Gun control activists also use statistics with the intentions of painting a biased picture. Advocates for strict gun laws point out the obvious-guns kill people either maliciously or by accident. Over 75% of murders in the United States are caused by firearms. To make matters worse the majority of these murders are caused by illegal firearms, obtained through trafficking, or unregulated purchases.
Advocates for more stringent gun laws will also use examples of regions that have benefited from a more rigid stance on gun laws. States like New Jersey and New York have made significant strides in decreasing their respective murder rates due to a more scrupulous stance on guns.
On a Federal level, the implementation of the Brady Bill created an immediate positive impact in regards to homicide rates. Gun crime statistics have revealed that murders dipped by 25% in it’s first 4 years, and 46% overall.
America is a gun culture. Firearms played an intricate role in our formation as a free country. Hunting and the right to bear arms have long been traditions in the United States. AS of late, this rite of passage has been questioned through government legislation both, on a federal and state level. The decline in gun use is reflected in the manufacturing numbers.
Strict gun laws are the major factor for a 30% decline in gun production since the early 80’s. America’s stance against handguns is the main cause for this drastic decline. From 1980-2000 handgun production fell by over 1 million guns annually.
Manufacturers produced 1.3 million a year as oppose to their accustomed amount of 2.3-2.5 million. The adoption of scrupulous gun laws seemingly had no effect on the shotgun or rifle market- shotguns dipped only slightly, from 1.3 million to 1.1 million while rifles shrank from 1.9 million to 1.6 million.
The debate over guns will continue due to the weapons unique characteristics. A product that yields pain is also cherished. The complexity of the gun market and ever-changing gun laws cannot be expressed through merely statistics. Granted regulating gun trade and illegal firearms is justified and benefits can be visible through statistics, however, with an abundance of abstract factors, the true effect of guns cannot be detailed through statistics.
