ICYMI: Yes, Let’s Call Gun Violence an Epidemic, and Let’s Cure It
A Boston Globe letter to the editor from GVPedia leader, Devin Hughes
Last week we highlighted a recent letter to the editor at The Boston Globe, written by GVPedia founder and president, Devin Hughes, and GVPedia Academic Advisory Board member, Caroline Light. It was in response to the Globe piece, “The Myth of the Mass Shooting Epidemic,” which claimed America’s gun violence problem was overstated.
In case you missed it, check it out below.
“Instead of minimizing the evidence of our nation’s gun violence epidemic… we should elevate transparency and education.”
Yes, Let’s Call Gun Violence an Epidemic, and Let’s Cure It
In “The myth of the mass shooting epidemic” (Ideas, Jan. 5), James Alan Fox warns against characterizing American mass shootings as an epidemic and says that unjustified fear undermines effective policy.
It is true that mass shootings, defined by the Gun Violence Archive as four or more people shot, are relatively rare when compared with the more than 48,000 annual gun deaths and about 115,000 more injuries. Yet downplaying their frequency undermines sound public policy. Although mass shootings and gun-related deaths overall have declined following a record increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. rate of gun violence remains substantially higher than that of other developed nations.
Narrowing the definition of what counts as a mass shooting dismisses the suffering of affected communities. Further, cherry-picking evidence leads to bad policy and feeds the disinformation campaign to convince Americans that guns make them safer, despite overwhelming evidence that more guns bring more death and destruction.
Instead of minimizing the evidence of our nation’s gun violence epidemic (defined as “a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time”), we should elevate transparency and education. Our lives depend on it.
Caroline Light, Cambridge; Devin Hughes, Edmond, Okla.
Caroline Light is a senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies in women, gender, and sexuality at Harvard University and author of Stand Your Ground: A History of America’s Love Affair with Lethal Self-Defense. Devin Hughes is founder and president of GVPedia, a nonprofit that provides access to data and academic research on gun violence.