And now for the statistical part of the discussion, something that was mentioned earlier in this thread. These are statistics compiled by the CDC for 2013, the latest year they've completed. (CDC Faststats)
Accidental deaths: 192,945
Accidental deaths per 100,000: 60.2
Deaths by poisoning: 48,545
Per 100K: 15.4
Deaths by motor vehicle: 33,804
Per 100K: 10.7
Deaths by firearm: 33,636
Per 100K: 10.6
Homicides by firearm(part of the 33k): 11,208
Per 100K: 3.5
The trend data supports the premise that in 2015, firearms deaths will surpass motor vehicle deaths.
One more statistic: the US is home to 5% of the world's population. It is also home to 35-50% of the world's civilian owned guns. The actual number is hard to nail down since the government is not allowed to maintain accurate firearms records.
Someone asked earlier that if other forms of death have higher numbers, why don't we address those? First, this is a forum about guns. That's why we're discussing this. Second, we do address other forms of danger. We require poisons to be clearly marked and stored in appropriate containers. We have all kinds of methods to properly transport hazardous material. We require the training and licensing of pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, flight attendants, etc so that civil aviation is incredibly safe (It wasn't always). We require training and licensing for truck drivers, plumbers, electricians, doctors, nurses, lab workers, nuclear power plant specialists, and on and on. Why? Because collectively we decided that the public safety was a higher priority than someone being "inconvenienced". It seems to work.
Look at motor vehicles. There are hundreds of millions of cars in this country, driven hours every day by people of all shapes, ages, and abilities. Yet the death count is pretty low. Why? Because we recognized the need for public safety. Cars have safety requirement. We require drivers to be trained and licensed. Recognizing that age affects driving ability for both teens and elders, we have differing requirements for both groups. As the vehicle increases in complexity or lethality (semis and motorcycles) we require additional training and licensing. And it all works.
So why can't we apply all this to firearms safety? Why can't we require mandatory safety and proficiency training prior to owning and operating? Why can't we require further training and licensing as the complexity and lethality go up? Why can't we track firearms sales to defeat gun traffickers and criminals? Remember, this is a complex problem and the solutions can't be captured in a sound bite. Complete change won't happen overnight. But doing nothing won't change a thing. Adding more guns won't make us safer. We, the gun owners are at the heart of the problem. We need to be part of the solution.
For those of you worried about tyranny, picture this: Yes, if the government has a list of people who underwent firearms training, they know who you are. They also know that not only are there 100 million plus gun owners out there, THEY HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TRAINED IN FIREARMS. That sends a powerful message to any potential tyrant.
Is that enough answer for you, Mr Tuctom?
