CDC findings on gun violence

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Google “Rethinking Gun Control Surprising findings from a comprehensive report on gun violence” on Slate.
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The finding don’t really line up with anybodies agenda, but it’s the first solid data in over a generation. Maybe we (the USA) can get some effective, data backed, policy in place instead of relying on emotional rhetoric to dictate policy.

1. The United States has an indisputable gun violence problem. – No kidding

2. Most indices of crime and gun violence are getting better, not worse.- Anybody who was around in the 80’s and 90’s remembers how nuts that era was. The elderly were being advised to carry extra cash so they wouldn’t get beaten or shot by a dissatisfied robber.

3. We have 300 million firearms, but only 100 million are handguns.

4: Handguns are the problem. Handguns are used in 87% of violent crimes, and are preferred by criminals for their ease of concealment. – That a pretty strong correlation, and a good indicator where our efforts should be concentrated.

5. Mass shootings aren’t the problem. – They’re messy and attention grabbing, but compromise less the 0.2% of all gun deaths.

6. Gun suicide is a bigger killer than gun homicide (61%) – We (USA) have a BIG mental health problem in addition to a big gun violence problem. This is also a good indicator where our efforts should be concentrated.

7. Guns are used for self-defense often and effectively. “Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals”

8. Carrying guns for self-defense is an arms race. Pushers carry for protection against thieves, and against competitors who are likly to be armed. People not involved in the drug trade also carry guns for the same reason. Guns make the carrier “feel” safer. – Again a “No kidding” argument.

9. Denying guns to people under restraining orders saves lives. – a 7% drop, while not earthshaking, is still significant.

10. It isn’t true that most gun acquisitions by criminals can be blamed on a few bad dealers. “the share of crime gun traces attributed to these few [bad] dealers only slightly exceeded their share of handgun sales”- Another red herring tossed back into the sea.

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