CHRISTINE LAVIN: More Than 1,000,000 Americans (Killed By Guns)

[arcanechili]

OK, let's conisder at that number.

If you do the math, that works out to about 3+ 9-11 attacks per year. Or something like two Oklahoma City every few days. If this country had the equivalent of a 9-11 attack every four months or so, or two OK City bombings each week I wonder how long it would take us to get serious about dealing with the problem.

[abrothman]

...that less-than-13,000 homicides with a gun per year also includes those that are justified -- shooting a rapist or a carjacker, for example. Compare that to about 6,000 homicides without a gun -- using a knife, hammer, or feet and hands.

If someone wants to hurt or kill someone else, he will, regardless of the tool. The old cliche is true: people kill people.

One more thing? Studies indicate that a million or so times a year, Americans protect themselves and their loved ones -- with a gun.

[abrothman]

Let's take a look at the numbers. In recent years, about 30,000 Americans a year die of gunshot wounds -- one out of every 10,000 people. 57% of those are suicides -- where people are killed by THEMSELVES. Are we to believe that they wouldn't throw themselves out a window or drive off a bridge if there were no guns around? Accidents? 462 people last year -- one out of 465,000. That leaves under 13,000 a year -- one out of every 23,000 Americans -- that are killed with a gun by someone else...

[antispamdinista]

This song is so true and sad.