National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Highlighting the International Response

Editor's note: Emma Kansiz is a writer for Causes.com. She grew up in Canada and currently lives in Mexico.

Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, an appropriate time to reflect on the choices we have - and haven't - made as a nation in the battle against gun violence.

As a nation, Canada subscribes to many of the same grandiose values that make firearms a fixture in America: sweeping narratives of the great outdoors, self-reliance, and the often illusory "battle" of human vs. nature. 

But, by and large, we don't elevate guns to such symbolic heights, nor do we culturally imbue them with sociocultural meaning.

In the U.S., guns are a symbol of the value of freedom itself.

But I have to ask myself, is the freedom to own a firearm more pressing than the freedom to attend school, work, and places of worship without persistent fear? 

With 46% of the world's guns (and only 5% of its population), there is no denying that the awe around guns and their necessity to the national character is a deeply entrenched problem in America.

Tragically, the citizenry of the U.S. has grown used to daily reports of gun violence, mass shootings, and attacks on society's most vulnerable members, our children. As a culture, we North Americans often become numb to the vile news cycle and lose hope that we can make legislative and policy changes that will stem the violence. It can be worryingly easy to resign oneself to the government's lack of meaningful response and inaction. 

But there is nothing "inevitable" about the American response to gun violence. It could be instructive and illuminating to learn about how other countries respond to incidents of gun violence and mass shootings. By educating ourselves on alternative responses, our convictions and hope could strengthen.

We do not have to live this way. We do not have to constantly fear that our child's school will be next. We do not have to avoid the grocery store out of fear of strangers and fellow citizens. Change is challenging, and there are tens of thousands of lobbyists committed to preventing this change. Still, as an informed and angry citizenry, we can make a difference with dedicated, consistent effort.

Many commentators point to the challenges we face.

Margaret Huang, the Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, said:

"The US government is prioritizing gun ownership over basic human rights. Despite the huge number of guns in circulation and the sheer number of people killed by guns each year, there is a shocking lack of federal regulations that could save thousands." 

Rob Bernstein, co-chair of the IBA Human Rights Law Committee, said:

"The well-funded and well-organized gun lobby led by the National Rifle Association is the greatest challenge for reforms. Too many legislators are beholden to gun lobby money."

What are the global statistics on gun violence?

The following statistics are from Amnesty International. The statistics draw attention to how gun violence impacts community life, healthcare and education access, sexual violence rates, and social breakdown.

• More than 500 people die every day from gun violence.
• 44% of all homicides globally involve gun violence.
• There were 1.4 million firearm-related deaths globally between 2012 and 2016.
• An estimated 2,000 people are injured by gunshots every single day.
• At least 2 million people are living with firearm injuries around the globe.
• There are 8 million new small arms and up to 15 billion rounds of ammunition produced each year.
• The small arms trade is worth an estimated U.S. $8.5 billion per year.

International responses to gun violence

Canada

• Canada experienced a total of 19 school shootings between 1884 and 2016. The deadliest of these events was the Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, which resulted in 15 deaths.
• Canada ranks fifth globally in gun ownership, with 35 guns per 100 residents.
• Following a 2020 mass shooting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on "assault-style" firearms. This legislation required anyone who owns the prohibited firearms to either participate in a buyback program or comply with a strict storage regime.

Australia

• Following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia made sweeping changes to its gun legislation. They introduced the National Agreement on Firearms, which essentially prohibited automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles and mandated licensing and registration.
• The government also announced a gun buyback program and took 650,000 weapons, one-sixth of the national gun stock, out of circulation.

United Kingdom

• After the 1987 Hungerford massacre, Britain introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Act, which expanded the list of banned weapons, including certain semiautomatic rifles, and increased registration requirements.
• After the 1996 Dunblane tragedy that killed 16 schoolchildren and one adult, the Snowdrop Petition was born, which helped promote legislation that banned handguns, with few exceptions.
• The majority of police officers do not carry firearms — only specially trained officers responding to particular emergencies or operations carry a firearm. Advocates of this method deem it an example of policing by consent as opposed to force.

Norway

• After 77 people were killed during a shooting at an island summer camp in 2011, one of the deadliest mass shootings in history, Norway had a reckoning about its already strict gun laws.
• In 2021, the Norwegian parliament approved a ban on semiautomatic firearms.
• Norway ranks 14th in the world in gun ownership but near the bottom in gun homicide rates. The U.S. gun death rate is 44 times higher.

Japan

• Although Japan has a population of 125 million, fewer than 100 people die from gun violence annually. 
• Most guns are illegal under Japan's Firearms and Sword Law. Before a gun license is granted, applicants must obtain formal instruction, pass written, mental, and drug tests, and a background check.
• Gun owners must inform the authorities of how their weapons and ammunition are stored and commit to annual firearm inspections.

New Zealand

• Following the hate-motivated Christchurch shooting, where 51 people were killed, and 50 others were wounded, New Zealand introduced stricter gun laws. Less than a month later, New Zealand's Parliament voted 119-1 to implement a nationwide ban on semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles.
• Hundreds of citizens voluntarily surrendered their weapons to authorities.
• Since 2004, there have been 105 gun-related homicides in New Zealand, whereas there were 5,752 gun deaths between Jan. and May 2019 alone in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. 
• Then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said:

"Australia experienced a massacre and changed its laws. New Zealand has had its experience and changed its laws. To be honest with you, I don't understand the United States."

What do you think the U.S. could learn from other countries? 

—Emma Kansiz 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/PatsLadi99)