Putting the Gun Issue in Perspective the Facts Speak for Themselves

In 1998 there were 41,200 deaths caused by cars. 16,000 people died as a result of falling down.  8,000 were poisoned, 4,000 drowned, 3,700 burned… 900 were accidentally killed by a firearm.  900 . .. not the 41,000 killed by cars. Why don’t we hear about a big move to ban cars?

Almost 40% of these deaths were caused by an alcohol-impaired driver. Why don’t we hear about banning alcohol?

Of the ten leading causes of deaths in America, death by gun is not even listed. Topping the list is heart disease, usually caused by fatty foods and high cholesterol. Should we ban all of these?  Cancer, number two on the list, is caused by everything from the sun to artificial sweeteners.  Should we ban all of these?

More facts: A gun kept in a home is 216 times more likely to be used against a criminal than cause the death of an innocent. Women in America use handguns 416 times a day against rapists, and every 13 seconds an American uses a gun in self-defense.

Look at this in comparison to Australia one year after banning guns altogether.  Homicides are up 3.2 percent, assaults are up 8.6 percent, ARMED robberies are up 44 percent. That means, the bad guys still have the guns and the good guys are still the victims.

In Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are up 300%. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly. Australian politicians are having a difficult time explaining this after spending $500 million in “ridding society of guns.” Emotions run high on this issue .. .but the facts speak for themselves.