A Case for Listening

You have an opinion on an issue. I do as well. Others also hold a view. Not likely will these views agree with one another. Why? Because we have all experienced them differently at different times and at different ages.

How any one of us sees the world – the local one, the household one, or the region, state or nation – relies on many different parts from which to pull meaning. The guy who was accosted at gun point in the local bodega will feel differently about gun control than the fellow who has not been in such a dire situation. Both will likely have different views on gun control. Or maybe not. The fellow who had a gun pointed at him may very well say that guns ought not be allowed in his society. Or he may speak of owning his own gun to balance his feeling of inadequacy standing alone without arms at gunpoint.

Both of his reactions would be understandable.

But this is not the beginning or ending of the gun discussion. No, the beginning of the discussion I think is this: We have unprecedented gun violence in America today in June of 2017. If we agree that this is a pure statement of fact, we then have to ask the question: “Is this a problem we should do something about?”

If your answer is yes, then a line of discussion will follow supporting that conclusion.

If your answer is no, then a line of discussion will follow supporting that conclusion as well.

Please note that neither has suggested a solution at this point. Both arguments are different from the other but they center on the question of recognizing we have a problem or don’t. That is the first decision we have to make as a society. Is there a problem and is it large enough to do something about?

If the answer is no, then the matter is dropped.

If the answer is yes, then we proceed to the next round of discussion: “What is to be done to solve the gun violence problem?”

Now, let the chorus of differing opinions be heard! The only opinion not on the table for discussion is whether we have a problem or not. That decision will have been rejected by the point of the current discussion. Focus instead on the primary question.

What is to be done about the oppressive violence from guns infecting our nation today?

We will likely have to spend some time studying the issue for these elements: 

-Where is the issue felt most acutely?

-What are the common denominators of the victims?

-What are the common denominators of the shooters?

-What are the circumstances in which the violence occurred?

-Where did the guns come from? And the ammunition?

-What are the statistics, demographics of this entire issue?

-What meaning do the social sciences bring to this discussion?

And so many more questions will emerge as the study continues.

When all of these studies are completed, conclusions need to be drawn from them as best as we can. This will be a judgment call. Together we have to discern what is important and what is not.

Defining the problem as completely as possible is a major step in understanding the problem. We must understand well the issue we hope to solve or at least control to minimize the effect of the problem.

And that is an entirely different portion of our work together – how to minimize damages while we are hoping to learn what we can do to solve the problem. It is possible we cannot solve the problem totally; we may have to be satisfied with minimizing it only.

Once beyond this guidepost, we then tackle the job of listing all the options we have available to solve the problem. Those options are many; some are minor, some draconian. But a lot of options exist between those two bookends.

Meanwhile, patience and open minds are needed to get just this far. Note we have not come to any conclusions as to what to do about the issue of gun violence in America. Not one prescription of action has been offered here. It is too early to get alarmed about the suggestions. We are still in the discussion and discovery of facts stage.

All I ask is that we be brave enough and humble enough to begin the conversation.

Who among us is willing to do this?

June 21, 2017