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Abstract
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The US will probably always have lots of guns, so we need to learn to live with them. Currently, we are dying from them. We are also causing many deaths in neighbouring nations, as US guns are readily available to criminals in Mexico, Jamaica, and Canada.
Compared to other high income countries, the US is average in terms of (non-gun) crime and violence.1 But we have many more private guns per capita, particularly handguns and military grade firearms. We also have the weakest gun laws.23 In 2015, the US death rate from firearms was over 11 times higher than that of other high income countries.4 It has increased by 20% since then. In 2020, more than 120 American civilians per day were killed by guns.
How can the US learn to live more safely with guns? The key is to have a national plan. Current policy discussions are fragmented, considering only isolated measures, one-at-a time. We need a vision.5 Perhaps it could come from a national non-partisan commission of independent experts that agree on a goal (for example, access to guns for home defence combined with low rates of firearm crime, homicide, suicide and accidents) and provide a blueprint for achieving and maintaining that outcome.
Here are some items that the blueprint might contain...
... The Onion, America's satirical news outlet, often publishes its most iconic headline after mass shootings: "'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens." The experience of every other high-income country in the world shows that there are plenty of ways for the US to prevent most gun deaths--and they all involve getting better control over guns.
Language: en |