Bang! Bang! Bye! Bye!

Xander Burling Year 8

I remember coming home from school and seeing someone being shot dead on TV. It was a minor altercation, between a petty thief and a police officer. Yes, stealing is wrong. But stealing a life is more egregious. Was it fair that this man lost his life over a simple mistake? Aren’t mistakes a part of life? Aren’t we supposed to learn from them? I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe it.

What was on the news that day was not uncommon. Last year, 164 people were shot dead in Australia by police officers. These numbers are unacceptable. Are the guns to blame? Without a doubt. Why do we even allow officers to carry guns? When did protecting and serving equate to shooting and killing? No one should ever die at the hands of the people who are meant to keep them safe. Guns should be banned in Australia.

Do guns keep the peace? No, they definitely do not. Police officers in England and Wales do not carry guns, yet statistics show that homicide levels are around 18 times lower than comparable countries. New Zealand’s ordinary police force is also gun free and ranks 2nd in the world for domestic peace— miles ahead of, Australia which come in at 27th. In fact, places like Norway, Iceland, and Ireland are all gun free, and all ranked higher than Australia. The evidence is clear: countries without guns are safer and more peaceful.

Carrying a gun is also dangerous. In one heated moment, an officer could take someone’s life. Since when did injuring or killing someone become a part of serving and protecting? And it’s not just the victims that suffer. Friends and family are also traumatised by these shootings— not to mention the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by many officers after being associated with a shooting incident. Currently, more than 15% of police officers are treated for this condition in Australia. Isn’t it everyone’s right to work in a safe environment? Guns are highly dangerous and people suffer from their long-term repercussions.

People often wonder how young people become violent, but this very behaviour is being modelled by our police. Being a police Officer or a detective are two of the most popular professions that children aspire to be. Children are highly influenced by what they see. So why are we showing them that it’s ok to use guns and violence to solve problems? With so many children admiring the police force, isn’t this a golden opportunity to teach them how to diffuse problems without violence? The most important thing is that no one gets hurt and no one suffers. Keeping our children safe and modelling positive behaviour should not include carrying guns.

Imagine a future where everyone feels safe and protected by the police. A future where you can walk out of your home in safety, knowing that guns are no longer a threat. A future where the police model good behaviour, showing young people how to problem solve without resorting to violence. We should all dream of a gun-free utopia, where our friends, families and communities are kept safe.

When I think back to the macabre vision of a man whose life was no more, I wonder— what we have truly learnt? I’m haunted by the fact that nothing has changed. Police still carry guns and we all still live in fear. If we wish to live in peace, to teach our children to solve problems without violence, and to keep front-line workers safe, we need to take guns away from the police. There are many things in the world that we cannot control, but we can control this. Let’s make the right choice.

An open letter