preview

Firearms In American Culture

Decent Essays

Firearms are a large factor of the American culture, even with the infamous outcomes. They are a part of the foundation of the Unites States; as of 1791, known as the second Amendment, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (Lund and Winkler, no date). The United States is recognized and also criticized worldwide; for instilling easy access to ammunition and the consequences caused, respectively. Combining Siegel and Rothmans extensive research, with Miller, Krouse, and Wintemute etc., conclusions can be made about the extent of gun ownership linking to firearm homicide, and firearm suicide. Firstly, looking at the history of gun …show more content…

The link between ownership and committing homicide is weaker than the observation with suicide. In a documentary about Chicago and the lifestyle of gang areas, observations showed the audience that Chicago has a higher death toll (firearm homicide) of 7,916 people from 2001-2016, a 15-year period, than the American death toll in Iraq (4,504) and Afghanistan (2,384) alone. Gun ownership in Chicago specifically increases the chance of homicide by firearm, statistically speaking (BBC,2016). Another example, In Appendix A, fig. 1, Krouses (2012) chart presents that in 2005 the total of 30,695 firearm related deaths; 12,352 being firearm homicides which are equal to 40.2% collected data. The sixteen-year period shows stagnant outcomes each year. 12,000 U.S civilians were killed by gun violence in 2015, an average of 36 people each day, in which fifty percent of the victims were black males (Freskos, 2015). The correlation between gun ownership and firearm homicide is difficult to equate as there are too many variables to be accounted for. However, looking at it statistically with the escalation of gun ownership and the decline of firearm homicides that it doesn’t appear to have a strong link. The one similarity between the homicide and suicide victims are that males are the most common victims than …show more content…

The study was looking at years 1981 to 2013 which analyzed the association between firearm ownership and suicide rates. The study had kept over ten variables in mind; such as region, income, crime rate, education, alcohol use, and population density etc. The main variable used was the prevalence of a household firearm, according to Miller. “Every US case-control study, for example, has found that the presence of a gun in the home is a risk factor for suicide by firearm are higher, in general in places of household ownership”(Miller et al., 2013). The average firearm suicide rate for males in the U.S. is 14.2 whilst for women is was 2.1; a substantial difference of 12.1 men per 100,000 people. In Wyoming where there is gun ownership of 72.8% the male suicide rate was 26.1, substantially over the average rate, whilst in Massachusetts, where the ownership level is 13.9%, just below the national average, the male suicide rate was 4.2. This shows that there is a clear connection between suicide rates and gun ownership levels in males. Wyoming’s female suicide with firearm rate was 3.9 and Massachusetts has a rate 0.4 for women. There is a definite divide between the two so the statement for men can also be utilized for women. This designates that men are more apt to utilize a firearm when committing suicide,

Get Access