General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The CDC study on guns...shut down. [View all]Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)The use of firearms is not only an issue in homicides, suicides and accidental deaths, it is a significant factor in other violent crimes.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice report from 2009 (there may be more updated statistics), over 40% of non-fatal violent crimes involved the use of a firearm (http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=430=).
I have never owned a firearm, never fired a firearm and, unless something drastic happens, I doubt that will change for the rest of my life. I have nothing against people possessing a firearm for lawful hunting and personal protection. I could never imagine myself killing a helpless animal. Hunters with firearms really are not sportsmen or "skilled". They simply use technology that renders the defenseless animal vulnerable. Neither do I believe that firearms increase your safety and security.
But if others want to possess them, so be it. But those that possess them need to be licensed. The purchase of a weapon should be subject to a thorough background check to ensure the individual doesn't have a history of mental illness or a criminal history. The Supreme Court has never held that even the most fundamental rights from the Bill of Rights cannot be subject to reasonable regulation. For example you cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater for no reason and defend yourself with the 1st Amendment if someone is harmed or trampled.
But if you look at the rate of total violent crime in this country, factoring in the number of firearms in circulation, we dwarf the rest of the world combined. Yes violent crimes happen even in countries like Norway (right-wing religious "Taliban" nutcase), Finland, etc. but not in the number of such events or their frequency.