Setting the record straight about guns in the United States and in other high income countries.
After each tragic mass shooting in our country, the National Rifle Association resurrects its old familiar litany about the Second Amentment and the right of American citizens to bear arms. Legislators in state and federal government dance to the tunes played by the NRA in order to continue to get their support in elections. I’m not enthusiastic about promoting the idea that my country needs and citizens deserve stricter gun laws because it feels now like a hopeless cause. At the very time when it would seem reasonable and logical to advocate for appropriate control of gun ownership and use in America, the gun industry has never been healthier or happier. Our national talk about the need for gun control laws has prompted perhaps the greatest surge of gun buying in our country’s history. I feel helpless. Facts seem not to matter.
In 2003 the World Health Organization (WHO) assembled official national statistics of individual countries around the world. The study included firearm deaths in high income countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom [England and Wales], United Kingdom [Northern Ireland], United Kingdom [Scotland], and the United State). In 2003 the total population for the United States was 290.8 million while the combined population for the other 22 countries was 563.5 million. There were 29,771 firearm deaths in the US and 7,563 firearm deaths in the 22 other countries. Of all firearm deaths in these 23 hig-income countries in 2003, 80% occurred in the US. In the US the overall firearm death rate was 10.2 per 100,000, the overall firearm homicide rate 4.1 per 100,000, and the overall homicide rate 6.0 per 100,000, with firearm homicide rates highest among persons 15 to 24 years of age. For the US the overall suicide rate was 10.8 per 100,000, and slightly over half of these deaths were firearm suicide (5.8 per 100,000). Firearm suicides rates increased with age. In the other high income countries 2003 the overall firearm death rate was 1.4 per 100,000, the overall firearm homicide rate 0.2 per 100,000, and the overall homicide rate 0.9 per 100,000. Firearm homicide rates were highest in the 25 year old to 34 year old age group. The overall suicide rate was 14.9 per 100,000 with an overall firearm suicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000.
The NRA and our legislators in Washington know these statistics. There is no doubt that any plague or contamination of the food supply or detonation of terrorist bombs or release of chemical weapons in our cities would get a quick and sure response from Congress. Only with gun violence do we respond by quietly making a pile of teddy bears and flowers at the sites of the tragedies. Congressional response invariably has been to show up at public displays of mourning, but to do nothing at all in the halls of Congress to stop the proliferation of the guns that caused the tragedy.
I am sick of it... and ashamed.
3 comments:
And so am I. We have not needed the 2nd Amendment law since The Indians" were subdued! One of my ancestors, an officer in the military, and much liked by the Indians, was killed by an Indian, because one of his men (servants) killed a high ranking Indian. To even things, they had to kill a high ranking American, even though he had done so much to make life between the two cultures right. The Indian who killed my GGF was brought to trial. The defense claimed that this evened the score, and now they could get along. The judge made a wise decision, and agreed with them, and acquitted the Indian. I don't know how each person was killed, but I suspect a gun was involved in at least one of the deaths. I was sorry to learn of GGf's death, but grateful he had been a great man to foster relations with the native Americans. We do need more of that!
Liz
I was watching the news today and I swear, I was thinking the same thing, I feel helpless in making any significant change. I too heard that more guns have been sold at an alarming rate, since the Newtown killings.
I am embarrassed also. But still really really pissed at our legislators, as I'm sure you are.
I so agree. It's horrible and the founding Fathers and Mothers too, would just shake thier heads
WHAT A TRAJEDY THAT WE COME TO THIS POINT.
M.L.R.
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