Xinhua News Agency, Cairo, June 7th (Xinhua) The phenomenon of gun violence in the United States is serious, and there have been a series of vicious shootings recently. In particular, the Texas school shooting massacre, the deadliest in a decade, shocked and embarrassed the world. Lives are being stifled by gun violence, and politicians are doing nothing in the game of interests.
In the Middle East, where the United States has plagued the Middle East under the guise of “democracy” and “human rights” for many years, officials and scholars from many countries have criticized American political groups for putting their interests first, allowing gun violence to violate people’s right to life, and worrying about the spillover of the consequences of gun violence in the United States. Please see the report sent by a reporter from Xinhua News Agency from the front –
Izzat Saad, director of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Council, believes that the chronic problem of gun violence in the United States is caused by its right-wing extremist ideology and white supremacy. “American politicians prefer to use these concepts for electoral and political gain. There are two human rights in the United States, one for white people and one for people of color. Clearly, the United States has a dual approach to human rights. standard.”
Saad further pointed out that some U.S. congressmen are actually “spokespersons” for gun lobbying groups, and the “chain of interest” behind the American gun ownership can earn billions of dollars in profits from gun sales every year. “Even if thousands of people die from gun violence, they don’t care,” he said.
On May 28, citizens mourn the victims of the shooting at Rob Elementary School in the city square in Uvalde, southern Texas, the United States.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Xiaoling
According to data from the US website “Open Secret”, from 1998 to 2020, American gun groups spent more than $170 million to lobby politicians and influence legislation. Among them, the National Rifle Association alone invested more than $63 million.
The National Rifle Association is the most powerful gun-owning group in the United States and has enormous influence on American politics. Just three days after the shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, the association held its annual meeting in Houston, Texas.
This is a gun taken at the Dallas Gun Show in the United States on January 22. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Li Lin)
In the opinion of Lebanese lawyer Susan Ismay, the United States is reluctant to legislate on gun control, and regards the gun and ammunition industry as a “useful resource” for economic development.
The data show that between 2000 and 2020, U.S. firearm manufacturers produced more than 139 million firearms for the commercial market in total, and 11.3 million in 2020 alone. There are more than 393 million guns in the U.S. civilian population, or about 120 per 100 people.
Turkish security expert Ismail Hako Pekin pointed out that civilian gun ownership in the United States has reached an alarming level, and many people have been buying or holding guns, especially heavy guns, which may trigger more serious incidents in the future. At the same time, the US gun lobby is very active, pouring a lot of political donations into US election campaigns, “not only arms dealers, but also US defense industry companies.”
On May 27, in Houston, Texas, some people held a rally to protest gun violence and called for gun control. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Lao Chengyue)
What worries Pekin is that the consequences of gun violence in the United States may spill over to the rest of the world.
In fact, Latin America has already suffered from it. According to Latin American media reports, 98 percent of illegal firearms in Haiti and the Bahamas come from the United States. In Central America, the proportion is as high as 50%. In 2020, 70% of the firearms recovered by various criminal activities in Mexico came from the United States.
“The proliferation of guns in the United States is not just a country’s problem. This issue should be put on the UN agenda.” Pekin said. (Reporters: Wang Hao, Wang Feng, Yao Bing, Liu Zongya; Video: Yu Fuqing, Yang Yanran, Wang Yujue; Editors: Ma Xiaoyan, Sun Hao, Wang Kewen)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency’s International Communication Integration Platform
Original title: Global Connection | Middle East experts debunked the truth about gun victims in the United States: interests come first!
Responsible editor: Qiu Miao