Knowledge Can Be Mightier Than the Gun

Abstract:The following work is intended to be a closer look and commentary on the issue of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States of America. An overarching pragmatic lens will be utilized to argue that the time is now to make a change in our current trajectory of normalized gun violence in our schools, and society in general. We currently need to bring the controversial and difficult topic of gun violence and mass shootings into our classrooms, have open dialogue, and begin to purposely educate students about the subject on a real and deeper level than just the reflexive approaches that we currently take after each tragic incident. The topic will be addressed from the perspectives of various significant historical philosophers such as Plato, John Dewey, and Paulo Freire. The major aim of this commentary is to look at the issue of gun violence and gun control from a variety of philosophical lenses and perspectives to attempt to gain a level of understanding that is much deeper than just the surface in hopes of one day curtailing the problem.