OPINION

From The Daily: demystifying misconceptions about gun violence

THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUMMER EDITORIAL BOARD

In the past month, a string of tragic mass shootings have dominated the media. Witnessing the senseless barbarity has left many Americans in despair over what can be done to stop the monolith of gun violence. With increased media coverage and civic dialogue, the recent shootings have publicly demonstrated just how false common arguments against stricter gun control are. As Democrats in Congress push for even minor policy changes, ordinary voters have an opportunity and obligation to put the pressure that is clearly needed on our elected officials to prioritize gun control. In order to begin unraveling a system that has enabled repeated acts of gun violence, we must work to demystify the common misconceptions that prevent necessary change.

MISCONCEPTION 1: Arming good guys with guns can help to stop bad guys with guns

One widely accepted myth about gun violence prevention, especially touted by Republican members of Congress, is that providing guns to the “good guys” can help stop bad guys with guns. After all, if we arm our teachers or school security with ammunition and firearms, then they can take action to stop a shooter themselves, right?

Wrong. A perfect example of this myth in action can be observed in the recent school shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in which the shooter killed 19 children and two teachers. Despite the fact that officers of the Uvalde Police Department, a U.S. Border Patrol tactical team and deputy U.S. Marshals were all armed and on the scene at Robb Elementary, 77 minutes passed before the tactical team was finally able to enter the locked classroom and kill the shooter.

While the Chief of Police, Pete Arredondo, attributed the delayed response to “measures meant to protect teachers and students in mass shooting situations work(ing) against police trying to gain entry” — including the fact that the classroom door was “reinforced with a hefty steel jamb” to prevent forced entry from intruders — these facts do not change the reality that good guys with guns were unable to stop the bad guy with a gun from murdering innocent children.

In fact, a 2021 JAMA Network Open study that analyzed every incident from 1980-2019 in which “one or more people was intentionally shot in a school building during the school day, or where a perpetrator came to school heavily armed with the intent of firing indiscriminately” found that “no association” existed “between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence.” This damning statistic proves the unfortunate reality that good guys with guns are often unable to stop school shootings, even when they’re properly armed and trained to do so.

This trend can be further seen in the examination of other mass shootings in which armed officials were present at the scene. During the recent mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., in which a white supremacist targeted and murdered innocent Black shoppers, an armed security guard and former police officer named Aaron Salter attempted to stop the shooter with his weapon. However, because the gunman shielded himself using an armor-plated vest, Salter’s shots did not stop the shooter. Salter was ultimately killed, making him one of the 10 victims from the mass shooting.

And yet, these armed individuals are not even responsible for being incapable of defending others from mass shooters. The fault lies within the fact that good guys with guns are rendered practically defenseless when faced against assault rifles, a popular weapon of choice among mass shooters. While the majority of shootings are perpetrated using handguns, assault rifles are significantly deadlier, explaining why some of the worst mass shootings have been perpetrated using AR-15-style rifles — including the Uvalde shooting (12 killed), the Las Vegas shooting (59 killed), The Pulse nightclub shooting (49 killed) and the Sandy Hook shooting (27 killed). The AR-15 itself is a destructive semi-automatic rifle which was originally “intended for the U.S. military” because of its ability to kill mass amounts of people in an efficient manner. Without the proper protection, even a good guy with a gun could be annihilated by the bullets of an AR-15-style rifle.

MISCONCEPTION 2: The “lone gunman”

Another common misconception surrounding gun violence is the perpetuation of the idea that one sole individual is behind the act. In reality, there are a multitude of forces and contributing factors that bestow these gunmen with the ideological methods by which they go about their sprees. Many conservatives, whether they be politicians or political commentators, are under the impression that the issue of mental health is the reason for the uptick in gun-related violence, but this is absolutely unfounded in terms of scientific and social evidence. To shift the conversation towards mental health and away from the actual problem of guns avoids the problem entirely and creates damaging stereotypes against those in America who struggle with mental illness.

I am a woman. But not in the way you may think.

SOPHIA LEHRBAUM Opinion Columnist

As a young and impressionable child, the concept of gender and what it meant to be a “proper” girl were enshrined into seemingly every fabric of the world that surrounded me.

When I visited Target to spend my carefully accrued Tooth Fairy money, the segregated blue and pink aisles quickly indicated which section I should browse. The girls section was filled with gendered stereotypes to carefully cultivate a new generation of domesticated women through marketing: Instead of Lego sets, we were offered baby dolls that needed to be “mothered” by us with mock baby bottles and diapers; instead of Nerf guns, we were gifted Easy-Bake Ovens that introduced us early on to the concepts of cooking and baking; instead of Pokémon cards, we got to browse an assortment of plastic Barbie dolls who modeled how to girl-boss through womendominated fields of life while perfectly maintaining Eurocentric standards of beauty.

Design by Jennie Vang

Concealed behind fuchsia plastic was the societal goal to slowly condition a generation of young girls to collectively understand our “proper place” in the world without asking any questions. While the boys got to be boys, the girls were fed discreet corporate messages about their predetermined roles in society.

While sex concerns the biological differences between females and males, gender is much more complex. According to Dr. Zuleyka Zevallos, a PeruvianAustralian applied sociologist, gender is “a concept that describes how societies determine and manage sex categories; the cultural meanings attached to men and women’s roles; and how individuals understand their identities.” Gender, she explains, “involves social norms, attitudes and activities that society deems more appropriate for one sex over another.” She adds that gender is further determined by “what an individual feels and does.”

Read more at michigandaily.com

What the Depp v. Heard trial means for domestic abuse survivors

AMY EDMUNDS Opinion Columnist

You’ve probably heard the names Johnny Depp and Amber Heard being thrown around recently. Maybe a meme here or there, or a clip of some movie stars in a courtroom. But what’s the scandal? Who’s suing whom? Isn’t Johnny Depp a pirate? As someone with a little too much interest in both “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the judicial system, I’m here to tell you exactly what’s going on and what the true importance behind the trial is.

Johnny Depp became a household name after his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the widely popular movie series, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” As a family favorite, loved by children and adults alike, fans were devastated when, in 2016,

Design by Tamara Turner

rumors that Depp had abused his ex-wife, Amber Heard, began to spread. Almost overnight, his high reputation was slashed, costing him millions of dollars as fans and employers began to boycott him. As a beloved pirate-turned-wifebeater, Johnny’s reputation and career were over.

Denying the abuse allegations from the beginning, Depp set out to save his reputation through a series of defamation lawsuits.