Gun Violence in America

Gun violence has become prominent in the United States in the last few years. Mass shootings like the ones that happened recently in Colorado, North Carolina, and Parkland are fresh in our collective memory. These are painful memories and obviously problematic in any society. The global incidences of such mass shootings are few and far in-between. The United States perhaps has a higher share of such incidences. What can we do about gun violence from a public policy and administration perspective? The liberal perspective is that the proliferation of gun ownership is at issue and we must establish policies to circumscribe gun ownership. The conservative perspective is that gun ownership is not the problem. Responsible gun owners do not indulge in the actions. Any policy to circumscribe ownership is an infringement on liberty to own guns. The issue is further muddied by various interpretations of Second Amendment. Special interest groups like the National Rifle Association also hold sway over what can and cannot be done. questions: 1-how we should go about reducing gun violence in America. Feel free to bring in the experiences in gun violence that we have faced. 2-What is the central problem of gun violence, according to you? Is gun violence the same as other forms of violence (e.g. with knives, cars, etc.)? 3- What is the role of the Second Amendment? 4-Florida state is poised to implement a bill to allow school teachers to carry guns. Are more guns the answer to gun violence? 5-What are the unintended consequences of any policy toward gun violence? Let me be candid. Many of these issues are very emotional. Some of us probably have had first hand experiences. So, please tread carefully. My intent in asking you to take a deep dive into a current problem is to show the multi-faceted nature of the problems you will face in public administration and service. You may be asked to handle such difficult issues from policy and administrative perspectives. What would you do? On a more rational level, gun violence is no different from other problems facing us. A good parallel is that of smoking. We have pretty strict cigarette smoking policies. While we have moved towards enormous control with cigarette smoking since the 1960s (the proud Marlboro man on a horse has a limp cigarette in ads now), we have moved toward a rather generous ownership of guns (recall Charlton Heston waving his gun in NRA convention; video link below). Contrast with Europe: it has much looser controls on cigarette smoking and much higher restrictions on guns. Clearly, policy and administrative conversations across the globe are different. Another parallel is with gas prices. Gas is hardly taxed in the United States; it is heavily taxed in Canada and Europe. PART BB: Why is regulation different? Obviously culture plays a role, but that is an easy way out to blame everything on culture. What is it about the culture that affects policy in one way or the other? I am using Cass Sunstein’s book deliberately at the end of your MPA education. He takes a behavioral approach to argue that policies could nudge people toward one choice or the other. Sensible policies make socially desirable choices to be the default. But, isn’t the whole essence of policy to challenge currently established norms and follow a new course?