning a gun, using a gun, and the implications of those:

1. Do you feel your country is that dangerous that you need to always carry a gun with you? And if you feel your country is indeed so dangerous, do you believe owning a gun will resolve the issue?
2. Do you feel that if you're attacked you have the right to use that gun?
3. Do you feel that if you're attacked you have enough expertise and experience to be able to use your gun effectively to protect yourself?
4. Are you aware that when you're carrying a weapon on you you must be prepared for that weapon to be used against you?
5. Are you aware that when you're carrying a weapon on you you may actually have to use it? Do you understand the practical consequences but also the mental consequences that may have on you?

These are all questions I have asked pro gun persons over the years. 

Let's break each down.

1. If you're carrying a gun, you most probably feel unsafe (or you've watched too many cowboy movies). If you feel unsafe and you carry a gun, you most probably intent to use it when you feel threatened. But how does you carrying a gun reduce the danger? Wouldn't it actually increase it since one more person is carrying a gun? And what if you misunderstand a situation and shoot a person or an animal who wasn't truly threatening you?
If USA is dangerous, that is a socio-economical, cultural and educational issue. For USA to be less dangerous, you would have to determine why people become criminals. Apart from those who are inherently bad, many criminals choose that path because they feel they either don't have another choice, or because by that choice they can make more money. Or sometimes they've been wronged by the system and seek revenge this way.

When there are high crime rates, you need to focus on changing society. To do that you start from schools, you educate children and you make sure every single child goes to school; you also make sure no one is poor to the point they can't survive unless they turn to crime; you provide free healthcare (including mental health support) and you try to give people choices. If people have other choices, better choices, less people will turn to crime. Will crime ever disappear completely? Nope. That is not possible. But it can be dramatically reduced, and there are countries and communities that have achieved that. 

Bottom line, you carrying a gun won't make USA safer. On the contrary, each person carrying a gun is a potential criminal, whether they intend to be or not, as you can never know what situation you may get into and how you may react to it. What will make USA safer though is policy change, supporting poor communities more, focusing on education, providing accessible health care for all and giving people other choices.

2. Now, many may think that when they're carrying a gun they have every right to use it as self defense. But what does self defense mean? Does it mean that if someone pushes you you can shoot them? Does it mean that if someone pulls a knife on you you can shoot them? Does it mean that when another person points a gun at you you can shoot them? Or does it mean that you may have to wait for the other person to shoot first before you can use your gun? Does the law support you even showing your gun as intimidation once threatened? I suppose each State will probably have different laws on the matter, but common sense tells me you'd most probably be justified to use your gun after someone has made a move to physically hurt you, and hurt you severely. In which case, carrying a gun isn't great help at all. By the time you will be legally allowed to use your gun to defend yourself, you may already be heavily injured, or even worse, dead.
Someone may say at this point that in areas with high gun violence, carrying a gun may be your only chance to survive. But as I previously mentioned, more guns means more gun violence and carrying a gun won't ensure you survive. Wouldn't it make more sense to completely ban guns and make it extremely hard purchasing them, but also implement harsh punishment on those carrying them?

3. Unfortunately, many people who carry guns have not been properly trained on how to use them -or when to use them. Do you feel confident that if your life is threatened you will be calm and collected enough to pull your gun, aim and shoot the person threatening you without killing them? Or, even worse, without missing and hurting an innocent person? As mentioned above, there is a chance you may even misunderstand a situation and shoot without being truly threatened. 

4. The first thing to remember when you carry any weapon on you is that it can be used against you. Are you prepared for that? If someone attacks you and you miss the shot or don't have enough time to take the shot, there is a good chance that person will try to grab the gun from you. And they may succeed. Are you ready for such a scenario? How would you defend yourself then? Is you carrying a gun worth the risk of being shot by your own gun? That is a very important factor you ought to keep in mind when deciding on carrying a gun on you.

5. Lastly, the most important question of all: Do you feel comfortable killing someone? In the horrific scenario of you being attacked and having no other option than having to kill your attacker, are you ready to do that? Have you considered the consequences of such an action? Legally and mentally? Do you understand what it means to take a life? Even if your own life is in danger, are you prepared to defend yourself to the point of causing someone else's death?
Carrying a gun -or even just owning a gun- isn't something to be taken lightly. There are responsibilities, but also grieve dangers that come with it. Are you fully aware of those?

I urge you to do your research on laws, but also within your soul to respond to these five questions before you decide you need a gun in your house or on you.