Opinion

Guns keep us safe? So why isn’t America safe?

America has more guns than people and it’s said that we need guns to keep us safe. But America is not safe — it is suffering a plague of gun violence. This makes no sense. Shown here, newly made AR-15 rifles stand in a rack at Stag Arms in New Britain, Conn in 2013. less America has more guns than people and it’s said that we need guns to keep us safe. But America is not safe — it is suffering a plague of gun violence. This makes no sense. Shown here, newly made AR-15 ... more Photo: Charles Krupa /Associated Press Photo: Charles Krupa /Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Guns keep us safe? So why isn’t America safe? 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

After a gunman opened fire Nov. 5 at a Baptist church in rural Texas, killing 26 people and injuring dozens more, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasted no time calling for more churchgoers to arm themselves against the gun violence that has become inevitable in America.

This most recent shooting feels deeply personal to me. I grew up attending small-town, rural Baptist churches just like the one where this shooting took place. And on that Sunday morning, my family was at a Baptist church in Dallas when news of the shooting broke. I feel connected to the community that is reeling and will certainly never be the same.

It could easily have been my family, my community.

That’s why I feel personally insulted by the attorney general’s comments. The reality is that if more guns and fewer gun laws made us safer, America would be the safest country in the world.

Instead, we have a gun homicide rate that is 25 times higher than other developed countries.

Sadly, mass shootings have become commonplace. Less than two months ago, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history occurred when 58 people and the gunman were shot and killed at a concert in Las Vegas.

Additionally, there have been other mass shootings in Texas this year, including one where eight people were shot and killed at a Cowboys watch party.

I am in mourning for the families of those killed. I am also in mourning for our country, the greatest country in the world. Consider this: 93 Americans are killed with guns every day. Yet every day and after every mass shooting, our policymakers do nothing to prevent further gun violence. So I am forced to ask: How is this great?

We know how to reduce the number of people who die from gun violence in our country, and it isn’t by calling on more and more people to arm themselves. There are common-sense, data-backed policy proposals that would save lives.

According to media reports, the shooter had a documented history of domestic violence. Sadly, this isn’t the least bit surprising since the majority of mass shootings in America are related to domestic or family violence. Congress can take action right now to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers by passing legislation that would strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse.

Unfortunately, Congress hasn’t done this yet. In fact, over the last few months, members of Congress have actually prioritized weakening gun violence prevention laws. At the behest of the gun lobby, members have pushed a bill that would make it easy for people with dangerous histories to buy gun silencers without a background check, and a bill called Concealed Carry Reciprocity that would gut state gun laws that govern who can carry a hidden, loaded gun in public.

Simply put, these are bills that put gun lobby profits ahead of public safety.

Like many Americans, this makes me angry. Really angry.

That’s why I am going to call my elected representatives every single day until they pass common-sense gun violence prevention legislation.

I’m going to tell them that I do not accept regular mass shootings as normal.

I’m going to tell them there is nothing “great” about fearing for your life at church, at the movies, in school or at a concert.

I’m going to tell them that this is not the America I want for my children. And I’m going to tell them that if they don’t take action, I’m going to use my vote to replace them with people who will.

Amanda Johnson is a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and a member of the Everytown Survivor Network.