by Chris Kulczycki
Thu Feb 16th, 2006 at 11:12:07 AM EST
It comes as no great surprise to me that vice president Dick "Deadeye" Cheney shot a man. It may have shocked you wimpy Europeans. But we Americans are made of tougher stuff. That's why I thought I'd explain our gun culture to you.
Why just in the past month a couple of folks were shot within a few miles of my house. One was a cabdriver. I couldn't be bothered to read the story about the other shooting. I suppose I should since it happened just across the street from our usual wine shop. But like most Americans, I'm accustomed to shootings. Nothing to see here; move along.
Now I'm not making this up, another person was shot near here today. My wife told me as I was writing this. It makes three this month. And we live in the best neighborhood in a wealthy small city.
I remember, many years ago, giving one of my employees rides home when we worked late. He lived in crime ridden section of Washington DC called Anacostia. As I drove, he told me that, being tall and white, it was assumed I was a cop and so I wasn’t likely to be robbed. But he assured me that if I looked like I was about to interfere with drug dealers, who he pointed out, I would be, nonetheless, shot dead. He also said that it was a rare night that he didn’t hear gunshots as he tried to fall asleep. His family was very poor and he lived with and provided for them, so he didn’t have money for a car yet, much less for a house in a better neighborhood. I hope he at least had a gun. Wonder whatever happened to him?
I told this story to a Russian friend a year or two later and drove him through that neighborhood. He said nothing like it existed in (Soviet) Russia. Probably why they lost the cold war, weren’t tough enough. Of course Russia has learned much from the US in the past decade. I hear they have lots of guns now.
Some 30 percent of Americans have guns. I have close friends who keep pistols in their bedside tables and in their cars. Currently, 46 of 50 U.S. states permit adults who have applied, have no criminal record, and (in some cases) meet training requirements to carry one or more concealed handguns.
Coming home from abroad our six-year-old son saw a gun-toting immigration officer. “Why does he have a gun?” Alec asked.
“Because were back in the US.” I said.
“Yep, we loooove our guns son.” Said the officer. We sure do. This is from the University of Utah medical school site:
In the U.S. for 2001, there were 29,573 deaths from firearms, distributed as follows by mode of death: Suicide 16,869; Homicide 11,348; Accident 802; Legal Intervention 323; Undetermined 231.(CDC, 2004) This makes firearms injuries one of the top ten causes of death in the U.S. The number of firearms-related injuries in the U.S., both fatal and non-fatal, increased through 1993, but has since declined steadily.(CDC, 2001) However, firearms injuries remain a leading cause of death in the U.S., particularly among youth (CDC, 2004).
The number of non-fatal injuries is considerable--over 200,000 per year in the U.S. Many of these injuries require hospitalization and trauma care. A 1994 study revealed the cost per injury requiring admission to a trauma center was over $14,000. The cumulative lifetime cost in 1985 for gunshot wounds was estimated to be $911 million, with $13.4 billion in lost productivity. (Mock et al, 1994) The cost of the improper use of firearms in Canada was estimated at $6.6 billion per year. (Chapdelaine and Maurice, 1996)
Firearms Death Rate (per 100,000, age adjusted) for Selected Countries in one year between 1990 and 1995 (Krug, Powell and Dahlberg, 1998)
Of course many say that having a gun prevents many more crimes. Self-protection is our rational. What you Europeans don’t understand is that every American male is born with the knowledge that he has the innate ability to shoot like John Wayne (and drive like Richard Petty). Never mind that a gun kept in the home is 22 times more likely to be used in a homicide, suicide or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense.
*Firearms Deaths by Mode of Death for Children <15 Years of Age
Top 10 Countries - Rate per 100,000*
Guns take a huge toll on America’s Children as well. Here are some statistics from
The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
FACT: Nationwide for 2002, gun violence killed 2,893 American children and teens ages 19 and under, a decrease of only 1% from the nationwide 2001 total of 2,937. While these numbers have been steadily decreasing over the past five years, an average of 8 young people killed each day by guns in the U.S is still too many.
-Numbers obtained from CDC National Center for Health Statistics mortality report online, 2005.
FACT: In 2002, a total of 828 young Americans ages 10-19 committed suicide with firearms, a decrease of 11% from the 2001 total of 928 youth gun suicides. Unlike suicide attempts using other methods, suicide attempts with guns are nearly always fatal, meaning a temporarily depressed teenager will never get a second chance at life. Nearly two-thirds of all completed teenage suicides involve a firearm.
-Numbers obtained from CDC National Center for Health Statistics mortality report online, 2005.
FACT: The firearms used in 72% of unintentional firearm deaths and injuries, and in firearm suicide attempts and completions, for people ages 0-19 were stored in the residence of the victim, their relative, or their friend.
- Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Study, published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, August 1999
FACT: In 2002, the gun death rate for African-American males ages 15 to 19 was 56 per 100,000, a large disparity compared to white males of the same age (14 per 100,000). For black males ages 20-24, the gun death rate was even higher at 120 per 100,000, an even greater disparity compared to white males of the same age group (23 per 100,000).
-Numbers obtained from CDC National Center for Health Statistics mortality report online, 2005.
FACT: 48% of gun-owning households with children do NOT regularly make sure that guns are equipped with child safety locks or other trigger locks.
Peter Hart Research Associates Poll, July 1999
FACT: Contrary to popular belief, young children do possess the physical strength to fire a gun: 25% of 3 to 4 year olds, 70% of 5 to 6 year olds, and 90% of 7 to 8 year olds can fire most handguns.
- Naureckas, SM, Christoffel, KK, et al. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 1995
FACT: More than 3,500 students were expelled in 1998-99 for bringing guns to school. Of these, 43% were in elementary or junior high school. This means that, in a 40-week school year, an average of 88 children per week nationwide are expelled for bringing a gun in school. And these figures include only the children who get caught.
- U.S. Department of Education. Report on State Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act: School Year 1998-99. October 2000, p.2
FACT: During 1999, 52% of all murder victims younger than age 18 were killed by guns, and 82% of murder victims aged 13 to 19 years old were killed by guns. In 1986, guns were used in 38% of murders in the same age groups.
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports for 1999, table 2.11.
FACT: 59% of students in grades six through twelve know where to get a gun if they want one, and two thirds of these students say they can acquire a firearm within 24 hours.
- Harvard School of Public Health
Despite the above statistics, the right to bear arms is strongly supported in the US, especially among Republicans. The justification comes from our second constitutional amendment (which is part of the Bill of Rights), which reads:
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
The Second Amendment protects the right of States to form armed militias, and the right of individuals to possess arms as needed to serve in those militias. But conservatives and libertarians often interpret it a being the right of every individual to bear arms. This is a long running and complicated debate.
Numerous and well-organized advocacy groups, particularly the National Rifle Association, (which has strong support from our large arms industry) wield tremendous political influence. Even liberal democrats are hesitant to challenge this formidable lobby. Thus it is unlikely that effective gun control will ever be enacted in the US.
So you can see that a 78-year-old man being shot in the face by the vice president is not a big deal here in the good ole USA. Understand? I don't.
