Looks like 10 percent of us aren't holding up our end:
The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.
U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.
Just funning you; the percentage is, of course, much higher. Guns are like cats, with a handful of, er, multi-unit households skewing the per-capita numbers. (And if you ever encounter a woman whose house has a multitude of cats and guns, run away, very fast.)
Oh, just to head some of you off at the pass: Rank of the United States in murders per-capita: 24th.
Comments
I'm doing my part - I have one cat and lotssssss of guns, ...
US is ranked #8 in murders with firearms per capita according to the website you linked to, #24 in overall murders. Most of the countries ranked higher than the US in firearms murders are in unstable regions, the US leads the way in firearm crime among modern western countries.
Clearly there is a corelation in the number of violent crimes relative to the proliferation of firearms coupled with the glorifacation of violence in popular culture - rap music, movies etc.
the bottom line is that its far too easy for criminals and the mentally ill to get weapons.
It boggles the mind to think that limiting the number of firearms will impact the crime rate. What part of "if firearms are outlawed, only outlaws will have firearms" is unclear ? I tend to think that more of them is the solution - the more people who are potentially armed, the less likely some idiot will try anything.
There you go again with the outlawing all firearms BS. No one is suggesting that. I own firearms myself, and I do not fear a background check as I have nothing to hide, nor is anyone going to take my rifle and shotgun away.
More firearms obviously isn't working - hence the crime statistics shown in the link.
Common sense tells us the more availability of something increases the liklihood for it to get into the wron hands, and the crime statisitics clearly show this.
The more people armed the more likely there will be an accident or the potential to end up in the wrong hands - what part of that do the gun nuts not understand?
Boggle, ... in your first post you inferred that more guns relates to more crime because criminals can more easily get their hands on guns. If you're not advocating eliminating guns, then what are you advocating ? We already have tons of laws on the books that are intended to stop criminals from getting guns and they are obviously not having an impact on criminals getting guns. And, just wishing we would enforce current laws is obviously not the answer either. Enlighten us, ...
I just have one gun for EACH of my cats (that would be TWO)...lol!
(maybe I should get one for MYSELF?)
BTW, I'm on board w/ Larry and his observations...
but sadly, there is a huge subculture of black-market gunrunning on every level of society, not the least of which are thefts from LEGAL gun owners.
THERE is where your crime rate lies...not with those who legally possess, respect and practice safety with their firearms.
You might as well try and tackle a ban on vehicles (auto accidents/plane crashes), or kitchen cutlery (stabbings).
It's all about the PEOPLE...never the "gun" (or car, plane, or knife).
B.G.
Why are we worrying about hand guns and rifles anymore, the bad guys have semiautomatics now.
I hate to tell you this, Sue, but they have full automatics, ... most of the legal handguns sold to legal owners today are semi-automatics, I have 2 myself, ...
And, good man, BG, yes you need your own gun now that the cats are taken care of, ...