As if there is a connection between the amount of guns in circulation & number of shootings....

[kpete]

THERE SURE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hack89]

1. Perhaps

on the other hand over the past 20 years we have seen gun violence plummet in America while gun ownership has increased. It is a complicated picture.

[sarisataka]

2. That chart doesn't show what you think....

It actually proves a lack of correlation.

It does show one country is an extreme outlier compared to other countries, some with fairly widespread gun ownership.

We should examine why, with 2x the per capita gun ownership of Switzerland or Finland we have nearly 40x the number of shootings

[L. Coyote]

5. Correct. Maybe we need to get the lead out of our water and shooting ranges.

There is definitely something wrong with American brains, that's what the chart shows.

[sarisataka]

6. lead- maybe

I don't really care if the answer is environmental, social or legal I would just like a solution.

I support research like Obama ordered the CDC to do after Sandyhook. Unfortunately it skewered everyone and indicated it may be a complex issue requiring more than a soundbite (more guns/less guns) solution. Because it did not fit any narrative it has gone ignored

[maxsolomon]

9. Perhaps it's not per capita gun ownership

but guns/gun owner.

[Ezior]

3. I don't think this chart is helpful

because the left chart is per capita, while the one on the right is not. The number of mass shootings should be divided by the number of inhabitants (or "mass shootings / 1,000,000 inhabitants", whatever).

The way it is now, it puts countries with lots of inhabitants at a disadvantage (Germany vs. Austria, US vs. UK, etc.).

Switzerland, Finland might be a surprise after the visualization is corrected to be fair. I'm not sure why that is. Probably not only # of guns is important, but also who owns them (crazy people or sane, educated, trained soldiers/conscripts like in Switzerland?). Also, what's the social security system / safety net in the country? Having a fallback in case your life turns upside down might prevent some psychopaths from snapping.

Edit: Also, what about the level of polarization in the society? If you think that 50% of your fellow citizens are stupid idiots, you might be more likely to just take as many of them as you can with you when you leave this world. I think traditionally Japan and other Asian countries have put "us / community / society" at a higher level than "I / myself / individual needs". It's a 2-sided sword.

[L. Coyote]

4. 16 million new guns in 2016 alone.

Link to tweet

[GeorgeGist]

7. Bad science.

[Johonny]

8. The gun humpers don't like your post

so it must be effective