The Viking Way

A follow up on gun control

While reflecting on our latest article regarding gun violence in the United States, we thought instead of just highlighting what we are doing wrong and why it isn’t working, it would be prudent to focus on a country that is doing it right…In Iceland 1 in 3 people own a firearm, yet their gun violence is almost negligible. According to a 2015 report by the Flemish Peace Institute, there hasn’t been a murder committed by a firearm since 2007. Spurred by a video produced by Nas Daily, we took a deeper look into Iceland’s gun policies. The gun purchasing process can take up to a year. Then, you are only allowed to buy a certain type of gun, the type of gun you are allowed to buy can be upgraded with every year of experience you have, The video makes the argument that it is not a gun problem but rather a people/culture problem. The culture surrounding guns in Iceland varies vastly from that in the United States. Gun purchasing in the U.S. is scary fast, basically as long as you don’t have a criminal record you can purchase a gun that day.

According to aap.org currently only:

• 4 states and DC — impose waiting periods for purchases of all firearms
• 1 state — imposes waiting periods for purchases of handguns & assault weapons
• 4 states — impose waiting periods for handguns only

This is starkly different from the firearm purchasing requirements in Iceland. According to an article by Global News, “Icelanders who want to own a gun must attend a lecture that explains everything from firearm history to laws and safety. They are then evaluated for mental health, have a meeting with police on their intentions, followed by a detailed criminal background check.” This is a stark difference from those that would allow a “free for all” firearm purchasing system or on the extreme other end a complete gun ban. We do know that complete abstinence is not a successful mitigation of negative outcomes. Examples of this are prohibition, which banned the sale and distribution of alcohol yet spurred on crime and an increase in alcohol production on an illegal basis. The same concept applies to “street” drugs. Cocaine, heroin and others are all illegal yet their use has not been curbed with stricter laws. These two examples, I believe, make great case studies for what a complete ban of firearms would look like in this country.

Interestingly, in an article from the BBC it was noted that Iceland’s violent crime overall is at extreme lows compared to that of the United States. For example, you are almost 5 times more likely to be the victim of a homicide in the U.S. compared to Iceland on a per capita basis. The article says that this may not just be because of tight gun control or other local laws but economic in nature. “First — and arguably foremost — there is virtually no difference among upper, middle and lower classes in Iceland. And with that, tension between economic classes is non-existent, a rare occurrence for any country.” See the full article from the BBC here.

I think that social economic issues definitely highlight a weakness of the U.S. system. For one, the wealth gap, particularly in how it impacts the quality of life of the poorest Americans, can be a major driving factor in violence and crime rates. While we have a focus on reactionary policing and intervention here, in Iceland there is a preventative approach with early interventions and socioeconomic policies to help those who need it most.

I think it would certainly be interesting to see a similar system and approach implemented here in the United States. Certainly a universal gun database, longer purchase waiting periods, and mental health checks would go a long way in reducing the amount of gun violence. This would also help to change the culture surrounding guns here in the U.S.. While not a perfect solution I think this approach would likely be better than the status quo and would not require an amendment to the constitution and thus would be easier to pass and implement via legislature.

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-SubejctMatters Team