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This significant document establishes the rights inherent to every individual, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Article 3 of the UDHR emphasizes the right to life, asserting that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person. Giving unauthorized people access to guns and having dangerous weapons readily available in real life threatens this human right.
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Lee H. Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy using a riffle in 1963. He purchased his riffle, a Carcano Model M91/38, through a mail, from an advertisement by Klein's Sporting Goods in the American Rifleman magazine (O. B. Waxman). In the '50s to '60s, it was easy to order firearms by mail. The image is the advertisement in the magazine by Klein's Sporting Goods. Image source: Klein's Sporting Goods -
The legislation—for the first time ever—imposed federal license requirements for firearms manufacturers and dealers, along with a ban on all interstate transportation of weapons to or from unlicensed individuals. It also banned mail-order gun sales (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 2022). Image source: The June 21, 1968, cover of TIME (The American news magazine). -
On January 17, 1989, P. Purdy fired 105 shots into the Cleveland Elementary School with a semiautomatic variant riffle of the military Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 (AK-47), resulting in 5 deaths in children and 30 others injured (C. Nast, 2022). Image source: San Francisco Chronicle (news), 1989. -
According to the Brady Bill, anyone purchasing a firearm from a dealer, manufacturer, or importer with a federal license must first have their background checked. Brady is one of America’s oldest gun violence prevention groups (bradyunited.org). 7 out of every 100,000 Americans suffered a gun-related homicide in 1993. The rate has dropped to 4 out of every 100,000 since 2000 (Clinton Foundation, 2018) Image source: Congressional Quarterly (news) -
This act prohibited the manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons. A study of the FAWB: Impacts on Gun Violence has shown that the number of gun crimes involving automatic weapons decreased by 17% during the ban in 6 cities included in the study. Image source: Dennis Cook/AP -
Seung-Hui Cho, a Virginia Tech student, attacked Virginia Tech with pistols, causing 33 deaths and leaving 17 people wounded. Cho had a history of mental illness. He was diagnosed with a mood disorder and was speculated to have suffered from schizophrenia (Britannica, 2019). Image source: The Roanoke Times (news) -
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) obtains information from people related to background checks, including limiting people with mental health conditions to purchase firearms. About 916,000 individuals were prohibited from purchasing a firearm for failing a background check between 1998 and 2004 (Public Law 110–180). Image source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -
A. Lanza shot Sandy Hook Elementary School with an AR (ArmaLite Rifle) -15, two semiautomatic pistols, and a shotgun in 2012, causing 26 deaths and leaving 2 injured people (Britannica, 2023)
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S. Ramos attacked Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. With a rifle, he shot 19 students and two teachers to death, while 17 others were injured (M. Méndez, 2023) Image source (chart): Schnell et al., 2020 -
A mass shooting caused 38 deaths (including the gunman); the victims include 24 children. This event happened in a children's daycare in Na Klang district of Nong Bua Lamphu, about 269 miles away from Bangkok. Source: A. Gunia et al., 2022, time.com
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The Gun Safety Act of 2023, also known as Senate Bill 1, is a set of regulations that restricts the ability to carry a gun in public areas including museums, school campuses, parks, stadiums, government buildings, and mass transit facilities (R. Konieczny, 2023)
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A 14-year-old boy shot two people to death and caused five injuries. This event happened recently in Siam Paragon, a popular shopping mall in central Bangkok. Source: straitstimes.com, 2023.
Image source: BBC (Thai police) -
The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) commemorates a groundbreaking global pledge. However, the persistence of gun violence poses a significant challenge to the rights outlined in the UDHR, particularly the right to life and security. Despite progress, actions are still encouraged to stop this violation of our human rights.