I have lived in Toronto for around two months now. Since my arrival in May, gun violence has dominated the headlines and sent the city, province and country into a flurry of discussions over potential solutions.
The aftermath of the Danzig Street shooting (Image courtesy of the National Post).
First, in June, there was the Eaton Centre shooting that left two dead and seven others injured after someone opened fire in the mall’s crowded food court. Then, at the beginning of July, a Scarborough street party erupted into a shootout that killed two people and injured 23 others.
And these are just the high-profile stories.
Some blame gangs and drug dealers. Others single out policy and policing strategies.And then there are those who have started calling this summer the “Summer of the Gun 2.” Summer 2005 earned the name “Summer of the Gun” when 24 people where shot and killed between June and September.
Regardless of the cause, violence and guns will probably always be a problem in large cities like Toronto.
Looking ahead
As a researcher for Discovery Channel, I learn a lot about technological and scientific advancements that are changing the way people live – some for better and others for worse.
I’ve read about things I never fathomed were possible. The manufacturing of guns with 3D printers is one of those things.
The harmless 3D printer can print guns (Image Courtesy of the Car Connection).
Policy makers beware. If you think gun violence is rampantly out of control now, what will it be like if people can easily print their own weapons? Forget worrying about gun enthusiasts hopping the US border to purchase guns at the nearest Walmart. Instead, pay more attention to the backyard, basement, attic gun-lovers who will create their own guns on once-harmless printers.
“‘HaveBlue,’ a member of the AR15.com gun enthusiast forum, which is named after a common semi-automatic rifle, claims to have carried out the first successful test-firing of a 3D-printed gun,” according to an article in the New Scientist.
HaveBlue said they printed a receiver, combined it with an existing pistol and fired more than 200 rounds. So, even if law-makers banned guns entirely, someone would find a way to keep making them.
Recycling old solutions
I’m not trying to create a scary, dystopian view of the future. Rather, I came across this technology in my research and thought it added an interesting dimension to the gun violence conversation.
We already know people can easily find ways to purchase firearms. We also know that a common response to escalating gun violence is either increased policing or changes to existing laws. Toronto has chosen to deploy hundreds of extra police officers during the month of August in an attempt to curb further acts of violence.
But while more police could help in the short-term, perhaps we should also look to other solutions. Science and technology could help to form solid, long-term policies now. The best thing law-makers can do is to stay ahead of what could be possible five years from today – things like printing guns.
Heather Caulder 