1. US High in Gun Ownership, Low in Murder Rate

Several reports on gun ownership around the world clearly refute the assertion that the abundance of guns in the United States leads to a high rate of firearm homicides.

Americans are the biggest gun owners by far, with an estimated 270 million civilian firearms, in addition to those used by law enforcement and the military. That’s according to the Small Arms Survey of 178 nations conducted by the Switzerland-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

In sheer numbers of civilian firearms, the No. 2 nation, surprisingly, is India with 46 million, followed by China (40 million), Germany (25 million), Pakistan (18 million), and Mexico (15 million).

The United States also leads in gun ownership rate, with about 88 firearms per 100 people, according to the most recent Small Arms Survey compiled in 2007.

That is far ahead of No. 2 Yemen, which has 55 firearms per 100 people. Switzerland is third with 46 per 100 people, followed by Finland (45), Serbia (38), Cyprus (36), Saudi Arabia (35), and Iraq (34).

But when it comes to the firearm homicide rate, the United States doesn’t even make the top 25.

According to figures collected by the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime through its annual crime survey, 9,146 Americans were victims of a firearm homicide in the most recent year. That translates to a rate of 2.97 firearm homicides per 100,000 population, only the 27th highest rate in the world.

The highest rate by far can be found in Honduras, 68 homicides per 100,000, followed by El Salvador (40), Jamaica (39), Venezuela (38.9), Guatemala (34), and Colombia (27).

For America’s neighbors, the rate in Mexico is 9.9 per 100,000, and in Canada, 0.5 per 100,000.

It is interesting to note that not only does the United States have a relatively low homicide rate compared to its gun ownership rate, but Switzerland, which ranks third in the civilian gun ownership rate, has only the 46th highest homicide rate, and Finland, with the fourth highest ownership rate, is 63rd on the list.

“The most obnoxious liberal talking points on guns involve the idea that guns, in and of themselves, cause gun violence,” writes CNS News commentator Stephen Gutowski. “In other words, more guns must mean more gun violence.”

But in light of the ownership and homicide figures, he observes: “More guns do not, in fact, mean more gun violence. Guns can be, and commonly are, used in a responsible manner, especially here in the United States

88 to 100 guns for Americans means nothing,I have 15 my self a lot of Americans don't even have one gun.Guns kill.Thats why they use them for wars.Obama worked in the highest kill rate area in the USA,He knows far more whats best for us then anyone else.Use your own head and don't quote what you read somewhere.I am far more likely to get killed by a cop,In a crossfire,mistaken identity,Or killed in one of their high speed chases because some kid blew a stop sign.  Than a crazy bad guy.

Until proven otherwise, more gun deaths are caused by apparently harmless, law-abiding citizens who had a shooting accident, or blew a fuse, than professional criminals and organized crime.

With all the "mafia" woohoo that is thrown at me and at Italy, there are fewer deaths by mafia in Italy than robberies gone wrong in Central Park, NYC.

Those statistics are just that, pure numbers. They are offensive to anyone who would use them to prove a point.

One has six ( S I X !) times higher chances of being murdered in the US compared to Canada. THAT rings an alarm.

To claim there are more guns/family in the Yemen, or in Switzerland, than elsewhere, is manipulative.

The Yemen is in a state of civil unrest (PC for civil war) for the last 50 years, due to its strategic location and too many factions trying to obtain control with the "help" of powers, such as Egypt or the UK (why am I not surprised?)
In the Yemen, and all of the Arabian peninsula, a man is a man when he owns three things: a knife, a horse and a rifle, acquired in that order. Sound familiar?
Well, nobody is copying John Wayne, Arabs have been buying "Indian" guns (the Damask wound barrel is actually an ancient technique brought in from India) since the 1300's... even before gunpowder reached Europe.

Switzerland has a regime of compulsory military service which has all able-bodied men to serve and keep their ordnance in the home - hence the high numbers.

Jerry Eichenberger is spot on when he considers crime and poverty, but I'd like to pitch in another two cents' worth, your heritage.
Not your "Minuteman heritage" - I sincerely doubt how many would qualify to serve in a citizens' militia - at least by Euripean standards - but your "winning the West" heritage, where wagon trains abounded and every man and his dog owned a firearm of some sort. Even today, I am certain it is much much easier to find a laid back, office worker own a gun of some kind in Denver, CO, Wichita or Omaha, than his counterpart in NYC, Philadelphia or Boston.
It's dyed in the wool, a birthmark more than a right, to have one or more guns in the home.

Just sayin'  

Until proven otherwise, more gun deaths are caused by apparently harmless, law-abiding citizens who had a shooting accident, or blew a fuse, than professional criminals and organized crime.

Not correct. This is the type of nonsense that passes for news on the networks, but let's keep a slightly higher standard of truth shall we?....

One has six ( S I X !) times higher chances of being murdered in the US compared to Canada. THAT rings an alarm.

That's like saying urban auto drivers have 6 times higher chance of an accident that rural drivers and then conclude rural drivers are safer. Not necessarily true. Canada has maybe three population centers similar in size to several dozen large population centers in the US.  Plus these 3 Canadian cities do not have nearly the gang activity which is where the vast majority of murders occur. You are quite literally comparing apples to oranges. Again, it makes a nice toss away line on the nightly news or a good ‘fact’ Obama could throw out as reason to issue yet another edict, but there is little reality associated with it.

bill67 wrote on 02/10/13 at 13:50:39:



Obama worked in the highest kill rate area in the USA,He knows far more whats best for us then anyone else.


First point you made, Correct you are. Second, again, pure foolishness..

Im guessing youre talking about his time in Chicago.. YOu know, one of the Strictest Gun Control Cities out there.. SOOO, by your own admission, Gun Control DOESnt work,,

AS for Bammy "KNowing whats best for us"?? Youre outta your mind,,still.

Ill keep my right to keep & bear arms, as any Free Man can & should,
Whether or not you people ever learn to read the 2nd amendment has no bearing on the facts that it states. &. I dont care what anyone says, the Founding Fathers didnt write the first part to be some code for making 'The right of the people to keep & bear arms shall not be infringed" mean anything other than Just That.

They had seen tyranny & they meant for the Citizens to be the Sovereigns NOT the government.

Does anyone think their would be less killing in Chicago if they took off the  gun control.

bill67 wrote on 02/11/13 at 12:34:37:



Ive posted this at least 6 times, so, Im not doin it again, BUT, IF you actually WANT some truth, go look at what happened in Florida. Tourists were being robbed at such a rate the rental companies stopped tagging their cars.. then they made it legal to defend yourself,, It all changed in a matter of months.
You REally6 dont remember back in the car jacking days when they made carry legal? Car jacking came to a Halt.,.
Look at the murder rate where guns are legal. Bill.. Why isnt it higher than Chicago?
Do you ever even really think or are you just a drone?

polite reply to WebsterMark's sarcasm,
I wasn't being sarcastic Mpes; i was pointing out you were tossing out numbers as facts which are not even close to being correct.

Fact is; as Jerry pointed out elsewhere; remove the gang shootings and gun violence in the US drops to almost nothing. The girl in Chicago who was in Hopey's inauguration was killed by gang members mistaking her for another gang member who 'invaded their turf". Excuse me punk, but you don’t have a turf….

I’ve been to Italy twice and spent a day in Bergamo just walking around all day. Walked all the way down the hill because the tram was out of service and then roamed the town. Never felt unsafe at all. Why? Was it lack of guns? No. Honestly, and we all know this is the reason; almost everyone has the same color skin. Gun crime in the US is centered around inner city gangs which are chiefly populated by Black Americans. After years and years of immigration, we now have heavy Hispanic gangs as well.

You’re right to a certain degree Mpes; the American culture is to blame. But the reality is, it’s the self-destructive nature of American Black culture that is at the heart of it. That’s why in my mind it was so disappointing for the majority of Hispanic voters to fall in step behind Obama and the Democrats. If they follow the lead of Black Americans and become comfortable with welfare and handouts, if they become comfortable with substandard living conditions;  if they become comfortable with being told to accept their fate rather than pursue a better lifestyle,  then the US is completely screwed.