Something About Availability

One of the topics my students always ask me about is gun violence in the United States. They can't seem to comprehend how someone can even gain access to a gun. In South Korea it is illegal to own a gun. The only guns that shoot actual bullets are used by soldiers, and the police issued guns only fire rubber bullets. The result? There is essentially no gun violence in South Korea. Even the Korean gangs use knives instead of guns. The only time I read about gun violence in Korea is when it involves a soldier. When news first broke about the Virginia Tech shooting, reports only listed the shooter as an "Asian man." What a shock to learn that this "Asian man" was actually a Korean national studying in the United States. Not only was this young man given the opportunity to study English in a foreign country, he was also exposed to the gun culture of The US. He would never have been able to do what he did in his home country. The American public is scratching their heads wondering just how something like this could happen. It's simple math: angry and depressed man (or woman) + availability of a gun = possible death. Take the guns off the streets and this horrific event would have never happened.