http://www.neahin.org/programs/schoolsafety/gunsafety/statistics.htm


Why are people so violent? Maybe it’s a defense mechanism. Maybe they're scared of what they don't know. There scared to step out of their comfort zone because they could be pinched by something. That’s why Americans have fire arms in their house, for self defense. Self defense against what? The urban nightmare? The one where you’re sleeping, a burglar breaks in and vandalizes your home, and you pull out your loaded gun and pump his guts full of led? As Canadians, we seem to be better at dealing with unknown factors of the world.

"The rate of firearm deaths among kids under age 15 is almost 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized countries combined."



"In one year, firearms killed 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 in the United States."

153 compared to 5,285?

What?

What is the factor that is saving 5,132 people's lives?

Is it the influence of television and media? I don't see how it could be, we have the same gory movies and video games etc in Canada as the United States, right? Is it the music we listen too? The ones that give subliminal messages to kill your neighbors? If it is, then why aren't Canadians doing more aggressive, when Detroit is literally a river away from Toronto? You think that gun violence doesn't affect you, since your not shooting? Aside from the main atrocity of more then 80 deaths a day, medical costs from gun injuries and deaths cost $19 billion. The US taxpayer will pay half of that cost.



A classroom is emptied every two days in America by gunfire. Maybe it's the history of America. Historically speaking America has a lot of blood on its hands. From early settlement to the current wars in the Middle East, America seems to resort to violence continually. Maybe that's why guns are so popular in America, because of all of the violent history, it makes violence very natural. However, look at the World wars. Germany is a country that has a HUGE history of violence, yet their stats are substantially lower. Why? Why does the USA have such a large firearms rate?



It seems like it traces back to fear. When you turn on your TV in the evening, what is it all about? Consumption and fear. First, the local news will tell you that your neighbor is probably a murderer, so don't trust anyone but the people at local news, and make sure to tune in every night. They tell us this, but the truth is that crime rates have been going down lower and lower for the last 8 years. Fear makes money. If you convince someone that something bad will happen to them, they will turn into to the local news every night. Then, a commercial for some acne product will be advertised, and you'll listen to it because no-one will like you if you have pimples. Next up is an Acura commercial, and they’ll tell us to buy this car, because nobody will like you if you don’t. So, we go buy it. You don't want to be that other guy with the overwhelming zits or the bad muffler, so we are pressured into consuming. It turns out fear is a big money maker. Since fear is beaten into us with mainstream media so badly, we don't know how to deal with new situations, because of that under-layer of fear is always what we think about. We don't even think, really. We just panic, and react with fear, that’s my own definition of American gun violence (aside from self defense cases) We react this way because we panic and fear this new situation, and overwhelming as it is, we resort to violence to 'save ourselves' from the unknown factor. The only thing that can really promote fear is an unknown factor, or an unlikely but frightening known factor. We as a human race cannot let fear control our lives anymore. There is nothing to be afraid of! Maybe if we weren't so afraid, all the high school kids who were killed in Columbine could be here right now, or maybe John Lennon would or 5,285 other people who where shot in America this year. Not cool. RIP.