Here are some Amazing Numbers I found at TheTruthAboutGuns.com
The Anti-Gunners like to claim that more people die because of guns than vehicle accidents, yet look at the two charts, one counts suicides, the other one doesn’t.
| State | Gun Deaths | MV Deaths |
| Alaska | 104 | 84 |
| Arizona | 856 | 809 |
| Colorado | 583 | 565 |
| Indiana | 735 | 715 |
| Michigan | 1095 | 977 |
| Nevada | 406 | 255 |
| Oregon | 417 | 394 |
| Utah | 260 | 256 |
| Virginia | 836 | 827 |
| Washington | 623 | 580 |
The data seem kind of sparse; what were the causes of death? Were they suicides, homicides, accidents? We know that suicide rates are independent of method (that is, restricting access to firearms may reduce the suicide rate with firearms, but it does not affect the overall suicide rate) so let’s and remove suicides from the totals.
| State | Gun Accident and Homicide | MV Accident and Homicide |
| Alaska | 17 | 84 |
| Arizona | 228 | 807 |
| Colorado | 108 | 557 |
| Indiana | 267 | 714 |
| Michigan | 507 | 962 |
| Nevada | 97 | 254 |
| Oregon | 55 | 391 |
| Utah | 30 | 256 |
| Virginia | 285 | 826 |
| Washington | 118 | 574 |
Source: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/05/bruce-krafft/comparing-car-and-gun-fatalities-is-misleading-and-irrelevant/
As you can see, when you take out the suicides, the numbers dropped dramatically.
Another interesting fact is that most people who become homicide victims had it coming:
People with a criminal record are also more likely to die as homicide victims. Between 1990 and 1994, 75% of all homicide victims age 21 and younger in the city of Boston had a prior criminal record. In Philadelphia, the percentage of those killed in gun homicides that had prior criminal records increased from 73% in 1985 to 93% in 1996. In Richmond, Virginia, the risk of gunshot injury is 22 times higher for those males involved with crime.
Source: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/10/bruce-w-krafft/the-costs-and-benefits-of-the-second-amendment-without-the-benefits/
But let’s forget about those who are murdered by men with guns, and let’s look at those saved by guns. BloombergBusinessweek, hardly a pro-gun outfit, wrote the following:
2. A conservative estimate of the order of magnitude is tens of thousands of times a year; 100,000 is not a wild gun-nut fantasy.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-27/how-often-do-we-use-guns-in-self-defense
There are other numbers of course:
According toBureau of Justice Statistics numbers, each year between 1987 and 1992 about 62,200 victims of violent crimes used guns to defend themselves, while another 20,000 annually used guns to protect property.
According to the National Self-Defense Survey conducted by criminology professor Gary Kleck of Florida State University in 1993, Americans used guns 2.3 million times a year to defend themselves between 1988 and 1993.
Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0130/Gun-control-101-Do-Americans-often-use-firearms-in-self-defense
So while we may not have the exact number, it’s clear that far more are saved by guns than killed by criminals with guns.
For every day incidents of self-defense with guns, visit http://gunssavelives.net/
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The problem is WE all know the truths of responsible gun ownership. THEY don’t ackowledge data and facts. WE see them as emotional, feel-good whiners who think blanket policies fix everything. THEY see us as all potential killers, praying for our own OK Corral so we can show-off our penis compensator. How do we all get to the real truths of the issue? I am a little torn, I must admit, on limitless gun rights. I cannot and will not deny the 2A, but I will admit that some legal gun owners probably shouldn’t have them. Having a pulse and a drivers license doesn’t prove any degree of maturity or responsibility. But how do we measure or confirm those qualities? I am in NJ and do have major issue with the hoops I must jump through, but, I can appreciate the “filtering” affect it creates where-by only those who are serious about it go through the motions. That’s the conflict I’m having these days, not everyone should have a gun, especially if it’s only for their ego. (How many AR Fanboys have you encountered?) Nothing good comes from the wrong motivations. The 2A is a RIGHT, but it is also a RESPONSIBILITY, how do we determine who’s responsible without caving to the Darkside?
P.S. please don’t go Metcalf(sp?) on me!
” I will admit that some legal gun owners probably shouldn’t have them. ”
That’s a scary thought. All men are innocent until proven guilty. Besides, if “dangerous” people are allowed to have books about making bombs, samurai swords, baseball bats, etc, I see no problem with guns.
“, I can appreciate the “filtering” affect it creates where-by only those who are serious about it go through the motions. ”
—Then the Second Amendment becomes a private club instead of something that really covers our rights. See? That’s my problem with New Jersey, the politicians there have too much power. In Tennessee the politicians fear the voters, not the other way around.
“not everyone should have a gun, especially if it’s only for their ego. (How many AR Fanboys have you encountered?) Nothing good comes from the wrong motivations.”
I haven’t encountered any AR Fanboys, but they are excellent weapons for self-defense, much easier to use than shotguns (less kick), much easier to aim than handguns, and ideal if you’re facing multiple attackers. As for the ego, you forget America is about individual rights, not collective needs. Having an ego is a good thing. In the end, I do believe everyone needs a gun. It’s what keep us civilized. Without guns we fight like animals, with our hands, we rely on animalistic characteristics like physical strength. I do not like that. I prefer firepower.
“P.S. please don’t go Metcalf(sp?) on me!”
Sarcasm?
Thanks for not destroying me. I will defend the 2A to the end. I guess what I was trying to address was the types of gun owners that are the prime stereotypical target for the anti’s and how we address it. Maybe we need to be proactive in promoting our views rather than just reacting to the latest attack. Show the non-gun owning public who we really are. As for the AR15, I own one because I appreciate what it is and it’s capabilities, not because it’s “bitch’in”, (even though it is!). And yes, it was sarcasm in my attempt at uncomfortable questions.
You’re welcomed. I’m a lot nicer with my fellow gun owners than I am with the gun haters.
Frankly, I would love to see an advertising campaign targeted at non-gun owners of every demographic. There are many pro-gun memes, but something on TV, radio, print, even a billboard like the Guns Save Lives billboard in Arizona (lots of litigation over that one) could be effective.
Either way, thanks to the Internet it’s not so easy to stereotype gun owners anymore. Yeah, some of us may fit with stereotypes, but does Colion Noir look like the typical gun owner? Or what about the Top Shot champion, Chris Cheng, who is Asian and gay, talk about double diversity.
Thanks for commenting, I always welcome views from people who visit this site. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
I’m even paying a guy $50 to speed up the website, I’ve been told it doesn’t load fast enough.
P.S. What do you think of this t-shirt?
http://teespring.com/support-duck-dynasty