Gun Violence in America
Gun violence in America is a public health issue and tragically little or nothing is being done to prevent the senseless deaths of so many of our citizens. According to Forbes contributor Rob Waters and citing the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “in the ten years from 2000 to 2009 more than 298,000 died from gunshots in the U.S., about 30,000 people a year. If you exclude natural causes of death and consider only deaths by injury, it is the second-leading cause of death over that time period; only car accidents (417,000) killed more people.”
While it is true that guns don’t cause violence, is it also true that easy access to guns turns violence deadly and increases the chances of lethal accidents. Look through the statistics compiled by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the numbers speak for themselves:
Two thirds of the 179,000 homicides committed during the 2000s made use of a firearm, usually a handgun.
Easy access to guns turns violence deadly and boosts the chances of lethal accidents. For example, if a gun is used during a domestic violence assault, there’s a 23-fold increased likelihood that the victim will die. Women who are victims of Domestic Violence are five-times more likely to be killed if abuser owns a firearm.
Having a gun facilitates suicide according to a California study, suicide by handgun is the leading cause of death in the first year after people buy a gun. However, many don’t wait that long. In the first week after purchase of a handgun, the suicide rate among firearms purchasers was 57-times as high as the adjusted rate in the general population. More than 75 percent of guns used in suicide attempts and accidental injuries of people under 20 were stored in the home of victim, a relative, or friend. Would all these people have committed suicide if a gun had not readily available” Some would have, of course, but the easier (and faster) it is to kill one’s self, the more likely a person is to do it. (Rob Waters; Forbes contributor, 7/24/2012)
Although, I’m unable to read the minds of our founders who have long been resting in their graves, I can still read their words and through historic context decipher what they meant when they wrote the 2nd Amendment: Militia and the Right to Bear Arms. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Of course we have a well regulated Militia with our Reserves and National Guard and we most certainly have people who keep and bear arms as shown by all the gun violence happening across our county where, currently, approximately 34 or more of our citizens are gunned down each day. Somehow, I don’t think this was our founders intent when their knowledge of arms at the time were single shot muzzle loaded rifles and pistols and furthermore, their idea for the right of the people to keep and bear arms was mainly to prevent governmental tyranny and to be able to fortify the Militia to fight against foreign invasion, not to be used to kill each other on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, today we have the powerful NRA and their well paid lobbyists preventing us from have meaningful discussion on ways to decrease gun violence in any way. This past election no serious politicians that I heard even brought gun violence up as a political issue. Of course, there were those who used the idea that the other side was going to restrict of take away “your guns.” My neighbor, who loves to hunt and is a good man, bought into this fallacy and was railing one day that Obama was trying to take his guns away and that he wasn’t going to be able to buy more ammunition. When I asked him how many guns he owned four years ago and how many he owned now, he did confess to me that he had purchased more guns to add to his collection and that he had been stockpiling ammunition -- just in case. At the end of the day, my sincere hope is that he doesn’t ever accidentally or on purpose shoot himself, his fiancé, my wife and I or any other innocent person in our lovely town.
More importantly, until we as a people have meaningful discussions on gun violence in this country and address this Public Health issue with common sense solutions to fix the problem, tragically, we will continue to bear witness to these senseless acts of violence that affect us one and all!
Michael
2:22 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012
It sounds to me like you're interpreting not deciphering. Your neighbor is correct in fearing Obama and his intensions, but his predecessor did more to endanger personal civil rights than almost all other presidents before him when he over reacted with the creation of homeland security. I for one wished he remembered what another of our socialist leaning presidents had said about the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. You sight a lot of statistics, but leave out many that may explain with more clarity reasons for the violence around us. Why not rail about violence in movies? I haven't been an NRA member for many years, but I believe in their cause, especially when I read posts like yours. I also, believe that if guns are ever made illegal violent criminals will still find and use them on a society that is more vulnerable. As a young boy my father taught me the correct use of guns and all weapons. I have never pointed a gun at anyone recklessly. I served my country in the military as a volunteer did you?
David Conkle
4:03 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012
Yes Michael, I did serve my country and am a service connected disabled veteran as a result. I've earned the right to interpret the connstitution which I served to protect also. The constitution is not a document of absolutes as it acts as a living instrument which can be changed or made better. You know, amendments! I do believe in the 2nd Amendment; the right of the people to keep and bear arms. When younger, my father, brother and I hunted too. Although I don't hunt anymore, I do legally own a pump action 12-guage shotgun for home protection. If you enter my home uninvited, have no doubt that it will be pointed at you with deadly intent also. Of course, it's not just the violent criminals we all need to worry about either, Michael, as 40% of all weapons purchased in America are bought illegally at gun shows or on the street through private transactions. However, when almost 300,000 citizens in our country die from legal or illegal guns during a decade wouldn't you agree that this qualifies as a public health issue? If not now, then when do we interject some common sense solutions for the prevailing problem of gun violence. Yes, there are varied causes for these many senseless acts of violent tragedy. At the end of the day though, dead is still dead no matter what the cause. Being reasonable and learned men, somehow I don't believe the fathers of our constitution would object to, given the current paradigm, more control over guns and the people who own them. I'm just sayin.
Michael
1:43 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
David, First thank you for your service to our country, but I don't know that guns purchased at gun shows are bought illegally. If they are, then those selling guns illegally need to be punished to existing laws. If someone wants to commit suicide, so be it. It sounds to me, you're looking for the government to intercede with what I believe would be more meaningless laws that aren't upheld. We already have laws prohibiting illegal sales of guns. Why not enforce them rather than look at controlling guns. Just look at the tragic actions of our government's "Fast and Furious" actions. As a law abiding citizen you should save your outrage for Holder and Obama's duplicity. As a learned person you know that when our government makes law they always go overboard and punish those who have no connection or in this case criminal intent. In truth our country hasn't changed all that much since our founding fathers wrote the constitution. Today though too many people think the government can solve too many problems by changing laws or amendments. When many problems can be resolved by good parenting and keeping indoctrination out of our schools. Minding your own business and stop thinking you know better than anybody else. In an era where we have lawless politicians, lawyers, judges, union bosses and any number of misguided individuals like psychoanalyst's that give excuses to people for their irresponsible actions. We don't need to give the government more power. They have enough already.
David Conkle
7:02 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Most guns that are purchased at gun shows are bought without any background checks or record of purchase which is illegal and should be enforced under the law. By the way, Fast and Furious began under the Bush administration and was a bad idea then and now. I don't know what kind of fantasy world you live in Michael, however, the country has changed significantly in the 236 years since the constitution was first ratified. Yes, government often creates law by "knee jerk" reaction and overreacts to bad events that happen. Take 9/11 for example and the actions taken in response that were based on fear and not on tempered logic. You mention good parenting and indoctrination in our schools, unfortunately too many parents aren't doing a good job raising their children due to the demands of both parents working one and two jobs just to make ends meet. And the only thing our children in Florida are being indoctrinated to is the FCAT tests. You tell me to mind my own business and stop thinking I know better than anyone else, well Michael I take my civic responsibilities as a citizen very seriously and under my first admendment rights am free to express my opinion in any way I deem necessary. As far as me knowing better than anyone else, I would simply say that I'm fairly confident and certain that I do know better than you. Perhaps, you should look into being psychoanylised, so you would then have an excuse for your stupidity, ignorance and misguided thought process in regard to guns.