GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION & AHIMSA

Many years ago, when I was teenager, my dad worked for North Central and Republic Airlines as a manager. One day he was taking a suitcase off the baggage truck to put in the baggage claim area. A gun went off and a bullet came towards my dad's heart. Because my dad was trained as a medic during WWII, he immediately placed his hands over his heart. This action saved his life, but the shards of metal from the bullet ended up in his hands. The surgeon removed the shards and my dad went through rehabilitation, so he could return to work. The police and highway patrol followed the car of the man who had placed the gun in the suit case. He traveled to the Mafia enclave in Cass Lake, Minnesota. Because he as a Mafia member, the police and the courts did not want to deal with him. Not long afterwards airports started installing x-ray machines to detect weapons. My dad became a supporter of gun control because of his own personal experience.

Many of our young people have experienced shootings at schools and on the streets. They also have become some of our greatest advocates for gun control. It is sad that domestic violence is the most common killer of women around the world. A United Nations recent report revealed that 87,000 women were killed last year and 58% of them were murdered by an intimate partner or a family member. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called this violence a "global pandemic." The study also stated that "82% of intimate partner homicide victims are women and 18% are men." Asia (20,000) has the most victims followed by Africa (19,000), North and South America (8,000), Europe (3,000) and Oceania (300). We do have work to do on this one issue. Native American women are murdered and no one investigates these situations. Now we have passed a state law which calls for a Task Force on Murdered and Missing Native Women.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was not about the oppression of the British towards the Americans. It was for more practical reasons. It had to do with the conflicts between the settlers and the Native Americans. Settlers often were on Native American lands and used weapons when they had conflicts with Natives. Roxanne Dubar-Ortiz is the author of "Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment." Her well researched book supports this view point. The amendment is interesting because it mentions a "well regulated militia." Even they realized regulations were needed at times. Not everyone should have a gun because of various reasons. After all we all agree not every one should be driving a car, which can be a dangerous weapon. So why not view a gun the same way?

Our own Minnesota State Legislature wanted to pass a bill on universal background checks. The DFL House passed legislation, but the Republican Senate would not even hold one hearing on a similar bill. Yet the majority (90%) of the public wants some form of gun regulation. Majority of gun owners (97%) want gun regulation and even 74% of National Rifle Association (NRA) members want universal background checks.

According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: "Since the federal background check requirement was adopted in 1994, over 3 million people legally prohibited from possessing a gun--mainly convicted felons, domestic abusers, and the severely mentally ill--have been denied a firearm transfer or permit." In states where universal background check laws were enacted there was a 20% reduction rate for murders and a 20% reduction rate for suicides for a total rate of 40%. This is a significant reduction and improvement in the death rates in these states. Twenty states have passed some version of the universal background laws.

Armslist.com sells many weapons not subject to a background check. Some of those weapons were used in murders and suicides. In October 2012 Radcliffe Haughton bought a semi-automatic gun on this website and killed three women, including his wife, and injured four others. He committed suicide after the murders in a Brookfield, Wisconsin salon. The injured victims sued Armslist.com for their responsibility in causing the deaths and injury. The lower court dismissed their suit, but the state appellate court reversed the decision. The American Medical Association filed an amicus supporting statement for the injured parties. Medical personnel often deal with the medical problems involved with these shootings: "wounds, paralysis, colostomies, brain injuries, depression, chronic infections and post-traumatic stress." The psychology and social work professions also deal with the emotional and social problems associated with these violent acts.

Some physicians have recommended some preventive actions. Taxation of guns and ammunition, changes in advertising and depictions in the media of violence, counseling on gun safety and key or security code locking devices on guns are just some of their suggestions. Hotlines, reduced magazine sizes, restrictions on assault weapons, gun inspections and mandatory gun safety classes are other suggestions. They also advocate for legislation for higher penalties for violators of gun safety. Keep in mind that in the United States more than 30,000 are killed by guns each year. The authors of a report done by physicians state that, "Gun homocide alone causes 11,000 deaths each year, more than all the United States troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last decade."

In the Hindu tradition we value non-violence and prevention of violence. We have a value called "ahimsa." Ahimsa is a Hindi word which means, "do not cause harm." I was at the Minnesota State Capitol in support of the universal background check law. Many Hindus came there to support this law. Gandhi advocated non-violence when he was involved with protesting the British Empire in India. Many people of various faith traditions came to advocate a change in our current law in support of the universal background check law. We have to keep on working on changing the situation, so that this universal background check law is implemented in our own states and the whole nation. Voting is important because you do have to have the right leaders who will have hearings and pass these laws. Every day we hear of people dying because we fail to pass these laws. As Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

JAI SHRI MA! JAI SHRI AHIMSA! JAI SHRI BACKGROUND CHECK LAWS!