World Theory: British Media: American People Desperate for Government Gun Control Prospects Minority Peoples Helplessly Choose Gun Protection in Survival and Death | Firearms | United States

On August 10th, China Daily reported that due to the long-term inability of the US government to change gun control issues, the number of deaths from gun violence in the country has been increasing year by year. Despite receiving significant support from society for some stricter gun legislation, these proposals have not made significant progress in the US Congress. Recently, Colorado planned to implement a new law aimed at raising the age limit for gun purchases to 21, but the proposal was rejected by a federal judge... This vividly illustrates the current situation of gun control in the United States.

The Trace, a non-profit organization that focuses on gun news in the United States, mentioned in a recent article that a data from Fox News shows that 87% of Americans support universal background checks. A study by CNN found that 80% of people support raising the age of purchasing any firearm to 21. A nationwide survey by Johns Hopkins University found that 76% of Americans support the Red Flag Act... calls for stricter gun control legislation such as this are prevalent in every corner of American society.

Screenshot of a report by The Guardian in the UK

Latinx residents: If you don't have to worry about getting shot, you will never carry a gun!

According to the Guardian website on the 7th, 32 year old Colombian American Cesar Urtadora, who lives in Royce, Texas, USA, opened a hard shell box containing a customized AR-15 rifle. Urtador's change of attitude towards guns began in August 2019 when a shooting tragedy occurred at Wal Mart in El Paso, Texas, USA, which resulted in 20 deaths and 26 injuries. He believed that he must accept guns to protect himself. He said, "For white gunmen, they feel it's their right, but for Latinos, it's a matter of survival and safety."

According to reports, Texas is almost synonymous with the state with loose gun laws and the largest gun sales in the United States. Ultador said, "If they think it's unnecessary, if they think there's no legal threat, most people won't bother using firearms. If I never have to worry about being shot, I'll never carry firearms!"

Due to the political conflict in Colombia that caused about 300000 civilian deaths, Urtado's mother and sister deeply despised firearms, and he never told his family that he owned a gun, let alone customizing a rifle. He said he understood his mother's opposition to firearms, but he believed that in this era of high xenophobic sentiment, owning a gun was necessary.

The number of Hispanic gun purchases in Texas has surged by nearly 50%

The article points out that Latinos remain one of the largest target groups for hate crimes in the United States. In 2022, white supremacist propaganda in Texas increased by 61%, raising concerns that far right extremism is accelerating in the second largest state in the United States.

According to data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation in the United States, the number of Latinos purchasing firearms increased by nearly 50% between 2019 and 2020. Although there is no data on Latinx gun holders in Texas, people of color make up 20% of new gun holders in the state. The Texas Department of Public Safety, responsible for compiling pistol licenses in the state, records the number of white, black, and Asian gun holders, but does not include Latinx or Hispanic gun holders.

Among the 10 deadliest mass shootings in the United States, 3 occurred in Texas, and these shootings occurred in areas with a large Latino population. The state is also the second largest campus shooting site in the United States, which has prompted some Latin American teachers to receive gun training to protect students and themselves.

The United States has weak gun control, frequent shooting tragedies, and numerous scars. The article points out that even though Latinos are using their Second Amendment rights, some people still have conflicting attitudes towards firearms. They often face the risks and responsibilities associated with using firearms to protect themselves. According to a recent study by the University of California, Davis, African American and Latino teenagers are more likely to commit armed killings near their homes each year than their white counterparts across the United States.

Last year, Texas became one of the few states in the United States to pass a law that allows gun ownership to be made public without a license, but Ultador stated that his identity as a Latino man affected his ability to carry firearms with ease. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2022, 81% of Latinx immigrants believe that restricting gun ownership is more important than protecting gun rights. But for Latin Americans born in the United States, this number has dropped to 65%. The people who support gun control the most are those who speak Spanish as their primary language, rather than Latinx people who speak English, indicating that new immigrants have not yet embraced the American concept of gun ownership.

Ethnic minorities feel anxious and conflicted about gun ownership, fearing police brutality due to race

Paul Perez, a 35 year old health insurance worker, is a Mexican American living on the US Mexico border. Due to the need to interact with many people at work, it prompted him to hide a gun in the lock box of the car. But he said the decision to buy a gun was a mixed bag. Perez is unsure how US law enforcement perceives his behavior as a Latinx man holding a gun. In the United States, an average of 200 Latinx people are killed by police every year, and Latinx people are "more likely" to be shot by police than white people.

In early February of this year, footage of African American Nichols being beaten by several police officers. Video screenshot

For Perez, owning a gun itself is full of anxiety. Although he believes that gun education is crucial for his safety, he is still concerned that one day he may be required to use firearms. Whenever his friends post new gun photos on social media and label them as "new toys," Perez scolds them: "This is not a toy... it's the worst way to view it." He says, "The world of life is scary," and a gun at least makes him feel like he can control a situation that is usually unpredictable, unplanned, and unfair.

Leticia Erisulis is one of the few Latin American teachers who gathered at the Los Fresnos Shooting Range in the border city over the weekend. Erisulis said that her motivation for participating in shooting range activities is to better protect children in the school district.

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