|
Facts.
In 2010, guns took the lives of 31,076 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. This is the equivalent of more than 85 deaths each day and more than three deaths each hour.
73,505 Americans were treated in hospital emergency departments for non-fatal gunshot wounds in 2010.
Firearms were the third-leading cause of injury-related deaths nationwide in 2010, following poisoning and motor vehicle accidents.
Between 1955 and 1975, the Vietnam War killed over 58,000 American soldiers ? less than the number of civilians killed with guns in the U.S. in an average two-year period.
In the first seven years of the U.S.-Iraq War, over 4,400 American soldiers were killed.
Almost as many civilians are killed with guns in the U.S., however, every seven weeks.
In 2010, unintentional firearm injuries caused the deaths of 606 people.
From 2005-2010, almost 3,800 people in the U.S. died from unintentional shootings.
Over 1,300 victims of unintentional shootings for the period 2005?2010 were under 25 years of age.
And the logic of the pro-gun crew is we can't stop all these so let's not try to slow it down. The accidental shootings are the scariest. A lot of people don't respect what a gun is. How many times have we read of a child shooting someone by accident while playing with a gun?
Some people believe the #1 issue in the coming election is their right to have a gun and all the risks attached to it. Obviously, one has to be hiding from the real world to think that. America has far bigger problems than the right to have a big gun and lots of ammo.
|