Actual “Gun Violence” Related Deaths
When objectively looking at the previous undisputed figures, the label “gun violence” is technically inaccurate when including deaths that are self-inflicted or self-imposed by those who are suicidal or criminal (apart from gang and drug related violence). So, “gun violence” is actually nowhere near the 30,000 that gun control advocates tout. If we subtract the numbers, the real “gun violence” gun related deaths drop to around 5,100 annually. Still too many? Well, first, how are those gun related deaths spanned across the nation?
Let’s look at the real gang and drug related “gun violence” numbers and localities:
- 480 homicides (9.4%) were in Chicago
- 344 homicides (6.7%) were in Baltimore
- 333 homicides (6.5%) were in Detroit
- 119 homicides (2.3%) were in Washington D.C. (a 54% increase over earlier years)
So basically, 25% of all gun crime happens in just 4 cities! All four of those cities have one thing in common with each other. They all have strict gun laws! From this fact alone, it is obviously not the lack of gun laws, nor any law for that matter, that is the cause. Gun violence in these four cities are caused by violent people! Criminals who don’t care what any law says!
The Rest of America
This basically leaves 3,825 for the entire rest of the nation, or about 75 gun related deaths per state. That “seventy-five” is an average because some States have higher rates than others. For example, California had 1,169 gun related deaths. Alabama had only 1!
Now, who has the strictest gun laws by far? California, of course! So, it is not guns causing gun related deaths! It is a crime rate spawned by the number of criminal persons residing in those cities and states! If all cities and states are not created equally, then there must be something other than the tool causing the gun deaths.
Other Gun Related Deaths Horrific Numbers
Are 5,100 deaths per year horrific? How about in comparison to other deaths? All death is sad. Even when it’s the result of committing a crime. But that is the nature of crime. Robbery, death, rape, assault. All is done by criminals! And thinking that criminals will obey laws is ludicrous. That’s why they’re criminals!
But how do gun related death statistics stack up when compared to other deaths occurring annually in the United States?
- 40,000+ die from a drug overdose–THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THAT!
- 36,000 people die per year from the flu, far exceeding the criminal gun deaths!
- 34,000 people die per year in traffic fatalities (exceeding gun deaths even if you include suicide)
Here’s Where it Gets Good!
- 200,000+ people die each year (and growing) from preventable medical errors. You are safer in Chicago than when you are in a hospital!
- 710,000 people die per year from heart disease. It’s time to stop the double cheeseburgers!
So what’s the point? If the anti-gun movement focused their attention on heart disease, even a 10% decrease in cardiac deaths would save twice the number of lives annually of all gun-related deaths. That would include suicide, law enforcement, accidental discharge, and criminal activity!
A 10% reduction in medical errors would equate to 66% of the total gun deaths. Again, a simple, easily preventable 10% reduction! Those deaths from medical errors alone are 4X the number of criminal homicides! <Continue reading>
