Posted on Jun 29, 2023
Is gun violence an epidemic in the U.S.? Experts and history say it is
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https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/ [login to see] /gun-violence-epidemic-suicide-mass-shooting-public-health-emergency-chicago
Six months into the year, more than 21,000 people have died because of gun-related injuries in the United States.
Doctors and public health officials have a word to describe the rising number of people killed or hurt by guns in recent years: epidemic.
"I would certainly consider the problem of firearm injuries and firearm violence as an epidemic in the United States," said Patrick Carter, director of the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, whose research is partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"When we think about what the term epidemic means, it means a sudden increase in the numbers, or incidents, of an event over what would be considered a baseline level," Carter told Morning Edition.
Since the mid-2000s, the United States has seen year-after-year increases in the number of deaths and injuries from guns "that would mirror what we would consider to be a sudden increase consistent with an epidemic," Carter said.
Six months into the year, more than 21,000 people have died because of gun-related injuries in the United States.
Doctors and public health officials have a word to describe the rising number of people killed or hurt by guns in recent years: epidemic.
"I would certainly consider the problem of firearm injuries and firearm violence as an epidemic in the United States," said Patrick Carter, director of the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, whose research is partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"When we think about what the term epidemic means, it means a sudden increase in the numbers, or incidents, of an event over what would be considered a baseline level," Carter told Morning Edition.
Since the mid-2000s, the United States has seen year-after-year increases in the number of deaths and injuries from guns "that would mirror what we would consider to be a sudden increase consistent with an epidemic," Carter said.
Is gun violence an epidemic in the U.S.? Experts and history say it is
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Firearms and Guns
Violence
Firearms and Guns Violence
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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The majority of "firearms related deaths" have always been and continue to be suicides. which are absolutely a mental health issue unlikely to be significantly reduced even if all guns magically disappeared.
As for the rest of this invented epidemic, lets look at some real numbers instead of a single invented figure:
Leading causes of death in the United States according to the CDC:
Heart disease: 695,547
Cancer: 605,213
COVID-19: 416,893
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 224,935
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,890
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,342
Alzheimer’s disease: 119,399
Diabetes: 103,294
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis : 56,585
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 54,358
Admittedly, some small part of those 224,935 do include firearms accidents, but note that ALL "firearms deaths" put together do not make it into the top ten causes of death in the US.
There were a total of 48,830 firearms related deaths in the US in 2021 (the most recent real figures).
Of those 48,830 total...
26,328 were suicide (54%)
20,958 were homicide (43%)
549 were accidents (1%)
537 were legal interventions including police and self-defense. (1%)
458 undetermined or unrecorded (<1%)
Oh, while we are looking at some doctor's claim of a firearms epidemic in the US, we might note that the CDC figures do not directly address the issue of medical errors and malpractice. There are no absolute figures available because those deaths are rarely reported as such and most lawsuits are settled with nondisclosure clauses, but reliable figures put the number between 250,000 to 251,000 per year in the US although no numbers are available from the CDC who refuse to record this category.
Bottom line: Medical errors and malpractice are responsible for more deaths in the US every year than all firearms related deaths. Physician Heal Thyself.
As for the rest of this invented epidemic, lets look at some real numbers instead of a single invented figure:
Leading causes of death in the United States according to the CDC:
Heart disease: 695,547
Cancer: 605,213
COVID-19: 416,893
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 224,935
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,890
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,342
Alzheimer’s disease: 119,399
Diabetes: 103,294
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis : 56,585
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 54,358
Admittedly, some small part of those 224,935 do include firearms accidents, but note that ALL "firearms deaths" put together do not make it into the top ten causes of death in the US.
There were a total of 48,830 firearms related deaths in the US in 2021 (the most recent real figures).
Of those 48,830 total...
26,328 were suicide (54%)
20,958 were homicide (43%)
549 were accidents (1%)
537 were legal interventions including police and self-defense. (1%)
458 undetermined or unrecorded (<1%)
Oh, while we are looking at some doctor's claim of a firearms epidemic in the US, we might note that the CDC figures do not directly address the issue of medical errors and malpractice. There are no absolute figures available because those deaths are rarely reported as such and most lawsuits are settled with nondisclosure clauses, but reliable figures put the number between 250,000 to 251,000 per year in the US although no numbers are available from the CDC who refuse to record this category.
Bottom line: Medical errors and malpractice are responsible for more deaths in the US every year than all firearms related deaths. Physician Heal Thyself.
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MSG Thomas Currie
SGM (Join to see) - "We" count suicides by gun as "Gun Violence" because it more than doubles the numbers that are used to scare people who don't know anything about how they are being manipulated.
That's also why "we" cite numbers that are almost entirely inner city gang violence as "children killed by gun violence"
And why our senile leader is campaigning so heavily to ban so-called "assault weapons" that are used in less than 1% of homicides.
That's also why "we" cite numbers that are almost entirely inner city gang violence as "children killed by gun violence"
And why our senile leader is campaigning so heavily to ban so-called "assault weapons" that are used in less than 1% of homicides.
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SGM (Join to see)
MSG Thomas Currie Incremental creep on gun rights. When banning assault weapons doesn’t fix the problem they will want to ban something else. No compromise will ever be enough—and not an inch of ground should be surrendered.
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MSG Thomas Currie
SGM (Join to see) - Well, now that Wayne LaPierre and the rest of his mob are busy trying to keep him out of jail, the real pro-RKBA organizations are starting to be seriously noticed by at least some American gun owners. SAF, GOA, and FPC are finally getting some of the credit they deserve and some of the donations (which had far too long been going to Negotiating Rights Away).
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