A study was just released by the Violence Policy Center with regard to gun violence, and although it comes as no surprise to me, it showed that gun laws do matter. I know - shocker, right?
The study's results came courtesy of newly released data with regard to gun death rates in 2011. Overall, the gun death rate was 10.38 per 100,000, and the number of Americans killed by gunfire rose slightly from 31,672 in 2010 to 32,351 in 2011. The numbers are downright embarrassing when compared to other Western industrialized countries, such as England and Australia, which had gun death rates of 0.23 and 0.86 per 100,000, respectively.
When comparing the level of gun violence across states, the numbers showcased that higher levels of gun ownership and weaker gun laws in a state tended to equal higher gun death rates. The five states with the highest gun death rates had two things in common: 1) A high level of gun ownership, and 2) Lax gun laws.
1. Louisiana: 45.6% household gun ownership/18.91 per 100,000 gun death rate
2. Mississippi: 54.3% household gun ownership/17.80 per 100,000 gun death rate
3. Alaska: 60.6% household gun ownership/17.41 per 100,000 gun death rate
4. Wyoming: 62.8% household gun ownership/16.92 per 100,000 gun death rate
5. Montana: 61.4% household gun ownership/16.74 per 100,000 gun death rate
On the flip-side, the five states with the lowest gun death rates also had two things in common: 1) A low level of gun ownership, and 2) Strong gun laws.
50. Rhode Island: 13.3% household gun ownership/3.14 per 100,000 gun death rate
49. Hawaii: 9.7% household gun ownership/3.56 per 100,000 gun death rate
48. Massachusetts: 12.8% household gun ownership/3.84 per 100,000 gun death rate
47. New York: 18.1% household gun ownership/5.11 per 100,000 gun death rate
46. New Jersey: 11.3% household gun ownership/5.46 per 100,000 gun death rate
Average numbers
Five states with highest gun death rates: 56.9% household gun ownership/17.56 per 100,000 gun death rate
Five states with lowest gun death rates: 13.0% household gun ownership/4.22 per 100,000 gun death rate
Difference: 43.9% household gun ownership/13.34 per 100,000 gun death rate
The NRA, the Tea Party, and other such groups can try to dismiss the effectiveness of gun laws all they'd like, but the stark contrast of numbers presented in this study cannot be ignored.
As VPC (Violence Policy Center) Executive Director Josh Sugarmann said, "Gun violence is preventable, and states can pass effective laws that will dramatically reduce gun death and injury. Our analysis also shows that states with weak gun violence prevention laws and easy access to guns pay a severe price with gun death rates far above the national average."
While gun-rights activists like to shout, "Stop trying to take away our guns!" I think I speak for many when I respond with, "Obey the law and you won't have to worry about that. Stop trying to make it so easy for guns to take away people's lives!"
http://www.vpc.org/press/1406gundeath.htm
The study's results came courtesy of newly released data with regard to gun death rates in 2011. Overall, the gun death rate was 10.38 per 100,000, and the number of Americans killed by gunfire rose slightly from 31,672 in 2010 to 32,351 in 2011. The numbers are downright embarrassing when compared to other Western industrialized countries, such as England and Australia, which had gun death rates of 0.23 and 0.86 per 100,000, respectively.
When comparing the level of gun violence across states, the numbers showcased that higher levels of gun ownership and weaker gun laws in a state tended to equal higher gun death rates. The five states with the highest gun death rates had two things in common: 1) A high level of gun ownership, and 2) Lax gun laws.
1. Louisiana: 45.6% household gun ownership/18.91 per 100,000 gun death rate
2. Mississippi: 54.3% household gun ownership/17.80 per 100,000 gun death rate
3. Alaska: 60.6% household gun ownership/17.41 per 100,000 gun death rate
4. Wyoming: 62.8% household gun ownership/16.92 per 100,000 gun death rate
5. Montana: 61.4% household gun ownership/16.74 per 100,000 gun death rate
On the flip-side, the five states with the lowest gun death rates also had two things in common: 1) A low level of gun ownership, and 2) Strong gun laws.
50. Rhode Island: 13.3% household gun ownership/3.14 per 100,000 gun death rate
49. Hawaii: 9.7% household gun ownership/3.56 per 100,000 gun death rate
48. Massachusetts: 12.8% household gun ownership/3.84 per 100,000 gun death rate
47. New York: 18.1% household gun ownership/5.11 per 100,000 gun death rate
46. New Jersey: 11.3% household gun ownership/5.46 per 100,000 gun death rate
Average numbers
Five states with highest gun death rates: 56.9% household gun ownership/17.56 per 100,000 gun death rate
Five states with lowest gun death rates: 13.0% household gun ownership/4.22 per 100,000 gun death rate
Difference: 43.9% household gun ownership/13.34 per 100,000 gun death rate
The NRA, the Tea Party, and other such groups can try to dismiss the effectiveness of gun laws all they'd like, but the stark contrast of numbers presented in this study cannot be ignored.
As VPC (Violence Policy Center) Executive Director Josh Sugarmann said, "Gun violence is preventable, and states can pass effective laws that will dramatically reduce gun death and injury. Our analysis also shows that states with weak gun violence prevention laws and easy access to guns pay a severe price with gun death rates far above the national average."
While gun-rights activists like to shout, "Stop trying to take away our guns!" I think I speak for many when I respond with, "Obey the law and you won't have to worry about that. Stop trying to make it so easy for guns to take away people's lives!"
http://www.vpc.org/press/1406gundeath.htm
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