Murders by Firearms Lower than that of Alcohol
In 2011, the FBI’s estimated death toll of murders caused by firearms rests at 8,583. That’s a rate of one murder by gun shot in just over 58 minutes. In the same year, 9,878 people died in alcohol related car crashes. This isn’t including those who’ve perished from alcohol overdose or accidental deaths outside of driving while intoxicated. That’s nearly 1300+ more deaths caused from alcohol than by firearm murders. If the deaths of those caused by driving while under the influence can be avoided, why isn’t it more of a crime, or have as much media coverage, to kill someone with your car?
1. Prohibition of Firearms – If history teaches us anything, people will find a way to acquire what they wish to own. The alcohol prohibition was a short-lived ban on the substance, yet people were still able to find it. As people can be quite prideful when it comes to their firearms, would a prohibition on specific firearms make that much of a difference? Illegal weapon purchases would be on the rise, but the goods will still be found one way or another.
2. Respect Taught Young – Point at a family and there is probably a profound teaching within it that guides children not to drink. However, can you put faith that the same family has been teaching young children to respect firearms even if one isn’t inside the home? Just because the parent doesn’t have a firearm in the house doesn’t mean that the child’s friend won’t. Children taught at a young age to care for a firearm learn to respect the damage they can potentially cause. It’s because of this that some believe that gun safety should be taught to elementary school students.
3. Odds Are Not Favorable – You have a 33-percent chance of being involved in an automobile collisions involving a drunk driver at any given time. As one of these collisions happens every 90 seconds, the odds are good that you will be slain while driving home from the grocery store.
4. Ammunition Readily Available – Whether it is a bullet for your gun or a bullet for your gut, both forms of ammunition are readily available. However, alcohol is more so as you can purchase it from nearly every gas station and grocery store in the country. Without considering the consequences of driving while intoxicated, one is neglectful. One who knows the consequences and does it anyway should be charged with premeditated murder.
The media tends to focus on those crimes that are utterly heinous in nature. Unfortunately, many heinous crimes involve the use of a firearm. Why is there so much effort put into banning specific firearms and equipment over the mental states of the ones causing the murders in the first place? Could proper medical treatment reduce the number of deaths committed by those who are unstable? Could better parenting techniques have been used to teach the child right from wrong and the wisdom to know the difference in respecting individuals? All we can really do is speculate what could have happened within the mind of a killer instead of focusing on what should have happened in order to prevent the situation.
About the Author:
This guest post is contributed by Debra Johnson, blogger and editor of www.liveinnanny.com. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: – jdebra84 @ gmail.com.
