ARMED TO THE TEETH: GUN OWNERSHIP IN AMERICA, U.S. LEADS THE WORLD WITH WELL OVER 270 MILLION FIREARMS AND GROWING

 

Gun Ownership - U.S. vs World 

Where are the world's guns - and which countries have the highest rates of firearms murders?

The Aurora shooting has re-lit the arguments over gun control in the US.

How does the US really compare on firearms?  The world's crime figures are collected by the UNODC through its annual crime survey.  It has a special section of data on firearm homicides - and provides detailed information by size of population and compared to other crimes. It is not a perfect dataset - some key nations are missing from the data, including Russia, China and Afghanistan. But it does include the US, UK and many other developed nations.

The Small Arms Survey is also useful - although it is from 2007, it collates civilian gun ownership rates for 178 countries around the world, and has 'normalised' the data to include a rate per 100,000 population.

It shows that with less than 5% of the world's population, the United States is home to roughly 35–50 per cent of the world's civilian-owned guns, heavily skewing the global geography of firearms and any relative comparison

So, given those caveats, we can see which countries have the highest ownership rates for firearms - and which have the highest gun murder rates.

The key facts are:

• The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - a total of 270 million guns as of 2007 or an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership - and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer - 54.8 per 100 people.
• But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate - that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people.
• Puerto Rico tops the world's table for firearms murders as a percentage of all homicides - 94.8%. It's followed by Sierra Leone in Africa and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean

Even China and India, with four time the population of the U.S. do not have anywhere the number of guns owned by Americans.   In fact, if you added all the guns owned by private citizens in the other countries of the world.  It would not match the 270 million guns (as of 2007) in the hands of Americans.  That number is now probably 300 million or very close to it.    

The full data is below - what can you do with it?

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Gun Crime Statistics by State

How bad is gun crime in the US? The latest data from the FBI's uniform crime reports for 2010  provides a fascinating picture of the use of firearms in crimes across America.

In early January 2011 the shooting of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by Jared Lee Loughner in front of supporters in Tucson, Arizona left six dead, including a nine-year-old child. But since then, the issue has been given scant attention.

The FBI crime statistics are based on reports to FBI bureau and local law enforcement. The figures are not complete - there are no stats for Florida on firearm murders and the data for Illinois is "incomplete".  But even so it provides a detailed picture of attacks by state.

Click To View Interactive Map 

Click the above map then click on a state to explore it - or use the dropdown menu to choose different ways of seeing the data

In fact, gun crime, like all crime across the US is going down - you can see how much in the graph above.

In 2010 - the latest year for which detailed statistics are available - there were 12,996 murders in the US.  Of those, 8,775 were caused by firearms.

The figures show that California had the highest number of gun murders last year - 1,257, which is 69% of all murders that year and equivalent to 3.37 per 100,000 people in the state. Big as that figure is, it's still down by 8% on the previous year. Other key findings include:

• While gun crime is down in the vast majority of states, it is up in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Mississippi, Missouri, Arizona, Delaware, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Connecticut and several of the smaller states.
• If you look at the firearms murder rate per 100,000 people, District of Columbia comes out top - with 16 firearms murders per 100,000 man, woman and child in the state. There were 99 firearms murders in DC in 2010, down 12% on 2009
• DC is followed by Louisiana (7.75) and Missouri (5.34)
• DC is also top for firearms robberies per 100,000 people - with 255.98
• If you look at aggravated assaults involving a firearm, Tennessee (129.87) and South Carolina (114.73) come above District of Columbia (99.25)

Gun Crime In The U.S. by State for 2010

States with Extremely High Populations of Gun Owners(more than 50%):

This article lists individual gun owners as a percentage of each state's population, as of 2007.    

This data was very relevant during the 2012 General Election and state elections for governors and U.S. senatorial and congressional races.  The data clearly explains why candidates President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney refused to meaningfully address gun control and ownership issues before the November 2012 election day:  thirteen of fourteen 2012 battleground states have gun ownership rates of 30% or more.

1. Wyoming - 59.7%
2. Alaska - 57.8%
3. Montana - 57.7%
4. South Dakota - 56.6%
5. West Virginia - 55.4%
6. Mississippi - 55.3%, Idaho - 55.3%, Arkansas - 55.3% (3-way tie)
7. Alabama - 51.7%
8. North Dakota - 50.7%
9. Kentucky - 47.7%
10. Wisconsin - 44.4% *
11. Louisiana - 44.1%
12. Utah - 43.9%
13. Tennessee - 43.9%
14. Oklahoma - 42.9%, Iowa - 42.9% * (2-way tie)
15. South Carolina - 42.3%
16. Kansas - 42.1%
17. Vermont - 42.0%
18. Missouri - 41.7% *, Minnesota - 41.7% (2-way tie) 
19. North Carolina - 41.3%
20. Maine - 40.5%
21. Georgia - 40.3% 
22. Oregon - 39.8%
23. Indiana - 39.1%
24. Nebraska - 38.6%
25. Michigan - 38.4% *
26. Texas - 35.9%
27. Virginia - 35.1% *
28. New Mexico - 34.8% *
29. Colorado - 34.7% *
30. Pennsylvania - 34.7% * 
31. Nevada - 33.8% *
32. Washington - 33.1%
33. Ohio - 32.4% *
34. Arizona - 31.1% *
35. New Hampshire - 30.0% *  
36. Delaware - 25.5%
37. Florida - 24.5% *
38. California - 21.3%
39. Maryland - 21.3%
40. Illinois - 20.2%
41. New York - 18%
42. Connecticut - 16.7%
43. Rhode Island - 12.8%
44. Massachusetts - 12.6%
45. New Jersey - 12.3%
46. Hawaii - 6.7%

* Battleground state during the 2012 General Election.  Source - USACarry.com

Interestingly, the top ten states with the highest gun ownership rates (all 50% or more) are considered staunchly Republican-red states.  And nine of the ten states with the lowest gun ownership rates (all less than 30%) are considered staunchly Democratic blue states.  The sole exception is Florida, a battleground state with a 24.5% gun ownership rate.

The South is the most violent region in the United States

The FBI divides America into four regions:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West 

In 2010, the South accounted for 41.5% of all violent crimes reported to the FBI, but the data ignores relevant issues that tended to inflate violent crime statistics for the South.  

• Between 2000-2010, the South actually experienced a 22.3% decline in its violent crime ra1te, beating the U.S. decline of 20.3%.
• Illegal immigration-related crime tended to inflate violent crime statistics for some of the Southern states, and this had a significant impact on southern states like Texas and Florida.  
  • A 15 year old was charged with nine murders after crashing a van smuggling illegal immigrants near the Mexico border. 
  • Fifteen more illegal immigrants died recently when another smuggler crashed his overloaded truck. Minus the dead driver, that’s 23 more murders in Texas this year, all related to illegal immigration.
  • Houston police officer Rodney Johnson and Dallas officer Brian Jackson were murdered by illegal immigrants.
  • In Florida, a Haitian illegal immigrant with a long rap sheet and deportation order murdered three people in their North Miami home. After Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, the president put deportations on hold, so ICE put him back on the street.

Obviously, illegal immigrants commit violence in other parts of the country.  Simply saying that the South is more violent ignores the impact of policies created by the federal government.  In fact, our elected federal officials have yet to fully address the illegal immigrant problem in the U.S. or ignored it altogether.  Illegal immigration is such a hot issue, that Mitt Romney lost the hispanic vote by a wide margin by supporting self-deportation.

COMMENTARY:   First, I would like to say that I fully support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which gives all Americans the right to bear arms.  Second, I am for nationalized gun legislation and control of all firearms.  I have never fully subscribed to the notion that gun regulation is a "states right."   Here's why.  

• A lack of uniformity in gun ownership laws, with some states requiring background checks, while some have hardly any or none at all. 
• Differences as to who can legally sell firearms.  Many states allow the sale of firearms at gun shows and flea markets. 
• The length of time required for approval to own a firearm.  In Kentucky, I can walk out the door with a gun without a background check, waiting period or registration.
• The types of firearms that can be legally owned.  Some states have no legislation to prevent conversion of a semi-automatic assault-type rifle to fully-automated.  
• The types of firearms that can be legally owned.  

As you can see from the above statistics, there is no direct correlation between gun ownership and reduced violent crimes involving guns.  Compounding the problem are inconsistencies in gun regulations between states and liberal regulations governing acquiring military-style assault weapons   In fact, the reverse is true according to statistics compiled by the FBI:

• Women are 12 times more likely to be killed with a firearm by their husband during a domestic dispute when there is a gun in the house.
• An average of 83 Americans die every day from firearms in the United States. And the U.S. has the highest firearm homicide rates in the developed world.
• More guns has not reduced the number of mass killings, in fact there are now more of them, and the numbers of individuals killed and wounded is increasing:  Columbine High School massacre which killed 13 and wounded 26 others, "The Dark Knight Rises" midnight premiere in an Aurora, Colorada movie theater killed 12 and injured 58, the Virginia Tech student mass shootings killed 32 and wounded 15.
• According to the FBI (see above graph), guns are the overwhelming weapon of choice when it comes to violent crimes.
• States with "shoot first" gun laws, are more likely to result in a death by shooting which could've been prevented, or occurred due to a mistake in judgement or outright error. Shoot first laws expand the right to use deadly force in self-defense beyond the home and eliminate a person's duty to retreat before resorting to use of such deadly force. There are now 15 states with laws similar to those of Florida, and you can bet that here will be more of these unwarranted killings.
• The U.S. ranks No 1 out of 36 top nations in the number of individuals (9,369) imprisoned for committing a murder using a firearm.    
• In the U.S. nearly 40% of all homicides are committed using a firearm.  This ranks the U.S. 7th out of the top 32 developed nations.
• In 33 states, criminals and terrorists can buy military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips from “private dealers” on the Internet or at gun shows without showing ID or completing a background check. No ID, no background check, no restrictions, no detection. It is perfectly legal for private gun dealers and individuals to sell an unlimited number of firearms to anyone, including domestic criminals and international terrorists, cash and carry.  This is complete lunacy and dangerous.  
• In Massachusetts, where we have some of the most effective gun laws, firearms kill three people per 100,000 each year, compared to the national average of 10 per 100,000. Massachusetts is one of the few states to require gun training, licensing and registration, and consumer protection standards for firearm manufacturers, and is one of only 17 states that require criminal background checks for all gun sales. 

UPDATE:   This morning I woke up to the shocking news that as many as 20 children, students at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connectiut were shot.  Law enforcement officials are very tight in releasing details of the shootings.  This is another example of just how out of control the "Culture of Guns" has become.  President Obama and our Congress must find a solution to this problem.  We are now experiencing mass killings, not just one or two a day, but MASS KILLINGS of innocent civiliants and even very young children as in the ase of Sandy Hook Elementary.  If you are a gun owner, you must properly secure and store those guns where your children or thieves cannot get their hands on them.  If you cannot absolutely secure your weapons, then you should not be owning a firearm.  I know that's harsh, but we must find a way to put an end to these MASS KILLINGS using firearms.  The next victim maybe your children, wife, parent or loved one.  

Courtesy of an article dated September 27, 2011 appearing in The Guardian and an article dated July 22, 2012 appearing in The Guardian and an article dated November 17, 2012 appearing in About.com and an article appearing in the Coalition To Stop Gun Violence and an article dated July 27, 2012 appearing in PJ Media Daily Digest