Gun Violence Deaths

The New England Journal of Medicine has posted 3 online pieces about gun control, to coincide with the case before the Supreme Court that will be adjudicated in June. I want to quote briefly from one of them:

“Gun violence is often an unintended consequence of gun ownership. Americans have purchased millions of guns, predominantly handguns, believing that having a gun at home makes them safer. In fact, handgun purchasers substantially increase their risk of a violent death. This increase begins the moment the gun is acquired — suicide is the leading cause of death among handgun owners in the first year after purchase — and lasts for years.”

and:

“Policies limiting gun ownership and use have positive effects, whether those limits affect high-risk guns such as assault weapons or Saturday night specials, high-risk persons such as those who have been convicted of violent misdemeanors, or high-risk venues such as gun shows. New York and Chicago , which have long restricted handgun ownership and use, had fewer homicides in 2007 than at any other time since the early 1960s. Conversely, policies that encourage the use of guns have been ineffective in deterring violence. Permissive policies regarding carrying guns have not reduced crime rates, and permissive states generally have higher rates of gun-related deaths than others do.”

Having been raised in the UK and lived in Europe for the first half of my life, at first I found the prevalence of guns in the USA alarming, and later deplorable. I can only hope that the Court supports the Washington DC gun ban, and that further cities and states implement such bans soon.  For more information, visit the Brady Center.