I was reading a research article prepared by the Commonwealth Fund, Comparing deaths from gun violence in the U.S. with other countries, and I think it will surprise few how poorly ranked is the United States. Some points reported that I thought were notable include:
- over half of U.S. adults have either experienced gun-related violence themselves or have a family member who has.
- Firearms are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and are the weapons used most often in domestic violence against women.
- In the preceding year [2023], there were more than 650 mass shootings1 and more than 43,000 deaths linked to firearms. Mass shootings, despite the publicity they receive, account for fewer than 2 percent of all gun deaths in the U.S.
- By some estimates, firearm violence cost the U.S. around $557 billion in 2022, with $2.8 billion spent on health care costs, mental health services, and emergency services.
- Globally, the U.S. ranks at the 93rd percentile for overall firearm mortality, 92nd percentile for children and teens, and 96th percentile for women.
But it was the comparative rates of death due to firearms2 reported from different countries (and US States) that really put the whole thing into perspective, that contextualized these data:
- Most states have higher firearm mortality rates than most other countries. Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and New Mexico, each individually, have higher rates than Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Brazil, and Haiti. These states do, however, have lower rates than Venezuela, El Salvador, and the US Virgin Islands.
- The US Average mortality rate is higher than Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
Yet, in the US election presently underway, an issue like this one was given less airtime than a discussion on Haitian refugees eating pets and the size of Arnold Palmer’s fifth limb.
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