Guns in America

America is flooded with hundreds of millions of guns. Nearly half -- 47 percent -- of US homes own a firearm. That's 120 - 150 million people.

As our Lawyers.com infographic shows, we are paying the price for it. Gun massacres at a Colorado movie theater and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin are just the latest in a long history of bloodbaths. There have been 50 US rampage killings involving firearms in the last 25 years, and 82% involved legally obtained firearms.

It's easy to buy a gun today, and 43 states have some form of open carry law, thanks to legislation and the recent Supreme Court decisions.

 

Follow Larry Bodine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@larrybodine

Comments

[zyvin]

07:26 PM on 08/08/2012

Its funny that Wash D.C. is not on the list. It has the most deaths by gun per capita and has a BAN on guns. I guess he didnt count that as a "state". Add that to you list......Strongest Gun Law and Most deaths per capita!!!!

[mcp1810]

09:18 PM on 08/07/2012

And notice how over 95% of those shootings took place in locations where firearms are prohibited.
The Luby's massacre was what caused Texas to start issuing concealed handgun licenses. And how many mass shootings in Texas since then? Don't count Fort Hood as that is a federal reservation which is a "gun free zone".
Could it be that we are actually safer when psychopaths have to consider that they might not have the only gun in the room?

[QuietProfessional]

11:49 AM on 08/07/2012

The anti-gun left (AGL) talks abouts "gun deaths". But never about "car deaths". "Alcohol deaths". "Stair deaths." "Ladder deaths." "Bicycle deaths." "Swimming pool deaths". Etc. Only guns are treated as if they have a will of their own. Or maybe the AGL's secret religion is New Age animism, according to which trees, rocks, and otherwise inanimate objects are infused with magical spirits?

As always, the AGL's anti-gun arguments aren't fact-based. They're appeals to emotion, not reason.

[Syllogizer]

02:16 PM on 08/07/2012

But the pro gun lobby's arguments have at least as much disdain for facts. No wonder they are so often accused of using guns to compensate for feelings of 'inadequacy'.

[Berettasskeeter]

02:27 PM on 08/07/2012

Which facts? Why not enumerate those you know of, and see where it leads?!
Semper fi

[QuietProfessional]

04:31 PM on 08/07/2012

I would dispute that contention, Syll, although the gun lobby can get very passionate at times. And gun ownership isn't all about statistical pros and cons, either: of course lots of gun owners enjoy target shooting, competition, and hunting.

As for compensating for feelings of "inadequacy", I'm going to leave that one alone. I don't think it elevates the debate. (No pun intended!)

[Radscal]

06:02 PM on 08/07/2012

I think this argument actually hurts the pro-gun ownership side. As anyone knows, of all the other sources of death you listed, only guns are designed, manufactured and bought for the specific purpose of inflicting physical damage on intended targets (be they paper targets, game animals or humans).

Yes, automobiles, hammers and a frozen leg-of-lamb (one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episodes) have been used as murder weapons. But no one could argue that these things were produced as weapons.

if we equate firearms with swimming pools, then the anti-gun side will ignore any reasonable argument we make.

[QuietProfessional]

11:26 AM on 08/08/2012

Good post. I understand your point, and it's very well-taken. But my point is that it's irrational to attribute willfulness to ANY inaminate object. There's no constitutional right to own or use a swimming pool. There is a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Moreover, firearms are unique in that they can serve their purpose without being used to do what they're designed to be capable of, i.e., inflicting physical damage. They can be used for their deterrent effect without ever being fired.

I loved that Hitchcock episode, by the way.

[Brian Bender]

11:07 AM on 08/07/2012

The Second Amendment, Heller, McDonald, ect. makes your stats irrelevant counselor.

[william ashbless]

10:39 AM on 08/07/2012

Imagine that. Selling guns is a business!
Seems you can draw a pretty powerful conclusion about the true safety of 'Gun Free' zones. Cant we?

[David Carson]

10:45 PM on 08/06/2012

Herr Bodin--then why has gun crime decreased with increased ownership and carry

[jetjocki]

08:06 PM on 08/06/2012

Larry - There is a huge risk when you throw out numbers out of context.

During the same 25 year period the Europeans with their much stricter gun control laws match up against the US with:

---346 killled

---613 wounded

---41 mass shooting incidents

And before you even think it - NO these numbers do not include any "terrorist" or "war crime incidents", they are entirely composed of incidents similar to Aurora, VA Tech, Columbine and Wisconsin.

Source - WHO

[rikilii]

07:56 PM on 08/06/2012

You also failed to mention that in one of the 5 worst rampages, half of the victims were strangled, and the rest were shot and killed with a .22 revolver.

[QuietProfessional]

11:50 AM on 08/07/2012

There you go again, getting all "factsy" on us!

[Jimmy John 08]

07:53 PM on 08/06/2012

ok... so we are talking about "gun deaths" again and include suicides in the numbers (as well as justified shootings like someone breaking into your house). Very dishonest and lousy numbers crunching. Cut out the suicides (which will cut your gun deaths in half) and then we talk again. That might also change your state ranking....

[Right Whale]

09:38 PM on 08/06/2012

...and the Brady Campaign's "children killed by guns each year" statistic is almost completely comprised of 14-17 yo gangmembers killing each other with stolen guns..That is their rationalization for why responsible law abiding gun owners should give up their rights..

[Jimmy John 08]

10:10 PM on 08/06/2012

yeah... you can bend statistics anyway you want. but the "suicides" is just utterly BS. yes, guns make committing suicide easier. that being said: the suicide rate among developed countries is fairly comparable.... so while the gun restricted spaniard might take sleeping pills or jump in front of a train, the american shoots himself/herself..... suicides CANNOT be prevented by gun control and are not "gun violence". yet they are nearly the half of ALL gun related deaths....

[rikilii]

07:51 PM on 08/06/2012

You forgot to mention that:

9 out of the 10 states with the lowest homicide rates have shall-issue or no-permit concealed carry and do not have assault weapons bans.

5 out of 10 of the cities with the highest homicide rates have very strict gun laws.

Rampage killings by lawful gun owners resulted in about 12 deaths per year over the past 25 years.  Drunk driving accidents caused by lawful users of alcohol resulted in thousands of deaths per year.

[Rooster Coburn]

06:47 PM on 08/06/2012

Since this was written by a lawyer read "Nunn v. State".

[eljefefx]

06:01 PM on 08/06/2012

I can't wait for the infographic that discusses automobiles.

[ProgGoodGov]

07:15 PM on 08/06/2012

I can't wait to never see that inane line ever again.

Guns are made for transportation, in case you didn't know.

[Grumpy Man]

09:22 PM on 08/06/2012

Yea, and my guns are made for defensive purposes in case you didn't know.

[eljefefx]

09:47 PM on 08/06/2012

Ah, I see. Tell me, are you angered by the fact that something made for transportation kills more people than something made to cause harm does?

[QuietProfessional]

05:55 PM on 08/06/2012

3 of the 5 "deadliest rampages" occurred when gun control laws were STRICTER and actually PROHIBITED law abiding residents of Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas from carrying concealed firearms where the murders took place.

[rjhulsy]

05:50 PM on 08/06/2012

Wow. That is very few deaths considering how many guns are out there. Thanks for providing an unintentionally useful infographic for the small arms industry.

[LarryBodine]

08:43 PM on 08/06/2012

So you are comfortable with 377 people dead in rampage shootings? What number of deaths are you comfortable with?

[David Carson]

10:48 PM on 08/06/2012

you have yet to nulilfy the right to self defense--so long as the criminals have firearms, I have the right to match them

[Spot The Mighty]

11:02 PM on 08/06/2012

what number are you comfortable with. Since there are things that kill a lot more people. Do you have a criteria for your moral outrage. I mean if you are for truly saving lives can we get a checklist to see what you care about.

[rmoltaban]

05:21 PM on 08/06/2012

it claims that Florida is in the strong gun law catergory yet on the same chart it states the Florida will surpass 1 million conceald carry licenses. neither Florida or Georgia is even mention both with concealed carry states with low gun related crimes. the numbers on this faux chart mean absolutely nothing. its meant to be completely one sided.