Gun violence continues to plague society, with the need for stricter regulations becoming increasingly urgent. The ease of gun ownership, despite the Second Amendment, is troubling. Implementing gun registration, conducting thorough background checks, and mandating gun safety classes during registration are essential steps to prevent tragedies. Research indicates that teaching responsible gun handling before ownership yields better results than post-ownership education. With frequent reports of firearms being easily accessible in homes, especially around children and during heated domestic situations, the consequences can be devastating.
Proposals to limit the purchase of ammunition have emerged, but these often lead to panic buying and stockpiling before any regulations take effect. This was evident during Obama’s presidency, where a fear of potential gun control drove individuals to hoard firearms. The extent of gun ownership in America is alarming; I recall a workshop in Dallas where a seemingly affluent couple offered me a ride and casually mentioned having 2000 rounds of ammunition stored in their car.
By Sonali Kolhatkar, an award-winning multimedia journalist, founder, host, and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali—a weekly subscriber-funded show on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. Kolhatkar is the author of Talking About Abolition: A Police-Free World Is Possible (Seven Stories Press, 2025) and Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice (City Lights Books, 2023). She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute and was a senior editor at Yes! Magazine. Kolhatkar serves as the co-director of the Afghan Women’s Mission and is a co-author of Bleeding Afghanistan. She is also a board member of the Justice Action Center, an organization supporting immigrant rights. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute
On December 14, 2025, a mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, during Hanukkah celebrations claimed the lives of fifteen individuals, including a ten-year-old child. Rather than addressing the root causes of antisemitism and strengthening gun regulations, both right-wing and liberal commentators deflected blame to pro-Palestinian activism, ignoring the critical issue of gun accessibility.
A similar narrative unfolded when an Afghan asylum seeker was arrested following a shooting involving National Guard members in Washington, D.C. In this case, the Trump administration generalized the actions of one individual to an entire community, all while downplaying the availability of weapons.
White men in the U.S. commit a disproportionate number of mass shootings compared to their population size, yet there is no corresponding scrutiny directed at them. Instead, the common response is simply “thoughts and prayers.”
In America, gun control remains an untouchable topic. Some argue that restricting access to firearms would only lead to greater violence, as individuals would be unable to defend themselves against aggressors. This perspective ignores incidents like the Bondi Beach massacre, where an unarmed individual intervened, preventing further loss of life. If guns truly promoted safety, the U.S., with its staggering number of firearms, would boast low rates of gun violence.
Yet, the opposite is the case. In 2023, over 45,000 lives were lost in the U.S. due to gun violence, making it the leading cause of death for children and teenagers. On average, 125 individuals die daily due to gun-related incidents, their stories often overlooked.
This frequency of gun violence mirrors a nation engaged in active conflict. In 2025 alone, there were 392 mass shootings, including a tragic event at Brown University where survivors of previous shootings encountered another. Media coverage often focuses more on the attacker than on discussing gun regulations, which reflects the distressing mantra that “guns don’t kill people, people do.”
While the Bondi Beach shooting shocked Australia, a country renowned for its strict gun laws, it revealed gaps in those regulations. After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which resulted in 35 deaths, Australia implemented wide-ranging bans on various firearms, successfully reducing gun violence significantly. However, loopholes still exist, leading to stockpiled weapons, as one of the suspects involved in the Bondi Beach tragedy held an allowed recreational license and had access to multiple firearms.
Authorities are now seeking to close these loopholes to honor the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has committed to increasing gun restrictions and supporting the Jewish community.
Gun regulations have proven effective, as states in the U.S. with weaker laws exhibit higher rates of gun-related deaths. A recent study highlighted that states favoring permissive gun laws saw a significant spike in firearm deaths among children and teenagers, unlike those with stricter regulations which reported declines in mortality rates.
Many Americans acknowledge that obtaining firearms in the U.S. is too easy, with bipartisan support for measures like raising the minimum age for gun purchases to 21. Yet, despite this consensus, enacting stricter gun laws remains a Herculean task due to the entrenched influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) over politics.
Additionally, gun owners, predominantly right-wing and white, are perceived as vital constituents by politicians across party lines, leading to a culture where discussing gun control is challenging. Both Republicans and Democrats present conflicting stances on firearms, with the former being staunchly pro-gun and the latter often hesitating to assert firm gun control measures.
America’s cultural connection to guns resembles a form of reverence, playing into the mythos around pioneers and individualism. This focus on individual rights over community safety complicates discussions around gun control, despite overwhelming evidence linking lax regulations to increased violence.
Current narratives glorify firearms while often neglecting the experiences of gun violence survivors. Had the Bondi Beach shooting occurred in the U.S., attention would largely shift away from potential legislative changes, with advocates for gun control drowned out by opposing voices.
What if the media highlighted the true impact of gun violence instead? Consider the example set by Mamie Till-Mobley in 1955, who insisted on an open casket for her son, Emmett Till, to showcase the brutality of racism. Shouldn’t the media also expose the horror of gun violence displays?
Graphic footage from the Vietnam War helped shift public opinion against the conflict. Similarly, facing the consequences of gun violence might awaken the conscience of those supporting unrestricted gun ownership over the right to live without fear.
In 2025, public discourse reflects a heightened awareness, echoing the sentiments of political figures. Media platforms must also step up and depict the grim realities of mass shooting victims—before they are memorialized or buried.
Such representations could come with trigger warnings to protect those already traumatized. Yet, individuals advocating for unrestricted gun rights should confront the real consequences of their beliefs. We must face the horror of loss and ensure that the images of gun violence victims compel us to advocate for change.
In this ongoing struggle, we should be haunted by the images of those affected. Better to grapple with this trauma than to allow the cycle of violence to continue unchecked.
