Armed citizens kill more than all wars since 1775

[U201491]

http://usconservatives.about.com/od/capitalpunishment/a/Putting-Gun-Death-Statistics-In-Perspective.htm

Putting Gun Death Statistics in Perspective
Gangs Remain Key Unaddressed Problem in Gun Debate

By Dustin Hawkins


Gun Rights Activist Marches in Utah. George Frey
There are roughly 32,000 gun deaths per year in the United States. Of those, around 60% are suicides. About 3% are accidental deaths (between 700-800 deaths). About 34% of deaths (just over 11,000 in both 2010 and 2011) make up the remainder of gun deaths and are classified as homicides. Sometimes the 32,000 and 11,000 figures are used interchangeably by gun control advocates. Clearly, the 32,000 figure is a far more dramatic number and it is often used for impact by anti-gun activists.


These numbers are also regularly compared to other countries' gun statistics. But is it a fair comparison? Here, we will examine some of the most common gun control arguments used and put those figures into perspective.

Gang/Drug Violence Driving Force of Gun Deaths?
According to the FBI, almost four in ten homicides are classified as "unknown" while arguments are, predictably, the top cause of known homicides. It is unclear what percentage of gun deaths are gang-related nationally and even from one city to the next. So while Detroit logs some 350 homicides annually, there is no hard statistic to grasp the exact percentage that is gang-related or involving gang-members. In New Orleans, between 35-55% of homicides are classified as gang-related. In Chicago, an estimated 80% of homicides are gang-related. And in Baltimore, the police commissioner states that 80% of homicides are drug-related. (But again, most of this depends on methods of keeping records, and, often, personal opinions.)

When comparing cities plagued by gun violence and looking at "the most dangerous" cities in the United States, the most commonly cited cause of violence is gangs. It is no coincidence that the murder rate and gun violence rate spikes in large cities with large gun populations. Solve the problem of gang violence, and a huge chunk of the gun homicide and violence problem is solved. And what national gun control measures would slow the gang violence problem, when local gun control laws have failed in cities like Chicago? If politicians were really worried about gun deaths, wouldn't they be specifically targeting where a majority of the problems exist?

Gun Homicides Per Year Beyond Gangs
Most of the gun laws are aimed at a segment of the population that is mostly law-abiding and outside of the gang culture and would likely do little to stop any of the violence.

The United States is one of the most gun-friendly countries in the world. Roughly half of American households have a gun. There are almost as many guns in America as people. It's common sense to know that, yes, the United States will probably have more gun murders than a country with almost no guns and no households with guns. I'd would also assume that Florida will have more swimming pool drowning deaths than, say, Michigan. But unlike swimming pools, guns can also be used for self-defense reasons. The reality remains that in a country of 315 million people (and almost as many guns) very few of the guns are ever used in any crime. If arguments that the mere existence of guns made people more violent, more likely to murder, and more likely to commit crime, than the gun problem in America would be much worse.

Suicide Rates
Suicide is often a secondary reason gun control advocates use for wanting to "control" guns. It is true that roughly half of suicides in America are done by use of a firearm. Gun control advocates argue that suicides are often a momentary impulse and the availability of a gun makes people more likely to act on those impulses. Japan is probably the opposite of the United States in regards to a gun culture. With few guns and gun-related deaths, Japan is one of the most heavily cited countries by gun-control advocates. But while the cultural differences between Japan and the USA (and resulting gun violence comparisons) make a gun control argument hard to realistically swallow, one thing stands out: the suicide rate in Japan is more than twice the United States' suicide rate. The US suicide rate is about the same as Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, and Iceland and well below France and Greenland. In reality, suicide rates seem to have little to do with the availability or accessibility of guns. It just so happens that in the US guns are the suicide weapon of choice, while in Japan it might be jumping in front of a train or poisoning. The method of "jumping" is so common in Japan that the families of train-jumpers are often charged a fine for clean-up.
Mass Shootings Remain a Rarity
The reason that horrible tragedies like the Newton, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado shootings are so gut-wrenching and shocking is rooted in a reality that such incidents are extremely rare. Unfortunately, politicians often aim to stir up emotional reactions and exploit these tragedies for political gain. With the incredible number of statistics that get thrown around and abused, it's important to sometimes step back and actually look at what the numbers say. Are the gun laws being proposed anything more than window dressing and "feel-good" legislation that will have little actual impact? Should more efforts actually be used in a results-oriented way, targeting the actual concentrated areas where gun crime occurs? Politics is often a processed-based and not results-oriented exercise, where "doing something" is often rewarded more than actually ever accomplishing anything.

(Note: An early edition incorrectly quoted that 80% of non-suicide homicide gun deaths were gang-related. The true number is unknown as a large percentage of homicides are not categorized whatsoever.)

 

[U201491]

This also
<broken link removed>

 

[USAF Medic]

my point is the founders knew that giving people enough rope to hang themselves (metaphorically) would create problems. That is what it is and its the nature or our society. Im also ok with that, but the real issue is whether we help or hurt and it isn't the amount of guns available per se. its that we privatized prisons and monetized failure. We've created a permanent underclass that has no viable options but to eat off that streets and continually go back to the bank (prison) which keeps feeding the beast. We did that because we are easy to trick with fear. We are simple creatures. The war on drugs was a business. And there is no incentive to stop feeding the business. We incarcerate more PEOPLE than any other country while you guys continue to beat your chest under the guise of freedom. they prey on your racism and fear. Are you Christians? DO you love your brothers? Answer that...

Everyone in the US has multiple options to "get off the streets". Education is the key, and it is free in all states. All it takes is effort.
Ad a willingness to work, and you are off the streets.
The KKK founded DEMOCRAT party does it's best to keep many people enslaved to a entitlement mentality. That is the REAL social downfall for those who fail to work their way off the streets.

 

[U201491]

General health
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
View attachment 257631

http://www.medhelp.org/general-health/articles/The-25-Most-Common-Causes-of-Death/193?page=1

The 25 Most Common Causes of Death

#25 being the least likely

Have you sworn to never live in California for fear of the big earthquake striking? Is the chance of a terrorist encounter enough to keep you off airplanes? You should be more concerned about the fact that your car is a high-speed death pod, statistically speaking, or that bad lifestyle habits, in the long run, can put you at risk for a fatal disease. The truth is, you're 23 times more likely to die falling off a building than in a skydiving accident, and 40 thousand times more likely to die crossing the street than in a terrorist attack on a commercial airliner. We've tapped into the National Safety Council's annual rankings of the top causes of death in the U.S. along with the odds that they will occur. Ready to face the facts? See where your fears lie on our list.



#25: Exposure to excessive natural cold
Odds of dying: 1 in 7,399
People exposed to very cold temperatures die from hypothermia, which occurs when the core body temperature drops from the normal range of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) to below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Interestingly, Florida, one of the warmest states in the U.S., has hundreds of cases of hypothermia every year because residents are not as well prepared for cold weather when it comes, especially out at sea.



#24: Exposure to excessive natural heat
Odds of dying: 1 in 6,174
Apparently hot and cold weather are almost equally dangerous. Few people die from direct sun exposure, but rather from heatstroke, which occurs when the body temperature rises above 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius). You are about 100 times more likely to die from excessive natural heat or cold than from excessive heat or cold of man-made origin (odds are 1 in 639,989), like freezers and saunas.



#23: Fall from a building
Odds of dying: 1 in 6,115
For most people skydiving is a risky, scary adventure, but statistically you are much more likely to die from a fall off a building at some point in your life. According to the United States Parachute Association, about 3 million jumps took place in 2010, but there were only 21 deaths. That's an average of 0.007 deaths per thousand jumps.



#22: Firearms discharge
Odds of dying: 1 in 5,981
In 2006, there were 862 undetermined/unintentional firearm deaths. Americans are statistically much more likely to die from firearms discharge than people in comparable countries. Total firearm-related deaths are eight times higher in the U.S. than in economic counterparts in other parts of the world, like Canada, England and France.



#21: Air and space transport accidents
Odds of dying: 1 in 5,862
Anyone who is afraid of flying on an airplane but isn't worried about driving every day should check the facts. Statistically, 1 out of every 5,862 people will die in aviation-related accidents while 1 in every 272 people will die in an automobile accident.



#20: Contact with machinery
Odds of dying: 1 in 5,189
People with arachnophobia should know that they are almost 200 times more likely to die from contact with machinery than contact with venomous spiders, where the odds are almost 1 in a million. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, types of machinery likely to cause injury or death include heating, cooling and cleaning, construction, logging, mining and special materials machinery.



#19: Choking on food
Odds of dying: 1 in 4,404
You should be more worried about the food you eat than having an irrational fear, like dying in a terrorist attack. The truth is that only 1 in 25 million people will be killed in a terrorist attack aboard a commercial airliner, yet 1 in 4,404 people will die via asphyxiation from choking on food, so you are better off being afraid of your brunch.



#18: Fall involving bed, chair or other furniture
Odds of dying: 1 in 4,238
Beds, couches and furniture exist in our homes to provide personal comfort and relaxation, but they are associated with death far more often than most would think. Falls are the leading cause of death among people over the age of 65. A person is far more likely to die falling out of bed, a chair or other furniture at home than traveling on a railway, where the odds are 1 in 225,879.


#17: Bicycle accident
Odds of dying: 1 in 4,147
In 2009, 630 bicyclists were killed, and a whopping 51,000 were injured in accidents. Most of these deaths occurred in urban areas, where there are more cars and traffic congestion. The number one thing you can do to reduce your risk? Wear a helmet!



#16: ATV or off-road vehicle accident
Odds of dying: 1 in 3,579
In 2009, there were 376 reported ATV-related deaths and 131,900 emergency room visits. This is a steady decline from 2008, where there were 616 reported deaths and 135,100 emergency room visits. The reason ATV-related deaths have declined is thanks to rider safety education and parental supervision.



#15: Complications of medical and surgical care
Odds of dying: 1 in 1,523
According to the National Hospital Discharge Survey, 45 million surgeries were performed in 2007, so it's a good thing that only 1 in 1,523 people will die from medical or surgical complications. You are more than twice as likely to die from complications of medical and surgical care than in an ATV or off-road vehicle accident; the largest gap in odds on this list.



#14: Exposure to smoke, fire and flames
Odds of dying: 1 in 1,235
In a burning house or building, you are actually more likely to die from smoke inhalation than burning from flames or heat. People have about three minutes to get out of a burning structure before dying from smoke inhalation.



#13: Accidental drowning and submersion
Odds of dying: 1 in 1,073
In the U.S., there were 3,443 fatal unintentional drownings in 2007. Males were 3.7 times more likely to die from drowning than females, because they are more likely to engage in reckless behavior. Children under the age of 14 accounted for one-fifth of these deaths from drowning.



#12: Motorcycle accident
Odds of dying: 1 in 802
It's no surprise that motorcycle accidents are on this list. Riding a motorcycle is an infamously dangerous activity. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that 4,762 motorcycle deaths occurred in 2009, a 10 percent decline from 2008.



#11: Pedestrian accident
Odds of dying: 1 in 623
But trading two wheels for two feet is not any safer. Statistically, you are better off riding a motorcycle than walking on a busy street. The three U.S. cities with the most pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents every year are Atlanta, Ga., with 10.97, Detroit, Mich., with 10.31 and Los Angeles, Calif., with 7.64. Pedestrian fatalities are more likely to occur in large cities with heavy traffic.



#10: Assault by firearm
Odds of dying: 1 in 300
America is the gun violence capital of the world. According to FBI crime statistics, there were 9,146 murders by firearm in 2009. Like death by accidental gun discharge, death rates for assault by firearm in the U.S. are also disproportionate to similar countries. It has the highest rate of firearm deaths among 25 high-income nations and more disturbingly, the overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children under age 15 is 12 times higher than the death rates of these 25 high-income nations combined.



#9: Exposure to narcotics and hallucinogens
Odds of dying: 1 in 289
Prescription opioid painkillers like <broken link removed> and Percocet are now the most dangerous narcotics in America. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University of North Carolina and Duke University Medical Center report that in 2007, there were more unintentional deaths from prescription opioid pain killers than overdose deaths from heroin and <broken link removed> combined. Even alcohol, a substance well-known for its hazardous effects when consumed in large quantities, doesn't compare to the dangers that prescription opioids pose. The odds of dying from alcohol poisoning are 1 in 10,909.

#8: Car accident
Odds of dying: 1 in 272
Car accidents are a major area of concern in the U.S. and teenage drivers are at the root of the problem. In 2009, the CDC reported that 3,000 teens ages 15 to 19 were killed in automobile accidents and 350,000 were treated in emergency rooms because of car accidents. While young people ages 15 to 24 comprise 14 percent of the population, they account for 30 percent of car accidents.



#7: Falls
Odds of dying: 1 in 184
This category includes statistical data from #18, the category for deaths from falling off a bed, chair or other furniture and #23, the category for people falling off a building, along with any other type of unintentional fall. In 2008, 22,631 Americans died from unintentional falls, which equates to 7.5 people per 100,000.



#6: Accidental poisoning and drug overdose
Odds of dying: 1 in 139
There were 29,846 deaths from unintentional poisoning in 2007 and 40,059 poisoning deaths total. Ninety-seven percent of these deaths are caused by drug overdoses. Not surprisingly, of all the accidental poisoning deaths from drug overdoses, narcotics (#9 on the list) were the most common inducers, and specifically opioids and benzodiazepenes ( <broken link removed> ) took the most lives.



#5: Intentional self harm
Odds of dying: 1 in 115
A person died from committing suicide every 15 minutes in the U.S. in 2007, the most recent year for which data was available. Ninety percent of people who die by suicide have a psychiatric disorder at the time of their death. When attempted, a suicide is not statistically likely to be successful. An estimated 8 to 25 suicide attempts occur for every death. Four male suicides occur for every one female suicide, but three times as many females attempt suicide. The reason is that men choose more lethal methods, like hanging and shooting themselves, than women.



#4: All types of land vehicle accidents
Odds of dying: 1 in 85
This category is similar to car and ATV accidents; it simply combines death rates from ATV and off-road vehicle accidents (#16), motorcycle accidents (#12), car accidents (#8) and any other type of land vehicles, like tractors, tanks and go-karts. Americans are 1,800 times more likely to die in a land vehicle accident than an earthquake, where the odds are 1 in 153,597.



#3: Stroke
Odds of dying: 1 in 28
Sadly for Americans, there is a high statistical chance of dying from a stroke. Over 143,579 people die each year from stroke in the United States. Risk factors for suffering a stroke include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, being age 55 or older, being overweight, physical inactivity, binge drinking, drug use and cigarette smoking.



#2: Cancer
Odds of dying: 1 in 7
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. Americans are four times more likely to die from cancer than stroke, the third entry on this list. There are many different types of cancer, and some are more likely to occur than others. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer was the most common and deadliest form of cancer in 2010, with 222,520 cases and 157,300 deaths. Prostate and breast cancer were second and third on the list, respectively.



#1: Heart disease
Odds of dying: 1 in 6
Heart disease, which is slightly more likely to result in death than cancer, is the most common cause of death in America. The good news is that the mortality rate for heart disease is decreasing. Between 1997 and 2007, deaths from heart disease fell 28 percent. During the same period, however, the number of heart procedures performed in hospitals rose 27 percent. This means that quality of care is improving, but our lifestyles are getting worse.



Chris Jagger is a journalism graduate from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Published: June 24, 2011

 

[USAF Medic]

According this this group:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...rmed-citizens-killed-americans-wars-combined/

Wow! She can stroke my gun any time...

 

[U201491]

Wow! She can stroke my gun any time...

The one on the steps?

 

[USAF Medic]

The one on the steps?

yes.

 

[Stomper]

Hey! HEY! Can't we have a discussion in an honorable and dignified way? 'Cept for you Suge! You can just go away.

Hey, pickles are among the most dignified and versatile of the snack foods.

 

[Member 5605]

If you haven't see this video.....

It's well worth the watch. Thank me later.

 

[Member 5605]

Im not a troll. taku is still a simpleton tho.

I agree that law abiding people dont shoot people until they do, I dont think innocent people should be restricted from owning guns. But at the end of the day, you have to know that MORE guns equals MORE shootings. It just does. It just math, I dont think that I shouldnt keep a gun because someone might break into my house. I get to protect my family. I agree. BUT more guns cant equal less shootings...

When I had no firearms in my house I had the same number of firearms based violent acts as today. I can't say how many I have but its greater than zero.

The problem lies on the individual man.... Not the gun.


Look at Botswana, Kenya, Sierra Leon... People are getting hacked up with machetes way more than firearms.

 

[Stomper]

You know.... the total of ALL gun deaths in America (not in wartime) are but a fraction of 1% of all gun deaths throughout human history in countries that disarmed their populace.... like Nazi Germany, Russia, China, Combodia, etc...... WOAH!!

 

[albin25]

Uhhh....maybe I'm missing something here....
but aren't wars fought by armed citizens organised and directed by the government of one country or another?

Seems like the problem isn't so much the armed citizen...
....it's when governments control them.

 

[balaperdida]

@Taku: Thanks for posting the fatality odds.

However, I don't understand completely the contexts. For example, the odds of death by motorcycle are 1 in 809, compared to the odds of death by automobile as 1 in 272. That makes the probability of dying by motorcycle only 1/3 that of dying by automobile. It appears that the baselines must be rather fluid.

 

[freestoneangler]

jackrv -- are you a troll? If the answer is no, let me be the first to summarily reject that response on the grounds insanity.

 

[jackrv]

jackrv -- are you a troll? If the answer is no, let me be the first to summarily reject that response on the grounds insanity.

Nope, I saw that article on the breitbart site and linked it. How would that make me a troll?

 

[freestoneangler]

Nope, I saw that article on the breitbart site and linked it. How would that make me a troll?

My apologies, but the insanity charge, based on premise, stands .

 

[308]

Did the Roman Church have guns for that nasty little 1260 year period between 538 and 1798 AD?

The reason I ask is Pope John Paul admitted the following; "For teaching faith contrary to the teaching of the Church of Rome, history records the martyrdom of more than 100 million people"

Seems the OP needs to look deeper into the claims of firearms related deaths.