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Is “Gun Violence” Really an “Epidemic?”
The argument for an “epidemic” of gun violence in the US seems to fall apart somewhat when you crunch the numbers. Here are some numbers, partly taken from a Twitter thread I fact-checked and adjusted using the data from the CDC and US census.
There were 33,736 gun-related deaths per year by firearms according to CDC numbers. The US population is 326,766,748. Do the math: .01% of the population dies each year from gun-related actions each year. Not 1%, not 1/10th of a percent — 1/100th of 1 percent. Now, let’s break down the numbers that make up the 33,736.
• 65% of those deaths are by suicide which would never be prevented by gun laws.
• 15% are by law enforcement in the line of duty and justified.
• 17% are through criminal activity, gang and drug-related or mentally ill persons– gun violence.
• 3% are accidental discharge deaths.
So, technically, “gun violence” is not 30,000 annually, but drops to 5,735. Ok, let’s see where these incidents occurred:
• 650 homicides (11.3%) were in Chicago.
• 344 homicides (6%) were in Baltimore.
• 333 homicides (5.8%) were in Detroit.
• 119 homicides (2.1%) were in Washington DC.
So basically, 25% of all gun crime happens in just four cities. All of those cities have strict gun laws, so it is not the lack of law that is the root cause. This basically leaves 4,289 for the entire rest of the nation, or about 85 deaths per state.
Obviously, those 5,735 gun deaths are a terrible tragedy for the families that are affected, but let’s look at other leading causes of death in the US:
• 51,966 died from poisoning.
• 37,461 from motor vehicle traffic deaths.
• 50,000+ die from drug overdose.
• 31,959 unintentional fall deaths.
• 200,000+ people die each year from preventable medical errors. A 10% reduction in medical errors would result in saving almost four times the total number of gun deaths per year!
All these numbers demonstrate to me that, while gun violence shouldn’t be ignored, it is not the alarming epidemic anti-gun activists try to portray it as.
Published in Culture
You’re using logic! Since when has the left ever accepted logical argument when it goes against them?
I know just what you mean. I always mix up my IQ and standard body temperature . . .
This is good information, and you should have these printed and laminated on a small card so that I can stick it in my wallet next to my CPL.
I think if anything we have an epidemic of people screaming “COMMON SENSE GUN CONTROL”
Thanks, and note that about 300 of those “gun deaths” were via “long guns”…not all of which were the AR15. That 300 number has been consistent for quite a while.
That will never do! We only study things if we can slow or stop useful construction of some facility or infrastructure that would be beneficial. We can’t stop and study things when we are rushing to show our virtue. :-)
Clearly, these maniacs have never seen Footloose. Prom kills!
Another factor is that homicide does not mean murder. Justifiable homicides count under these statistics as well. All the news stories about ‘robbers get shot by clerk and die’ fall under these stats as well.