Auchtoon!We Are Awash in Guns
It’s not as if America didn’t have lots of guns 60-plus years ago. We most certainly did. But then, there was a much higher percentage of people who used them for hunting and sport. The weapons themselves were typically much less lethal — single-shot rifles, revolvers, and the like. And critically, there wasn’t a political party completely beholden to gun manufacturers and their lobbyists.
Reliable statistical data for and about guns are notoriously difficult to find. This is mostly by design (again, the aforementioned gun manufacturers and lobbyists). But it is pretty obvious that the total amount of guns manufactured and sold in recent years is significant — 16.6 million firearms purchased in 2022.
That’s down from a record 21.8 million in 2020, but even if last year’s sales were zero, we’d still have a problem. Firearms aren’t like Chevy Chevettes or modern day dishwashers — they are highly durable and likely to last more than a few years. The old ones don’t go away, and we just keep accumulating more.
The total number of firearms in America is mind bending. Sure, we have 331 million people, but per capita, America still easily dominates the developed world.
We are awash in guns, so it’s no surprise that we are awash in gun violence, or that a loaded weapon might find its way into the hands of an eight-year-old to take to school.
Mark Arnold said,
May 12, 2023 @ 11:01 am
John,
The main issue isn’t about guns. It’s about the lack of education we’re providing to children about guns. Being reared in Texas, we were taught at an early age to respect our weapons. And yes, some even carried them to school with no incidents.
Bring back firearm education. Allow teachers who want to carry, be trained and carry. Quit making our schools a target by having staff trained.
Criminals will obtain guns regardless of how many laws and regulations are in place. That has never changed and never will.
Enforce the laws that are already on the books. The gun industry is already one of the most (if not THE most) regulated industry in the US. More laws won’t make a difference.
auch6963 said,
May 19, 2023 @ 10:35 am
Hey, Mark! Good to hear from you, my friend. I don’t think we’ll come to any consensus on this issue because I do think it is mostly about the guns. Or at least the amount of them. The United States is uniquely awash in firearms among developed nations, and we have a corresponding uniquely high rate of gun violence. We keep adding more by purchasing tens of millions guns each year. And guns generally don’t spoil, so the stockpile grows. It’s easy, then, to understand how many get into the hands of those not mentally capable of handling them, those with criminal intent, and elementary school children. Yes, of course, let’s fund and promote eduction. But let’s put an end to this disastrous notion that more guns is a solution to gun violence.