Shooting at Virginia Tech

[AgentApathy]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Quote:
Originally Posted by ichv.org
FACT:In 2004 (the most recent year for which data is available), there were 29,569 gun deaths in the U.S:


16,750 suicides (56% of all U.S gun deaths),
11,624 homicides (40% of all U.S gun deaths),
649 unintentional shootings, 311 from legal intervention and 235 from undetermined intent (4% of all U.S gun deaths combined).
-Numbers obtained from CDC National Center for Health Statistics mortality report online, 2007.
http://www.ichv.org/Statistics.htm

They do happen whether you see them or not.

To look at these figures, it seems like we need to balance US suicide figures against those of others where violence is "less rampant." Do you really think that suicides will cease to happen if guns aren't available, or (more likely) that people will just find another way?

It frustrates me that there isn't a further breakdown on how the guns were used: drug related crime, B&Es/robbery, crimes of passion, organized crime, etc. Really, that tells a lot more of a story to me than a black and white total number. I don't live in the hood but I don't live in a gated community either; I think I live the way most Americans do, and I think my chances are ridiculously small of ever seeing any kind of firearm violence. I'm not afraid!