An Analysis on Gun Violence Policies

Overkill: If You Want to Stop Gun Violence, Start With Bullets by Joanna Pearlstein.

I was originally attracted to this piece because it makes use of infographics, which I’ve always found interesting. It enables the reader to engage in a text and for me, it’s more fun to read. Not only is there a visual representation of the information being presented, but also certain “hotspots” offer up additional information if you hover your mouse over them.

Pearlstein’s piece is an “ethical deliberation.” Without a doubt. In terms of a simulation, Jones’ describes them as more of a “spectacle” where ideas and arguments are rarely addressed (158). In “Overkill,” there is a clear argument and that is how gun control can be established by regulating the sale of bullets. The piece focuses on a very relevant and concerning issue and offers up a policy suggestion on how to fix it. The debate of gun control has been a controversial issue, widely debated on a global scale. I do not feel that Pearlstein is making empty claims or simply “blowing smoke” in her piece. She provides sources and statistics while engaging in an argument that is globally current. While there may not be a back and forth between experts, Wired provides the ability to comment and contribute your own thoughts and ideas. You may even engage in discourse with another commenter. In the comments, there may be examples of “simulation” rather than “ethical deliberation,” but Pearlstein accomplishes the latter on her own.

On the last page of Pearlstein’s infographic, she provides three graphs. I’d like to focus on the first. It’s a bar graph regarding large-capacity magazines. While it’s informative, I feel as though it engages in “subversive clarity” by making the issue seem simpler than it really is. Looking at the graph and its statistics, the information is startling and I feel compelled to agree that some sort of harsher regulation should be imposed on large-capacity magazines. However, this only encompasses one aspect of gun control. In the United States, I know that we have one of the highest, if not the highest, number of gun deaths. This incorporates more than just mass shootings. What about shootings on a smaller scale? Shootings tied to gang or criminal activity? The trafficking of unregistered firearms? These issues should also be addressed, especially the first in comparison to the graph. I think the numbers, when seen as a whole, would have been more effective in showing that gun control is a daily problem and not just in the case of shooting rampages.

In the paragraphs below the title, Pearlstein mentions the presence of a “social and moral crisis.” These aren’t defined, but we’re made to assume that gun control falls into these categories. However, my view on what constitutes a social and/or moral crisis may be different than yours. Using the term crisis also calls to a sense of urgency or immediacy. In the wake of recent shootings like Aurora and Sandy Hook, I doubt that anyone would disagree about the social and moral deliberations that need to occur on behalf of gun control.