16 thoughts on “You can't debate effectively from an emotional response”

  1. The UNODC study the bottom graphic is taken from actually concludes that higher gun ownership levels correlate with increased rates of assault by firearm and that the countries the with lowest gun ownership levels actually have the lowest percentages of homicides by firearm.

  2. Eve, there are also more shark attacks in states that have coastlines than those that are landlocked.  However it is very clear that higher levels of gun ownership do not result in higher levels of homicides, in fact quite the opposite.

  3. The distribution of guns (I know people who have MULTIPLE guns- enough for everyone one of my friends that don't- so gun ownership is different than how many guns/person), as well as accidental homicides by guns/accidental gun shot wounds/unsuccessful homicide attempts with guns, should also be taken into account.
    While the correlation this shows is evident, I believe there is more to the correlation than what is represented.

    Also, I don't believe that we should stop people from buying guns, etc, but a mental test and a requirement to take gun safety courses should definitely be considered. We have more accidents in the US from stupid gun use than anything else.

  4. Ok.  The two images above were combined to create the suggestion that countries with high levels of gun ownership have low levels of homicides. The studies the two images were lifted from actually seem to state the opposite.  

    The Small Arms Survey (top image) concludes that "the proliferation of small arms and light weapons represents a grave threat to human security" and notes the relationship with "increased spending by US civilians on small arms and their ammunition."  The Small Arms Survey publishes yearly studies.  The image referenced was from 2007: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook.html

    The UNODC (bottom image) states that higher gun ownership levels correlate with increased rates of assault by firearm. However, the image used here shows homicide from all causes, not just firearms, hence the disparity between the facts and the implied conclusion. 

    The UNODC study from which the image was lifted is  a 128 pages, available at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf

    If anyone has some actual studies (not just this picture) that conclude that high levels of gun ownership really don't result in higher levels of homocides? That's what I'm asking for.   I haven't made up my mind on this issue, but I'd rather have the facts.

  5. The image doesn't "suggest" that homicide rates are lower in countries with high gun ownership, it flat out shows it to be true.
    Though the data was derived from different sources and combined it still shows what appears to be accurate data.
    It is expected that death involving firearms would be higher in countries with greater access to firearms – much like my statement that shark attacks happen more often in states with a coastline versus those landlocked.  However just as shark attacks don't tell the whole story on deaths in those states, neither does death by firearms.  What it does show is that while your chances of being killed by a firearm increase when access to firearms is greater, your chance of being killed at all is much lower.  Firearms deaths in general are very, very small percentage of total homicides. 
    Even then many of the firearms related homicides include those shot and killed by law enforcement and suicide by gun.  Your odds of being beaten and killed using a blunt object or a knife are FAR greater than your odds of being shot, even in the US.

  6. True also.  Nonetheless is disproves the correlation that increased access to guns is what causes high homicide rates, if anything it argues the other way.

  7. The only reason this is even a conversation is because some people in America are able to kill enough people at once to drive up a frenzy.

    But 30 people out of 313,000,000 ain't that many.

  8. Take domestic statistics. Look at gun ownership & even gun restrictive measures in places like Maine and New Hampshire VS say… DC during the gun ban, or even anti gun California (where I'm from). The tougher anti gun states have more gun related violence.

    Consensus says, honest people will give them up / follow the law, where as Criminals won't… who would have figured Criminals would break the law. Shocker

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