Understanding Gun Violence: Numbers, Context, and Solutions

Gun violence is a subject that permeates American discourse, touching on media, politics, and public concern. Addressing this issue requires a careful examination of the numbers and a comparison to global statistics. To begin, let's establish a clear definition of what constitutes “gun violence” and then delve into America's specific statistics for 2022.

What is Gun Violence?

It seems “gun violence” is used to describe the use of firearms to cause harm, injury, or death to someone. It encompasses situations, including intentional acts like assaults, homicides, and suicides where guns are involved. The term also includes accidental incidents where someone discharges a gun unintentionally, resulting in harm or fatalities.

Generally speaking, “gun violence” encompasses a range of scenarios where guns play a central role in causing harm or loss. Because this term includes any incident in which a gun is present, it doesn't allow meaningful dialog on any solutions to problems. What I mean is that the way we address someone who uses a gun to murder someone else is different that how we address someone who uses a firearm to commit suicide. And if we want to address accidental injuries and deaths involving firearms, it requires yet a different approach.

America's 2022 Gun Violence Statistics-

Consider the following. According to provisional 2022 CDC numbers, there were “48,117 lives lost to gun violence in 2022.” But when we look into the data more deeply, we see something very important.

• Of the 48,117 deaths, 19,592 (40.7%) were homicides.
• Of the 48,117 deaths, 26,993 (56.1%) were suicides.
• Of the 48,117 deaths, 472 (1%) were unintentional.
• Of the 48,117 deaths, 649 (1.3%) were legal intervention.
• Of the 48,117 deaths, 411 (0.9%) were undetermined.

So, for example, when politicians tell us that banning possession of a magazine that holds more that 10 rounds will make the country safer, and stop gun violence, it's quite clear they are uninformed, or lying. Even if every homicide involved a magazine of 11 or more rounds, and somehow banning the magazines stopped every homicide, that would only touch on 40% of the number of “gun violence” deaths.

The Joseph R. Biden Jr. Administration just announced that the demonstrably incompetent Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, would be in charge of his executive-level Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Here is part of what K. Harris said:

Our promise to the American people is this: we will not stop working to end the epidemic of gun violence in every community, because we do not have a moment, nor a life to spare.

Is Gun Violence an American Epidemic?

At least in terms of numbers, the simple answer is no. Gun violence is not an epidemic in America. That doesn't mean people aren't dying at the hand of people with guns, and that people are using guns to menace and terrorize people. But anyone saying that it is a national health crisis or epidemic is just not being factually honest.

According to the CDC, in 2021 the leading causes of adults in the United States were:

1. Heart disease: 695,547
2. Cancer: 605,213
3. COVID-19: 416,893
4. Accidents (unintentional injuries): 224,935
5. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,890
6. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,342
7. Alzheimer’s disease: 119,399
8. Diabetes: 103,294
9. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: 56,585
10. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 54,358

Remember the TOTAL number of guns involving firearms was 48,117. And of that, the TOTAL number of homicides involving firearms was 19,592.

If we wanted to address the largest percentage of “gun violence” deaths, we would look at the high number of suicides. And it's clear why these deaths go unaddressed and hidden in with homicides. It's because American's mental health continues to decline and more people turn to illicit drugs to cope with a declining quality of life.

In 2021, 106,699 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths increased by 14% from 2020 (28.3 per 100,000) to 2021 (32.4 per 100,000)—CDC

In light of these CDC numbers does it even make sense that the universal cry is to ban law abiding Americans right to possess a magazine with 11 rounds, while simultaneously legalizing more drugs, decriminalizing others and providing “safe” places for people to inject poison into their bodies?

Is America the Global Leader in Gun Violence?

I asked the “neutral” ChatGPT the following question: “Where does the United States rank globally in gun violence?” Here is the answer I got:

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, the United States has historically ranked higher in gun violence compared to many other developed countries. Specifically, it has experienced higher rates of firearm-related deaths, including homicides, suicides, and accidents, than countries with stricter gun control measures.

Notice the term “developed countries” gets slipped in there. Now why would anyone need to qualify the numbers in those terms? Well, it's because without doing that, the medias mantra that,—other countries don't have gun violence at the rates of America—fall apart. Here are the actual numbers:

America ranks number 32 in the world in gun deaths at 4.12 per 100,000 people. This is higher than the global average of 2.99 deaths per 100,000. America ranks number one in the world for the number of gun related suicides per capita at 7.12 per 100,000. What do you think is the reason for the deceptive reporting on America's “gun violence” ranking in the world?

We see that the region with the highest ranking of gun deaths is Central and South America. And the numbers aren't even close! Now consider that these countries don't have national laws that protect the individual's right to gun ownership, but highly restrict it. Gun laws vary across the world, and so much goes into a nation's rate of crime, violence, mental health etc. however time and time again, it's proven that strict gun laws are not the definitive driver of public safety.

In Closing-

It is sad whenever someone gets killed, no matter if it is from someone using a gun, or if someone purposefully runs someone down with a stolen car. It's also tragic when people are so crushed and without hope that they end their own life, or if they accidentally shoot themselves or someone else.

We live in a society where everyone does what seems right in their own eyes. Our society has thoroughly rejected God and His truth and embraced sin. Our country is far from God because None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Peace doesn't come through banning 11-round magazines. Peace doesn't come by turning away from what is right and embracing what is wrong. Peace comes through the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know Him?