What is the function of a gun?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

283. The numbers most certainly do indicate we have a problem.

Especially compared to other first world, highly developed nations.

But you're framing the issue as if because we're not living in a Somalia-like total chaotic situation, there's no gun problem in the US. And that's just not the case.

Just to illustrate, what I've heard on multiple occasions right here at the DU is that deaths from rifles such as AR-15s are not a big deal(and therefore the compulsion amongst gun enthusiasts to rush to the gun stores to buy AR-15s in the aftermath of a mass shooting is not in any way unhealthy or abnormal); that they represent just a small portion of the overall number of firearm deaths.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded-homicide/expanded_homicide_data_table_8_murder_victims_by_weapon_2009-2013.xls

Now, let's look at the FBI statistics for a moment. It indicates that in 2013 (the most recent available data set) of the 12,253 total homicides in the US and 8,454 total firearm related homicides in the US, 285 involved rifles. So, yeah, on the surface, rifle involved murders represent a fairly small percentage of overall homicides on an annual basis.

However, let's throw in some other numbers for a better perspective. Let's look at firearm homicide rates in recent years in other countries with much stricter gun control measures.

In Canada, in 2012 there were 178 firearm related homicides in the entire country:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2013001/article/11882-eng.htm#a4

In Great Britain, in the 2011-12 reporting period, there were 39 firearm related homicides in the entire country:
http://www.citizensreportuk.org/reports/murders-fatal-violence-uk.html

In Japan, in 2008, there were 11 total fire arm related homicides in the entire country:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/12/14/the-japan-lesson-can-americans-learn-from-the-country-that-has-almost-zero-gun-deaths/

Australia had 40 gun related homicides total in 2012:
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/australia

In 2012, Germany had 61 total firearm related homicides:
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/germany

And in 2012, France had 140 total firearm related homicides:
http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/france

(Adjusting for population, all of these countries had a much lower per capita firearm homicide rate as well.)

So consider this for a moment. The 285 rifle related homicides in 2013--which you folks claim is a statistical non-figure--dwarfs the annual gun related homicide rate for all guns in these other countries in recent years.

So yeah, we definitely do have a problem.

And you don't even have to enact measures as strict as those countries to likely see a noticeable drop in gun related homicides. But you folks don't even want to even think about that.