DNA Special: Buying a gun in US is as easy as grocery shopping in India

Today, we will tell you the story of America's Gun Culture. The US Constitution gives all its citizens the right to own a gun. Guns are as easy to find in stores in America as you get fruits and vegetables in stores in India. The result of this is that in the last 50 years, more than 1.4 million people have died due to gun violence in America.

The gun culture in America dates back to the time when the British government was there. At that time there neither there were police nor any permanent security force and people had to protect themselves and their families, so they were given the right to bear arms. 

By the 19th century, America had understood that gun culture would never allow peace to be established, however, due to pressure from Gun Lobby and some politicians, no strict law could ever be made against it. And today in America an average of 100 people die every day because of it.

The history of gun culture in America is as old as the US Constitution.

In the year 1791, the Second Amendment to the US Constitution came into force and under this, American citizens were given the right to bear arms. But this right also had a price. Millions of people lost their lives due to gun culture in America for decades, and the burden of these deaths increased overtime on the US Parliament.

Even after 230 years, America has not been able to change this law today. The Parliament of America, from which people expect that a strict law will be made regarding this, there are many such shops, just a short distance from that parliament, where you can easily buy modern guns.

According to a 2019 report, there are 63,000 licensed gun dealers in the US, who sold guns worth Rs 83,000 crore to American citizens. This is much more than this year's health budget of India. (Gun sales figures for 2018).

America may declare itself as the champion of democracy in the world, but the truth is that it could neither win the war against terror by sending its armies to other countries, nor could it defeat the gun terror in its own country.

In the last 230 years, America has not been able to eliminate gun culture because the former president himself was influenced by it. We've got some pictures for you, in which you can see former presidents of America with guns. For example, former US President Theodore Roosevelt loved to be photographed with a gun. He was the President of America from 1901 to 1909. Similarly, you can also see pictures of Franklin D Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Senior, and George W Bush. All these leaders have, in the past, glorified gun culture while they were the president.

That too when the gun culture was the biggest reason behind the assassination of four former US presidents. America's 16th President Abraham Lincoln and 20th President James A Garfield were assassinated with guns.

America's Gun Culture Statistics 

Between 2002 and 2011, an average of 31 people were killed in terrorist attacks in the US each year. Whereas an average of 11,000 people lost their lives every year due to gun culture. Though America has declared a decisive fight against terrorism, it has never been able to do anything to stop the gun culture.

1. 58 percent of people in America have faced Gun Terror at some point
2. Every day an average of 100 people are killed in gun violence.
3. 3 million children fight mass shooting or gun culture every year
4. In 2018 there were 27 major incidents of Mass Shooting in America.
5. The total population of America is 33 and a half million, but people there have about 400 million guns.

Whereas India is second in this case with 70 million guns and China is third with 50 million guns. The US has 120 guns for every 100 people, while Yemen is in second place, where there are 52 guns for every 100 people. This is also the situation when about 60 percent of the people in America want strict laws to stop gun culture.

America is the only country in the world where it is very easy for people to die by suicide because of gun culture. In 2019, about 24,000 people died by suicide by shooting themselves.

It is not difficult for people in America to buy a firearm. All it takes is three things - 

1. The age of the buyer must be 21 years or older
2. They should not have a criminal history 
3. They should not be mentally ill

Think then ... if the rules will be so easy then why will there not be this culture of guns.