Common Ground: Talking about Gun Violence in America

This is one of a few books that directly address gun violence from a Christian perspective. As the title suggests, the purpose of the book is to find common ground in tackling issues surrounding guns and gun violence. Gaffney does a great job of covering basics of the genesis of gun culture in the United States, sociopolitical holds of guns, and suggestions for creating a dialogue with those interested in addressing gun violence. The majority of the book is spent on these basics, limiting the role of Christians or the view of guns or gun violence from a biblical perspective.Two issues need to be raised as they are key in understanding gun violence in our society; data and policy. Gaffney says, “One noticeable effect of studying data is the loss of a sense of humanity. Each statistic involves many people— people who died from gun violence. A quick reread of the previous section would indicate how easily people can be replaced by numbers, as pollsters, government officials, and statisticians like to do” And later he reiterates that “There is no way data and statistics can do justice to the people who died and the communities who have suffered so greatly.” Contrary to some advocates on both sides of arguments, data are vital in understanding the nature of gun violence, including how perpetrators obtained guns. These data suggest that in the majority of gun violence, guns are obtained legally; however, with data, we can determine the role of straw purchases and community guns. In this regard, data and statistics can speak for victims of gun violence; they can also contribute to the reduction of gun violence.Another critical issue I wish this book discussed is policy, which is heavily tied to the prevention of gun violence. Research in this area suggests raising the gun price to reduce availability, restricting access to guns, and controlling unsafe uses of guns might prevent violence. If these policy strategies had been discussed from a Christian perspective, this book would have garnered a wide audience. However, this book is a good starting point for Christians to wade into the complex issues of gun violence in our society.