With the recent number of mass shootings that unfolded in the United States, I thought I’d compile some info and provide a basis for considering political perspectives on gun policy. That being said, I’d like to offer my condolences to those affected by these atrocities.
The US occupies 82% of all gun deaths worldwide.
It’s clear from this chart that American civilians possess a huge quantity of guns – 1.01 guns per every person, and about 42% of all guns found in the world, while representing only 4.43% of the total populace. (Some context to consider is that the US is one of the only countries in the world permitting unregulated and unlicensed ownership – you just have to be 18 to buy a shotgun or rifle, or 21 for all other firearm types.)
Discussions about gun policies are usually spurred by events such as the Mandalay Bay and Texas church shootings, but mass shootings make up just a fraction of the total firearm victims. And the usual focus when these talks do happen is to regulate military-style rifles, even though 70% of murder from guns were due to handguns. Many argue that restricting gun laws won’t bring this down, and only undermines the ability of citizens to defend themselves, because criminals get their hands on guns regardless of legislation – like in the Paris terrorist attacks.
There is some support behind this argument. If you look at this chart, the US is 20th in the list of gun-related homicides, with its total homicide rate per unit population below the world average. It’s likely that even with heavy gun regulation, the homicide rate wouldn’t change significantly.
But there’s the danger of assuming that’s all there is to it: the US possesses 82% of all the gun deaths worldwide (study). So although American instances of homicides are lower, more fatalities occur in each case. A probable reason is that criminals would be armed better, and with lethal intent, knowing that their targets would have firearms of their own.
A common argument for less gun regulation is the attribution of shootings to the mentally ill; however, a 2010 study found that only 3-5% of violent crimes were due to “serious mental illnesses” – and most didn’t even involve guns. Looking at statistics is always important when it comes to objectively assessing rationale.
As with any controversial topic, there is no straightforward approach to resolving the gun control issue. Real stats supplied by non-partisan organizations are difficult to come by, and media tends to exaggerate and mislead. The best way to reach a conclusion is to think for yourself.
