Are guns the problem, or violence?

Guns have been around since 1200 A.D. Back then, they were rudimentary and complicated to fire accurately. But as we all know, guns have evolved into the simple-to-operate, easy-to-get weapons of today. Violence has been around since the beginning of time and mass murders were happening shortly after that.

Before guns were invented, most mass murders took place using fire, clubs, spears, swords, knives, et al. Over the years, man has developed many new ways to kill his fellow man. Other than bombs, most improvements have been in simplifying the use, accuracy and nomenclature of guns.

Banning guns is now the big issue for 2013. Anti-gun politicians and their supporters somehow think that getting rid of guns will make mass murder and violence a thing of the past. Think again. We seem to view gun violence in the U.S. as our unique problem when, in fact, it proliferates worldwide regardless of gun regulations.

Violence is not restricted to guns in the U.S. or the rest of the world. The perpetrators have many options and we can’t ban them all. There are bombs, arson, knives, clubs, grenades and many other vehicles of violence one can choose. Guns and violence together raise the specter of an unsolvable problem, but there are solutions.

First, we must define the problem we face, and it’s not guns. It’s violence. Guns are just a small part of the problem. They aren’t the problem. If we were to dissect violence in general terms, then guns would only be a part of the problem. But if we view violence as the main problem and look for common factors in all possible vehicles of violence, then we are on the right track to a solution.

For example, the common factor mass murderers have worldwide is mental disorder. It’s a fact that nearly all (100 percent in the U.S.) were found to be on some kind of SSRI drug (anti-depressant) or other prescription drugs. There have been hundreds of mass murders on our planet over the last decade, a small percentage of which were in the U.S. Had those individuals been properly treated, would all of the victims still be alive? It’s hard to tell, but it’s also a theory worth pursuing.

The hard truth is if guns are banned we leave all of the other options of mass murder at the disposal of the potential perpetrators. But if we can weed out those with dangerous mental disorders before they act and properly treat them we remove the incentive to kill and all of the tools of mass murder are no longer needed, thus mass murders disappear, or at least are drastically reduced worldwide, including the U.S.

Additionally, research has shown us that there is one option that has been proven successful in reducing violence, especially gun violence, and that is increasing communication with local law enforcement. Every community that has bonded with law enforcement agencies to combat gun violence has seen a marked reduction in homicides and mass murders. That’s because local police departments are already in place and organized to deal with violence. Local police officers hear the whispers and rumors in the dark alleys of our cities that most of us never see, and they are trained to seek out and deal with criminal minds that might be on drugs.

Local police are a huge resource that seems to have been overlooked in the scramble to ban guns and point fingers of blame, yet they seem to be the one resource that gets the results that everyone is looking for when it comes to gun violence.

Identifying individuals with mental disorders, and using local police, could provide us with tools to make us safer from the insanity of mass murders, but they are only building blocks — only part of the solution.

If one can agree that violence is the problem, then one must also agree that banning guns will not solve the problem. After all, there is a big difference between feeling safe and being safe.

Bob Lewis is a Wasilla resident.