Originally Posted by
Elroy
OK, I was going to let this sleeping dog lie, but after reading your link I need to respond to this. Taken directly from your link
"The key facts are:
• The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership - and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer - 54.8 per 100 people
• But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate - that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people
• Puerto Rico tops the world's table for firearms murders as a percentage of all homicides - 94.8%. It's followed by Sierra Leone in Africa and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean
The full data is below - what can you do with it?"
For having the highest amount of gun ownership in the world by a large margin, a firearm murder rate of 2.97 people per 100,000 is pretty damn good! I don't pretend to know much about Puerto Rico, Africa, and Nevis' gun laws, but I imagine they are not that strict. You argue for stricter gun control and less guns, but if, as you say, more guns = more deaths, shouldn't the US top both categories?!? According to your source the US is 28th in the world for firearm deaths and we have 33 more guns per 100 people than any other nation!!! The fact is, our gun control in the US is sufficient, again 2.97 deaths for every 100,000 people and we have 270 MILLION firearms.
England only has 6.2 firearms per 100 people, and getting a handgun is difficult. Would their firearm deaths increase if it became easier to obtain a gun? Probably. But at a difference of only 2.9 more deaths in the US vs. the UK, I'd prefer to live in a country that recognizes MY OWN INDIVIDUAL RIGHT to arm and protect myself and family.
Take a look at the countries ahead of the US in % of firearm homicides. Italy, Brazil, Switzerland (and the Swiss always seemed so peaceful). As I said in my earlier post, data and stats are what you make of them----as your website said "the full data is below - what can you do with it?"
I'm failing to see how this link has supported your position.....