Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Editorial:

It’s time for an honest discussion about guns in America

The accidental death of a firearms instructor who was showing a 9-year-old girl how to fire an Uzi was tragic. And sadly, it unleashed many of the same old arguments over guns.

This is unfortunately what happens after every tragic gun death. The debate retreats to the same worn and emotional arguments that have done little to make the nation safer.

We’d like to see an open and honest discussion on firearms in the United States based in facts, versus the closed-minded shouting that dominates the debate now. Many gun control advocates seem to think that limiting all but a few guns is the solution, and on the other side, there are gun advocates who say the nation needs more guns.

By the numbers

32,351 — number of people killed by firearms in 2011

33,783 — traffic deaths in 2011

81,396 — number of people injured by firearms in 2012

2.5 million — motor vehicle occupants injured in 2012

We don’t believe the answer will be found when positions are so polarized. Take away all the nation’s guns? Seriously? Arm everyone? Even children?

The nation needs to find common ground, and people need to cut through the hyperbole and misrepresentations.

Consider:

Gun ownership is legal

Despite what some gun advocates say, the government isn’t going to take away their guns. Private gun ownership is legal. In the past decade, a 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court embraced a wide view of the Second Amendment that says gun ownership is an individual right, minus a few exceptions. Even if the court’s majority were overturned, don’t expect gun ownership to be outlawed. Private ownership of guns goes back to the founding of the country, and legal cases have noted that.

Numbers are increasing

There’s not a lack of guns, except maybe in gun stores, which have seen booming sales. Although estimates vary, there are about 300 million guns in private hands or almost enough for one weapon for every person in the country. According to federal records, there were 8.5 million guns made in the United States in 2012, an increase of 2 million from the previous year and more than 5 million more than in 2003. The FBI reports that in 2013, there were more than 21 million background checks done for people who wanted to buy guns.

Gun deaths aren’t spiking

In 2011, the last year of complete numbers, there were 32,351 gun deaths in America. That number has only slightly increased over the past few years — there were 31,224 deaths in 2007. And 6 in 10 gun deaths are attributed to suicide.

But injuries have increased

In 2012, there were 81,396 people injured by gunfire. That’s up from 65,834 in 2003. On average, about 75,000 people in America have been injured in each of the past five years. Most of those — nearly 3 in 4 — are from violent assaults.

Driving is more dangerous

Gun advocates like to say that cars are more dangerous than guns, and by the numbers, they are correct. In 2012, there were about 2.5 million people injured in vehicle crashes, far overshadowing the number of gun injuries. Of course, cars are used much more than guns.

But guns are dangerous, too

There’s no doubt about that. They’re meant to be dangerous. Otherwise, why would anyone carry one for self-defense? However, unlike cars, which aren’t supposed to be weapons, training is not required to operate guns, nor are there many registration laws, as there are for vehicles.

Bottom line

Guns are part of American society, and we don’t see that changing. But the nation needs to deal with how guns are used and how to reduce the violence.

That starts when Americans can put aside the polarized debate and get to the core issue of keeping people safe. Because until we do, nothing will change.

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