The Manhattan shooting has once again revealed the human cost of America’s unchecked gun culture
Former US President Barrack Obama once said that We do not have to accept carnage as the price of freedom. And how true he was. The gun violence in America is a menace that is so often repeated. The tragic shooting in New York City’s Manhattan on Monday evening has once again exposed the human cost of America’s obsession with gun culture. In the heart of one of the world’s most developed cities — a gunman opened fire, killing at least four, including a New York City police officer, before killing himself.
This latest incident is not an isolated one. It has become a part of American life. It is repeated in offices, schools, shopping malls, churches and streets leaving a bloody trail behind. And each time there is shock, grief, a promises to curb this menace but no real reforms follow.
The statistics says it all. The United States, home to just 5 per cent of the world’s population, holds 46 per cent of the world’s civilian-owned firearms. There are more guns in the country than people — an estimated 120 guns for every 100 residents. This statistics converts into human toll — more than 40,000 people die of gun shots, many of them suicides, but thousands from homicides and mass shootings.
Guns are deeply embedded in American identity, romanticised in media, films and even political discourse. The “right to bear arms” is too often interpreted as an unchecked freedom, ignoring its devastating cost. America’s gun violence is driven by multiple factors. American Constitution second Amendment allows right to life and gives right to protect oneself. Despite countless mass shootings, laws in many states still allow civilians to buy semi-automatic rifles and handguns with minimal background checks.
The absence of a unified national framework on gun regulation means states vary widely in enforcement, creating loopholes easily exploited. The powerful gun lobby has long opposed meaningful gun control legislation. Politicians, fearing backlash or losing support, often choose silence or token gestures over substantive change. It is this that comes in the way of effective gun control. Barrack Obama once said there can be meaningful background checks on buying guns without violating the second Amendment. Indeed that is feasible. We have right to freedom to speech but with reasonable restrictions. Frisking at airports and other public places does not violate our right to privacy.
New York City, despite having relatively strict gun laws, remains vulnerable because guns flow freely across state borders. Without universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, cosmetic local efforts are like putting a band-aid on a bullet injury. Until America tackles its gun obsession head-on, no neighbourhood, no gathering is truly safe. The Manhattan shooting is a grim reminder that America’s gun violence is not a distant or rare threat — it’s an everyday reality. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. The time for action is long overdue. The United States will continue to mourn victims of a preventable epidemic if it does not act now.
