A reasoned and researched plea to NOT enact more gun control

OK, to start this off I am not a gun nut. I strongly support the 2nd Amendment and that an individual is accountable for their own actions. I also strongly believe that to live in a free society you take the chance that a very small percentage of the population could do grievous harm to the rest.

I did my own research on death rates by various causes. The most comprehensive information was from the US Census 2012 Statistical Abstract - Table 120, where the most recent data is from 2007, which was released to the internet on 9/30/2011.

All causes...............................................................................................2,423,712

Accidents (unintentional injuries)................................................................123,706
Transport accidents...................................................................................46,844
Motor vehicle accidents..............................................................................43,945
Other land transport accidents......................................................................1,083
Water, air and space, and other and unspecified transport accidents...............1,816
and their sequelae

Nontransport accidents.................................................................................76,862
Falls..........................................................................................................22,631
Accidental discharge of firearms ......................................................................613
Accidental drowning and submersion.............................................................3,443
Accidental exposure to smoke, fire and flames...............................................3,286
Accidental poisoning and exposure to noxious substances.............................29,846
Other and unspecified nontransport accidents and their sequelae..................17,043

Assault (homicide).......................................................................................18,361
Assault (homicide) by discharge of firearms.................................................12,632
Events of undetermined intent......................................................................5,381
Discharge of firearms, undetermined intent ......................................................276
Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent and their sequelae.........5,105

..................................................................Times more
...................................................................likely than...............% per total
................................................Number.......gun related..............deaths
All gun related deaths................13,521........................................(0.0056)
Motor vehicle accidents..............43,945........(3.25).......................(0.0181)
Falls..........................................22,631........(1.67).......................(0.0093)

So in brief, a person is 3.25 time more likely to get killed in a motor vehicle accident and 1.67 times more likely to die from falling.

Based upon comments in the media I have heard there should be immediate legislation to restrict motor vehicle ownership, there needs to be tighter controls on fuel and all speed limits should be immediately reduced to 45 miles per hour. Heck, why not 35 or 25 miles per hour, it would save more lives.
Not to mention that since people are being killed in falls, the law of gravity should be repealed, people should be required to wear helmets in the shower, and old people should be issued personal anti-gravity belts.

Alright I am being a bit absurd. Saying that guns kill people is like saying that Rosie O’Donnell is fat because of spoons. It takes all of the accountability from the individual who is wielding the gun or the spoon. They are responsible for picking up the inanimate object and causing it to be used. The same “logic” to ban bullets as the cause of the injury to another would have gasoline banned. Without bullets/gas, either is just an object without the ability to be dangerous. Actually neither is dangerous without the human being necessary to move them into action.

Yes - the shootings in Aurora were tragic. Yes - some people should not own guns. Yes - responsible, stable and trustworthy individuals should be allowed to carry guns to help protect themselves and others. Knee jerk reactions to tragedies like this will not solve the problem and will only degrade our freedoms.

I will end this with a quote, which I will not attribute to avoid the political fight that might ensue:

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

 

You need to write your Senators/Representatives, not TW.

 

hope this doesnt turn into

 

In this state it falls on deaf ears. Just needed to vent.