Frequently these lectures focus on the United States. So too does the news regarding shootings and gun control. This is no great surprise, since in 2013, for instance, the U.S. had 14.36 homicides by guns per 100,000 people (more information can be found at CDC.gov). This places the U.S. as the most gun-violent developed nation in the world. This week, we will highlight differing international approaches to shootings and gun violence while we look at the March 15th Christchurch Mosque shootings in New Zealand.
Instructors, click on the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt, a debate question, as well as other assessment questions.
Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Shootings in the Media: Approaches to Violence Abroad
Video
Ted Talk: Why gun violence can’t be our new normal.
Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, makes a passionate, personal appeal for something that more than 90 percent of Americans want: background checks for all gun sales.
Mapping global gun violence | The Economist
El Salvador, Venezuela and Guatemala have the worst gun violence in the world. America’s lax firearm laws are adding to their problems.
Articles
- Christchurch mosque shootings live: The gift of a safer future
- New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern announces royal commission into Christchurch shootings
- Christchurch gun shop sold rifles online to accused shooter
- New Zealand’s swift change to gun laws highlights 25 years of US inaction
Assessment
Writing: What are the parts of this news story that you feel should be focused on the most? What stands out to you as being covered or not?
Debate: Should news around shootings or violence discuss/explore the shooter/terrorist, or should we focus only on victims of these crimes? Explain.
Poll: Should the U.S. enact stricter gun control laws?
- Yes, No, Unsure
Short Answer: Have you or anyone you know ever been the victim of religious or racial prejudice?
Current Events Quiz
According to the Australia article, one of the potential solutions for the New Zealand Prime Minister to curb these kinds of issues is:
- More surveillance
- Fewer guns
- More religious institution security
- Only pistols and revolvers being allowed
The American article only mentions the shooter’s background as a(n):
- NRA member
- White supremacist
- Westboro Baptist Church member
- Hitler supporter and aficionado
American articles about gun violence often focus on ____, but this article did not.
- Other countries
- Gun violence history in America
- The shooter
- The victims
The article from New Zealand considers the future by mentioning:
- New Zealand’s immigration
- New Zealand’s increase in religious violence
- New Zealand’s rise in gun violence
- New Zealand’s youth
The article from The Guardian doesn’t just broadly compare the U.S. and New Zealand, but specifically discusses this group (among others):
- S. pro-gun activists
- K. pro-gun activists
- National Pistol Association members
- Senator Kennedy’s followers and their approach
Photo credit: U.S. Embassy & Consulate in New Zealand