Quote:
Originally Posted by 92bDad
If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat. Remember: Hold the person accountable for their actions, not the means they chose to utilize!!!
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Who would disagree with that? Not many people, I would guess, and even those would want criminals to be accountable for their actions. However, the conclusion that you might draw from this is not necessarily helping your safety. After all, guns are a different animal than pencils or spoons.
A study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 1998, notes that "during the one-year study period, 88 649 firearm deaths were reported. Overall firearm mortality rates are five to six times higher in HI (high-income) and UMI (upper-middle-income) countries in the Americas (12.72) than in Europe (2.17), or Oceania (2.57) and 95 times higher than in Asia (0.13). The rate of firearm deaths in the United States (14.24 per 100 000) exceeds that of its economic counterparts (1.76) eightfold and that of UMI countries (9.69) by a factor of 1.5."
Obviously, there are various aspects to consider when it comes to gun-related crimes, and it hardly happens in emotionally laden political and social debates. That said, I just find it hard to believe that unrestrictive gun laws make America a safer place. The notion of increased security thanks to the right to bear a gun may actually prove fallacious.