"Declining" Gun Violence

[billh58]

Second amendment absolutists and right-wing gun lobby enablers continuously claim that the gun violence rate has been declining for several years, and is at "acceptable" levels.

It is true that gun homicide rates have been declining, but overall gun violence has remained about the same and has actually been rising over recent years. In any case, what the gun nut crowd calls "acceptable" is anything but.

A few numbers:

Total number of people shot every year: 111,779

Total number of deaths from gun violence every year: 32,964

Total number of non-fatal gun injuries every year: 78,815

Extremist right-wing gunners imply that rising gun ownership rates account for the reduction in homicides. This is right up there with Louis Gohmert's big lie that concealed carry reduces crime where it is introduced. No, the reduction in fatal gun shot incidents is due to many more logical factors, among them are improved police presence and tactics, an overall reduction in violent crimes nationwide, and a better economy.

The slight-of-hand by the gun lobby is in claiming that gun violence is declining by using the reduction in homicide rates as concrete evidence. This is actually comparing apples to oranges, but then the NRA/ILA/ALEC right-wing gun lobby and their supporters are very good at misdirection and outright lies.

Yes, easy access to guns kills people, because that is what guns are designed to do and they are very, very good at it. No training or instructions required -- just pull the trigger and all of your problems are solved in the NRA's world.

[Johnathan146]

1. Do you have stats for other years?

How do we know if its growing or shrinking without seeing stats from several years.

Gun mudrders are down 50%. Om sure advances in medical technology is one major reason, but there os also less crime than there was 20 years ago

[billh58]

3. Yes, the statistics quoted

are well documented and are available on the Internet. Thanks for playing gunner...

[Truth321]

2. This is why guns should be illegal.

And again why Liberals in California and New York have recently passes sweeping gun regulations. They are bringing back the assault weapon ban locally.The repugs are constantly on the defensive against gun control.Now with Trump being NBA backed we may unfortunately not get More sorely needed restrictions.

[billh58]

4. Trump is the main reason

that we need to work at the local government levels to enact sensible gun control legislation. That's how the NRA/ILA/ALEC right-wing gun cabal accomplished their insidious strangle hold on our society.

[Truth321]

5. Local and national level. Hillary was right

However haltingly slow, we must March toward more gun control. The idea that guns are an individual right must be smashed. Hillary was so right.

[MarvinGardens]

9. It is an individual right for the foreseeable future.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the 2nd protects an individual right, subject to reasonable regulation. I have no problem with reasonable regulation, but we aren't going to get it with "ban all guns" as the platform. And since an individual right has been recognized, the proper way to end that right is to repeal the 2nd. How far will we get wanting to repeal one of the Bill of Rights? It will ensure that we only win elections in urban areas and never win the EC.

[billh58]

14. Like the rest of the extremist Second Amendment

agitators, you repeat the big NRA lie: "I have no problem with reasonable regulation, but we aren't going to get it with "ban all guns" as the platform."

"Ban all guns" was never a part of the Democratic Party platform, and never will be. Thanks for playing, but you are really in the wrong Group Bubba.

[billh58]

6. And yes, there are CDC statistics to backup these numbers:

http://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/Gun%20Deaths%20Fact%20Sheet_v8.pdf

http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-deaths-and-injuries-statistics/

[jodymarie aimee]

7. The let's arm ourselves posts

are alarming and make us dumber than them. Stop it. How are we going to win if we cross to their side?

[Truth321]

8. So true

These arm ourselves posts are ridiculous. Are these repugs posting on here?

[SCantiGOP]

10. The FBI said Dylann Roof couldn't buy a gun

They notified the gun shop of this 12 days after he murdered 9 people in a church in Charleston.
Since they didn't notify the gun store within 72 hours the sale went through. The gun lovers, including many here on DU, think it is essential that the default position always be to allow the proliferation of guns.

[billh58]

11. Yes, the Second Amendment absolutist position

is as many guns as desired for everyone, everywhere, at anytime. Even Antonin Scalia in Heller pointed out that gun regulation is well within the scope of the Second Amendment, but the Trump ammosexuals (and their DU apologists) keep screaming "freedom," and "liberty," and that only they can protect the Republic from tyranny by being armed all of the time in order to be able to water the tree of Liberty with blood. This is the same mindset that brought on the Civil War, and for many of the same racist, bigoted reasons.

And then, of course, there is the self-protection argument which they claim can only be accomplished with a high-powered, semi-automatic handgun or an AR-15. The Second Amendment, as written, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with self-protection, but speaks of a "well regulated militia" and the "security of a free state." The right-wing NRA has morphed that concept into "stand your ground" and state-sanctioned vigilantism. Somebody is in the process of stealing your lawn mower? Kill them with your handy-dandy "self protection" gun. It's all good.

You are exactly spot on about the easy availability and proliferation of guns. A gun should be at least as hard to get as a driver's license, and the gun itself should be registered the same as an automobile -- including the insurance requirements. These are not "infringements," but a common sense approach to the public health issue of ever increasing and prevalent gun violence.

[SCantiGOP]

12. billh58: nothing in your post

Can be disputed on either constitutional or rational grounds. How can half of our fellow citizens disagree with this?

[billh58]

13. Great question...

How can half of our fellow citizens disagree with this?

This is the same "half," or thereabouts, who continuously vote against their own best interests, and in the process elect a demagogue and known criminal like Trump. This is the same "half" that believes the right-wing gun lobby when they market the fear of our fellow citizens in order to sell more guns.

And unfortunately, this is the same half that actually believe that killing another human being over a perceived threat is justified, and an American value.