Showing posts with label Gun violence statistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gun violence statistics. Show all posts

Monday, May 13, 2019

The NRA and gun violence are inseparable


The NRA has suppressed facts on gun violence for years, actually since the 1990s when the organization...
"used its influence over NRA member and Arkansas Rep. Jay Dickey to insert an amendment into the federal spending bill that has effectively prevented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding any research on gun violence."
Gun statistics are still hard to come by, with most information coming from private studies done by experts in the field. Because the NRA has bombarded the public with propaganda over the years, and the group repeatedly buys a cowardly Congress with contributions, we now have 393 million guns on the street, resulting in almost 40,000 deaths annually, with over 300 mass shootings in 2018. The NRA's policies are clearly the source of American gun violence.

Before his demise as NRA president, Oliver North warned of financial woes in the organization partly due to $40 million spent on legal fees. There is also the problem of corporate sponsors deserting the group because of their recent notoriety, and banks have said no to working with the NRA. It is clear that part of their financial problem is head gun nut Wayne LaPierre's salary of around $1 million. His side benefits include, according to a leaked letter...
a $39,000 one-day shopping spree for clothes in Beverly Hills, $18,300 for a car and driver while he was in Europe, and $13,800 for a summer intern's rent. The total clothing travel and other expenses were more than $542,000. He also allegedly spent more than $200,000 in air transportation in a one-month period in 2012 and 2013, part of a two-week to the Bahamas over Christmas. 
Showing how low the NRA will stoop in its propaganda, Oliver North replacement, the new president, Carolyn Meadows, said about a leading proponent for gun control in Congress, Rep. Lucia “Lucy” McBath (D-Ga.) that she only won her election because she’s a “minority female.” Great start but this just emphasizes the total sleaziness of this organization.
I have posted on the NRA over the years and actually received death threats for some of my posts. These are obviously the lowlife of the gang of gun nuts, but some members espouse reasonable gun control. Today I join with the gun control advocates who welcome the demise of the NRA. The question is will the congressional gun nuts let their treasure trove go down the tube. The coming months will be interesting.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

United Kingdom has right to criticize U.S. gun control laws


As far as I can see, gun control is going almost nowhere, at least with the momentum that has been created by the increased gun violence nationwide.  Perhaps we have concentrated too much on mass killings like Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.  Although this kind of carnage is horrific, it still represents but a small amount of the gun deaths that take place daily.  Apparently statistics like ‘there are some 300 million guns in American households’ or ‘88.8 per 100 households’ does not impress the public.  Hard to believe but true.

Or the fact that in a comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 179 countries, the United States ranked No. 1, and with 10.3 gun deaths per 100,000 population they are much higher than the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the list goes on and on.  Could the fact that most of these countries have measurably stronger gun control laws than the United States have something to do with the results?  ‘Absolutely not’ would be the answer from wacky Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA.

These are figures taken from GunPolicy.org, a non-profit organization reporting on international firearm injury prevention and policy.  If you have any doubts about my numbers I suggest you go to this site and do your own research.  If you come away without the opinion that America’s gun culture is completely out of control, then you are either a gun worshipper, completely apathetic over the issue, or you have a terrible problem with math.  The truth is in the statistics and in every case there is a monumental case for more gun control laws in the U.S.

Harry J. Enten writing in the UK Guardian says, “Americans want gun control, but not badly enough.”  His point one, “Most Americans don't see gun control as the most significant way to prevent mass shootings.”  Once again, mass gun violence, but it is obvious that Enten has zeroed in on where the American focus is.  He quotes, “only 25% of Americans believe that stricter gun control laws and enforcement would be the key to preventing massacres.“  Further, CBS News found, only 21% feel stricter gun control would prevent gun violence by much.

In point two, he laments that the subject of guns just isn’t a high priority for most Americans.  A tragedy when you consider the daily reporting of people shot and killed with guns, others injured, some seriously.  In the latest CBS News poll, only 4% listed guns at the top of their list.  50% chose the economy, jobs or the budget deficit.  It will be interesting in the future to learn what the impact of continued and escalating gun violence will have on the country’s economy and its overall well-being.  If as bad as it looks, then it will be too late.

 
Point three, most in the U.S. doesn’t feel gun control legislation is a priority in 2013, only 46% according to Pew Research.  With all the shootings and mayhem nationwide connected to guns on the street, the American public says, maƱana.  Go figure.  And in point four, the public’s obsession with gun violence will eventually dwindle, meaning, if we don’t do this in 2013, we’ll never do it.  And as my headline indicated, the UK can criticize the United States because they have done what we cannot seem to accomplish due to the gun lobby.  Gun laws in the UK:

They have a gun registry

Firearms are restricted

Right to gun ownership not guaranteed by law

Assault weapons are banned

Handguns are banned

Background checks required

Number of guns and amount of ammunition owned is restricted

As a result of the above regulations, below are comparisons between the United States and the United Kingdom in gun violence:

                                                                                                US                   UK

All gun deaths per 100,000 population                                   10.3                 0.25

Gun homicides per 100,000 pop.                                            3.6                   0.04

Handgun homicides per 100,000 pop.                                    2.0                   0.01

Gun suicides per 100,000 pop.                                               6.3                   0.18

I rest my case.

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