I’m certainly tired of those who would advance the cause of gun control cherry picking statistics and using only those that serve their purposes. Yes, there are 36,000 deaths from firearms each year in this country (more or less). Sound like a crisis? Let’s look closer. Of that number, how many suicides? About 40 percent. How many accidents? Maybe 1,000. How many inner-city, gang-related (mostly between the ages of 13 and 20)? Another 35 percent. Now we’ve cut the number to less than 10,000. How many as a result of mass (defined as over three) shooting? A few hundred? Still a crisis? The fact is that deaths from firearms defined as homicide are a smaller number than most causes of death that are listed in statistics of either the FBI or other objective medical data sites. More people die from medical errors in this country each year. “Gun violence” isn’t even the real cause. Gang violence? Yes. Suicide? Yes. Accident involving a firearm? Yes, again. The facts don’t justify gun bans, confiscations, or tougher gun control laws. Not something you’ll even see admitted by the anti-gun side.
Paul Mammano
Libby
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