General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Should America work towards becoming a gun-free Country? [View all]NutmegYankee
(16,234 posts)2/3rds of all gun deaths are suicides in the USA. They killed themselves on purpose. You could make the argument that our suicide rate (per 100,000) is high because of guns, but Australia And the UK are only a little lower and France is higher than us. Obviously guns are not the suicide problem in those countries. In reality, Suicide is driven by our economic and social system that just crushes people until they see no other option.
The non-suicide rate of gun deaths are 1/3 of the automobile crash deaths, meaning I'm 3 times more likely to die just driving to work each day. Of those gun deaths, most occur in high density urban areas with significant socioeconomic problems, often related to gangs and drugs. Honestly, I think ending the war on drugs, dramatically increasing the minimum wage, implementing jobs programs in urban areas, and expanding our economic aid programs (like heavily subsidized national child care) would greatly reduce those deaths.
But instead, our "gun control activists" ignore that and focus on gun owners out in suburbs or in rural areas. All because the goal is simple - Make gun ownership so onerous and expensive that only the wealthy and the elite can own guns and hunt or do target shooting. You stated "In my world reasonable gun control that leaves people doing target shooting and deer killing could remain as a pastime". And it would for the wealthy because the unwashed masses can't be trusted with such things as guns.