Zach Turner
Mr. Prokop
English
February 22, 2017
Firearm Suicide Prevalence
Suicide is when someone chooses to end their own life. There are many different ways to commit suicide and shooting yourself is one, a usually fatal one. New Mexico has the ninth highest gun death rank in the nation. Out of fifty states, those are pretty poor statistics.
“New Mexico hasn’t passed any new gun laws in the past two years. Like many other states on the list, it doesn’t require background checks for private sales, ban assault rifles or require licenses for gun dealers. It also has no restrictions on gun purchases by residents with a history of domestic abuse.” (Hendry)
Although when people think of gun related deaths as being homicides, more
…show more content…
Young black males are more often killed by a gun fire by someone else than self-inflicted gun fire. White males, on the other hand, are more likely to kill themselves by gun than be killed in a homicide. "The vast majority of white gun deaths are suicides; less than one in five is a homicide." (Reeves, Holmes) Women are the least likely to commit suicide by gun. They don't like to think of people who love them cleaning up after the suicide. Women are more sensitive and thoughtful. They try to find a less messy way to commit suicide such as hanging, suffocation, overdose, or poisoning. The three most popular ways to commit suicide in men and women combined are firearms, hanging/suffocation, and drugs/poisonings. In adults, separation or divorce increases the risk of suicide. Teenagers are also committing suicide by gun. “Firearms were the instrument of death in 88 percent of teen homicides and 41 percent of teen suicides in 2014” (Teen Homicide…) Teen girls are more likely to attempt suicide but boys are more likely to be successful and commit suicide. They are more emotional and anxious, if they abuse drugs or alcohol, it adds another element. If guns are stored properly, teens and younger children are less likely to get a hold of them and would reduce child/teen
82% of firearm suicides are committed by gun owned by a family member, usually parents. It’s not the parents or family members fault that these children committed suicide but if the guns were put away somewhere safe where only the parent or family member could access it, there’s a chance that they might still be here. It’s all a ripple effect. If you don’t conceal your firearms right, your child can get ahold of it. If your child gets ahold of the firearm, they could shoot or worse, kill themselves or someone else. Properly hide your firearms and there will be no gun for your child to shoot or kill anyone.
Research shows that whether attempters live or die depends in large part on the ready availability of firearms. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health of all 50 U.S. states reveals a powerful link between rates of firearm ownership and suicides. Based on a survey of American households conducted in 2002, it was found that in states where guns were prevalent—as in Wyoming, where 63 percent of households reported owning guns—rates of suicide were higher. The inverse was also true: where gun ownership was less common, suicide rates were also lower ( Harvard). Many lives could be saved if firearms weren't so accessible. The American government needs to adopt policies that would keep guns out of the hands of vulnerable adults and
Many teenagers and even adults feel worthless and depressed and give up on life. Instead of taking action and getting help to solve their life problems, these people choose to commit suicide. There are about 30,000 suicide deaths per year. This number is outrageously high. One out of every 45 attempts of suicide actually succeeds. Whether suicide attempters succeed or fail, all depends on how easy it is for them to get the resources they want to use for this task, especially firearms. Deborah Azrael, a research associate at Harvard’s Research Center, found that when guns were predominant in a state, suicide rates were higher. The inverse of this statement was also correct, in states where guns were not prevalent, suicide rates were lower. Many lives would be saved, many suicides would be prevented, and many families would be able to avoid heartbreak and despair, if firearms were not accessible in the United
On an unseasonably cold March morning in 1993, high school sophomore Edward Gillom exited his first period classroom and made his way through the crowded hallways of Harlem High School. After engaging in a heated argument, allegedly over a girl, with Ronricas “Pony” Gibson and Ricoh Lee, Gillom pulled out a .38-caliber gun and opened fire. Gillom’s shots fatally wounded Gibson and left Lee with a non-fatal gunshot wound to the neck (Washington Ceasefire, 2011 pg 1). The shooting in Harlem, Georgia sparked national attention as one of the first high school shootings and added to the alarmingly high rates of gun violence by adolescents during the 1990s. According to the Virginia Youth Violence Project, forty-two homicides took place in
Among ages 15-19 years, firearm-related suicides accounted for 62% of the suicide rate over the last few decades.
Everyone in the United States of America has an opinion on gun control regardless of their age, race, or religion. From within those opinions arguments are formed. People are arguing about gun control at their jobs, at their schools, and sometimes at their places of worship. On one side of things there are the people that support gun control like certain politicians or political organizations, teachers, police officers, and so on. On the other side of things there are the people that are against gun control, people such as hunters and various types of criminals. When it comes down to sensitive topics like gun control, there are very few people that do not choose a side. The Second Amendment, like all Amendments that constitute the Bill of
This means more than half of the suicide in America was done using a firearm. Perhaps the use of firearms use in suicides are high is because it is also reported by GunPolicy that, “The estimated total number of guns held by civilians in the United States is 270,000,000.” Also it is important to take in an account that this number possibly can be much greater because illegal guns and unregistered guns might not be included. With this amount of guns in America, someone with the passion to kill someone or themselves, the most convenient way to commit suicide or kill someone would be to obtain one of the million guns across America. The number of suicides from firearms are so high because the availability to obtain the potentially greater 270,000,000 guns in America. Gun control laws can potential decrease passion crimes and suicides. In Australia, they have passed guns laws that have reduced homicides and suicides. The law that made it possible for the decrease in firearm suicides and homicide for civilians is that
Suicide is defined as taking one’s life for the sake of oneself. Killing oneself, does not necessarily mean suicide because suicide is inherently selfish and completely focused on the individual. The reason for killing oneself changes whether it is suicide or not. Suicide has a very negative
Imagine heartbreak, loved ones dying, and losing hope. This has transpired for many in America today, all because of gun violence. It has become a great problem for our society in recent years. Data from Every Town Research has shown In their article Gun Violence by the Numbers “...that on an average day, 93 Americans are killed with guns...For every one person killed, two are injured” Many will deny that gun violence is a dilemma, but it is. Most do not realize this but, over 62% of the deaths are suicide, and just over 1,642 people killed by gun violence were unintended. There is something very wrong here, and something needs to change quickly. If so many of these deaths are incidental, and suicides; There is clearly a correlation between something in our society today, and the terribly high rates of suicide which need to be addressed. I contend we need to get out there and instruct our youth, and adults on how to handle situations with a gun. Additionally, we should discover what is causing so many to feel as if suicide is the only way out of the pain, and suffering from a long unsatisfactory life.
More than 89 people die from gun violence every day and out of those 89 people, two- thirds of them are suicides. Guns displayed around the house make it three times more likely for suicides to occur (Gun Violence 2). Every day, out of seven children and teens that die from gun violence, two kill them themselves. Out of 41 children and teens that are shot and survive every day, one of those 41 survive from a suicide attempt. 89 people that die every day from gun violence, 55 of them kill themselves. Every day, 208 people are shot and survive and ten of those people survive a suicide attempt (Key Gun Violence Statistics 2). In one year on average 827 out of 2,677 kids kill themselves and 280 out of 14,822 kids survive a suicide attempt (Key Gun Violence Statistics 2). In our communities, hundreds and thousands of people commit suicide with a gun (Fact Sheet: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make our Communities Safer 2). “Firearms were used in 19,392 suicides in the U.S. in 2010, constituting almost 62% of all gun deaths. Over 50% of all suicides are committed with a firearm. On average, 49 gun suicides were committed each day for the years 2005- 2010. White males, about 40% of the U.S. population, accounted for over 80% of firearm suicides in 2010. Firearms were used in nearly 44% of suicide deaths among persons under
I believe to reduce gun violence, we need to go right to the majority of what it is. In this case it would be suicide. One article Suicide and Self- inflicted Harm published by the center for control and disease states there the “deaths per 100,000 people in the US is 6.7.” this is only one statistic for death by gun. Overall suicide is much higher than that. It is not the most sought after death, but it is the most efficient. I have known many people over my short 16 years of life. I have known scores of people who have killed themselves. I’ve been in the position to end my life many times. I’ve had best friends die, watched them die. It is a horrible tragedy. Suicide is a sorrowful disaster.
Furthermore, this research will hypothesize that states with stricter gun control laws will have lower rates of youth gun suicide than states with more lenient or no gun control laws proposed specifically to limit youths, because those laws will restrict youths from accessing a firearm. The assumed findings will demonstrate that as the severity of sanctions of gun control laws increased, youth gun suicide rate will decreased. Meanwhile, there are other factors that will affect youth gun violence rate, such as psychological illnesses, past suicidal ideation/attempts, low parental monitoring, and as well as past risk behaviors committed by the youth. However, these factors can be discussed in researches analyzing the social aspects of youth gun
In the united states , gun control is a very big argument. Many people have different opinions on this issue, some believe that guns are very dangerous to be kept with a normal citizen, and it should only be used by the National Guard and law enforcement. Some people follow the second amendment which deals with the bearing of arms by citizens. National Rifle Association thinks that it's ok to use guns for safety/ although it could be dangerous to hurt someone by accident or shoot someone by accident if these people are not trained to use guns. It should be a license for it where people should be trained to use guns or ele we will end up losing so many lives either in public or houses. It is clear that the use of
Majority of gun deaths in America are gun suicide and spouse killing. The scene is common in rural states where the tradition demands them to own guns. The effect of owning the gun is that in case of any misunderstanding or life challenging situation they believe that gun suicide is the best solution (Hong-yan & Ji-hong, 2011, p. 59). The gun owners should, therefore, be advised to lead the way in preventing gun suicide by adopting new and healthy ways to solve conflict apart from death. They should also learn that in case of a hard situation in life, death is not the best solution; people must struggle to make their lives better than before.
A Nov. 26, 2013 study found that, between 1980 and 2009, "assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level" and "states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders." While gun ownership doubled during the twentieth century, the murder rate decreased. John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, author of More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun,” (ProCon.Org). Good evidence if we were dealing with the murders but, their counterpoint wasn’t strong enough because it didn’t say if suicide rates decreased like murders did. It proved that homicide rates went down but, this day in age, we are worried about who is going to kill themselves next. Will gun control help with reducing suicides or leaving things they way they