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SecularMotion

(7,981 posts)
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 10:54 AM Jun 2014

One map that puts America's gun violence epidemic in perspective

When it comes to gun ownership, the US blows the rest of the world out of the water. And the research on guns suggests that's probably contributing to our gun murder problem — one that the 74 school shootings that have happened since Sandy Hook demonstrate isn't yet under control.

Here's a map of firearm ownership around the world, using 2012 data compiled by The Guardian. The United States has nearly twice as many guns per 100 people as the next closest, Yemen — 88.8 guns per 100 as opposed to 54.8 in Yemen. Here's how that looks mapped:

[center][/center]

How does this relate to homicide rates? Not simply. For instance, the United States has over 12 times as many guns per person as Honduras, but the 2012 US gun homicide rate per 100,000 people (2.97) is 1/22 of Honduras' (68.43). That's because, while guns make murder easier, wealthy industrialized countries generally have significantly lower rates of violent crime than comparatively impoverished ones.

But when you compare the United States to nations like Britain and Japan, it becomes clear that firearm ownership contributes to America's murder problem. The American firearm homicide rate is about 20 times the average among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries (excluding Mexico).

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/11/5797892/us-world-firearm-ownership-map
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One map that puts America's gun violence epidemic in perspective (Original Post) SecularMotion Jun 2014 OP
K&R n/t billh58 Jun 2014 #1
Except that we don't have a "gun violence epidemic". That's a lie being promoted by Bloomberg. NYC_SKP Jun 2014 #22
Glad to see Ecuador is among the lowest nt newfie11 Jun 2014 #2
Their murder rate is 2.5 times that of America. hack89 Jun 2014 #4
Perhaps murder capitols of the world like Ciudad Juarez near the border have something to do with it cascadiance Jun 2014 #8
One third of all the world's murders happen in Central and South America hack89 Jun 2014 #11
Actually Ecuador has a higher murder rate then Amercia does. Rex Jun 2014 #7
Perhaps that's why the Romneys moved back to Amercia from south of the border? cascadiance Jun 2014 #14
Nah...he probably has his own private army. Rex Jun 2014 #21
Surprised to see Nordic packman Jun 2014 #3
Gotta protect yourself from angry reindeer. dawg Jun 2014 #6
They are highly regulated nadinbrzezinski Jun 2014 #9
I have to admit that I really hate guns and wish they didn't exist. nt arthritisR_US Jun 2014 #5
facts samsingh Jun 2014 #10
another thing that impacts homicide rate is medical care phantom power Jun 2014 #12
This map points out the obvious, we can cut our military budget to the bare bones. A Simple Game Jun 2014 #13
Looks like we've got more guns than any of the insurgent groups in the ME. sinkingfeeling Jun 2014 #15
So I'm guessing the above map is wrong newfie11 Jun 2014 #16
That's a map of the number of guns per capita, not the murder rate. Spider Jerusalem Jun 2014 #17
And I really am appalled at how rude some people are newfie11 Jun 2014 #20
Poor Latin Am countries selling America drugs and killing each other with our guns ErikJ Jun 2014 #18
USA needs to join the civilized world and get rid of it's gun fetish mwrguy Jun 2014 #19
 

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)
22. Except that we don't have a "gun violence epidemic". That's a lie being promoted by Bloomberg.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 11:33 PM
Jun 2014

As has been explained over and over in mainstream articles and posted by several DU members using legitimate sources, including FBI statistics and Center for Disease Control data, violence by gun has been falling, and significantly so when one adjusts for growth in population.

It's still too high, we can all agree. And further measures are necessary to address finding and implementing meaningful solutions.

Bloomberg's crazy ideas, like "stop and frisk" should be looked at with caution and, sometimes, with scorn.

Let's stick to facts, the truth will win out in the end.

CNN debunked the claim in the article about "74 school shootings since Newtown", determining that the actual number would be 15:

(CNN) -- After Tuesday's shooting at an Oregon high school, many media outlets, including CNN, reported that there have been 74 school shootings in the past 18 months.

That's the time period since the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were shot to death.

<snip>

CNN determined that 15 of the incidents Everytown included were situations similar to the violence in Newtown or Oregon -- a minor or adult actively shooting inside or near a school. That works out to about one such shooting every five weeks, a startling figure in its own right.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/11/us/school-shootings-cnn-number/


newfie11

(8,159 posts)
2. Glad to see Ecuador is among the lowest nt
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 11:17 AM
Jun 2014

And all the horror stories about murders in MX their still less than here in America.

hack89

(39,171 posts)
4. Their murder rate is 2.5 times that of America.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 11:24 AM
Jun 2014

Mexico's murder rate is four times that of America.

 

cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
8. Perhaps murder capitols of the world like Ciudad Juarez near the border have something to do with it
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:08 PM
Jun 2014

Ciudad Juarez, near the border, is victim to a lot of violence due to drug trafficking over the border near El Paso, Texas. Probably inflates Mexico's overall statistics.

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/is-violence-returning-to-ciudad-juarez

hack89

(39,171 posts)
11. One third of all the world's murders happen in Central and South America
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:22 PM
Jun 2014

and every country in that region has significantly lower gun ownership rates than America.

No - you cannot blame it on America.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
21. Nah...he probably has his own private army.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 04:16 PM
Jun 2014

If anything, he would likely make the problem worse no matter what country he slinks off to.

phantom power

(25,966 posts)
12. another thing that impacts homicide rate is medical care
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:25 PM
Jun 2014

When people get shot, having quality emergency medical care can mean the difference between living and dying, and it's only homicide if the victim dies.

A Simple Game

(9,214 posts)
13. This map points out the obvious, we can cut our military budget to the bare bones.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:50 PM
Jun 2014

According to many of my gun fancier friends the second amendment is in place to protect us from the government. That would mean defense mainly from the army. If we are to believe these patriots, and why shouldn't we, they are capable of withstanding and even defeating our army.

As our army is better than the next two best armies put together that means our private citizen militia is more than equal to the task of defending the homeland. After all as the map shows we have more guns than the armies of the rest of the world combined. Ammo too I bet.

As the documentary "Red Dawn*" shows our scrappy citizen militia, even with just a minimum of expert training, is more than up to the task of taking on two armies at the same time.

After all history is on our side, didn't our militia defeat Great Britain which was the best military at the time in the Revolutionary war? Then those spunky Texans kicked the entire Mexican army out of Alamo Texas and sent them back home with their tails tucked. Sadly another example I have to mention is when the Indians defeated the real Americans in our army at Little Big Horn. The list would probably be endless if I were to have one of the kids use the Google to check it out.

*The original Red Dawn, sadly I have to admit to being too busy to view the updated version of this fantastic training movie.

newfie11

(8,159 posts)
16. So I'm guessing the above map is wrong
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:57 PM
Jun 2014

If the folks on here are right in Ecuador & MX having higher murder by gun rates than the USA.

 

Spider Jerusalem

(21,786 posts)
17. That's a map of the number of guns per capita, not the murder rate.
Tue Jun 24, 2014, 12:58 PM
Jun 2014

It clearly says so in the OP: "Here's a map of firearm ownership around the world". I'm honestly shocked at how terrible some people's reading comprehension is.

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