Nobby wrote:
Higher Gun ownership directly correlates to deaths through gun crime.
With or without USA or Switzerland, the finding holds.
You were saying?
With or without USA or Switzerland, the finding holds.
You were saying?
No @#%^ing sh*t, Einstein.
My point is that if you compare the number of responsible gun owners in the U.S. with the number of gun related crimes, you'll notice that the number of safe responsibly owned firearms vastly outweighs the number used for unlawful purposes to kill or otherwise harm a number of people.
Here's an old report I found detailing lawfully owned firearms
http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/165476.txt
Keep in mind, these are 1997 numbers:
Quote:
o In 1994, 44 million Americans owned 192 million
firearms, 65 million of which were handguns.
Although there were enough guns to have provided
every U.S. adult with one, only 25 percent of
adults actually owned firearms; 74 percent of gun
owners possessed two or more.
o The proportion of American households that keep
firearms appears to be declining.
o Sixty-eight percent of handgun owners also
possessed at least one rifle or shotgun.
o Gun ownership was highest among middle-aged,
college- educated people of rural small-town
America. Whites were substantially more likely to
own guns than blacks, and blacks more likely than
Hispanics.
o The most common motivation for owning firearms
was recreation. Forty-six percent possessed a gun
primarily for protection against crime.
firearms, 65 million of which were handguns.
Although there were enough guns to have provided
every U.S. adult with one, only 25 percent of
adults actually owned firearms; 74 percent of gun
owners possessed two or more.
o The proportion of American households that keep
firearms appears to be declining.
o Sixty-eight percent of handgun owners also
possessed at least one rifle or shotgun.
o Gun ownership was highest among middle-aged,
college- educated people of rural small-town
America. Whites were substantially more likely to
own guns than blacks, and blacks more likely than
Hispanics.
o The most common motivation for owning firearms
was recreation. Forty-six percent possessed a gun
primarily for protection against crime.
If we look at the liberal estimate on the number of firearm related deaths from, of all places, the Brady Center, we find the following for 1998.
Quote:
- There are approximately 192 million privately owned firearms in the U.S. - 65 million of which are handguns.
- In 1998, 30,708 people in the United States died from firearm-related deaths - 12,102 (39%) of those were murdered; 17,424 (57%) were suicides; 866 (3%) were accidents; and in 316 (1%) the intent was unknown.
- In 1998, 30,708 people in the United States died from firearm-related deaths - 12,102 (39%) of those were murdered; 17,424 (57%) were suicides; 866 (3%) were accidents; and in 316 (1%) the intent was unknown.
If we take the number of firearm related deaths (30,708) as a percent of privately owned firearms(192,000,000), we find that the ratio of firearm misuse to privately and lawfully owned firearms is 0.0001599375.
0.016%
See that?
People rarely consider that number because they insist on focusing on the harm guns do, rather than the harm guns do relative to the number of guns owned. The simple truth is that gun ownership itself is not the problem. Criminal misuse of a very small percentage of guns is a problem, but it is not generally reflective of the safety and responsibility of privately held firearms and their owners.
Edited, Oct 27th 2008 11:15pm by BrownDuck
