June 5 : 2012
from: The Tactical Wire
The Violence Policy Center, an anti-gun group funded almost exclusively by the Joyce Foundation, issued a May 22, 2012 press release entitled "Gun Deaths Outpace Motor Vehicle Deaths in 10 States in 2009 New Analysis Shows."
This press release attempts to make the argument that consumer safety regulations have reduced motor vehicle deaths, and the lack of firearm consumer safety regulations are the reason that firearms now outpace motor vehicles as killers.
"This comparison is highly misleading," says Ken Hanson, Legislative Chair for Buckeye Firearms Association. "And the conclusion makes no sense when you look at the actual data. They are comparing apples to oranges, as almost all firearm deaths are deliberate while almost all motor vehicle deaths are accidental."
Hanson explains, "When you search and sort the nationwide data cited by the Violence Policy Center, you find that 18,735 of the firearm deaths are classified as suicides and 11,826 are classified as homicides/legal intervention. Only 554 are classified as unintentional and 232 as undetermined.
"In contrast, 104 of the nationwide motor vehicle accidents are classified as suicides, 36,216 as unintentional, 60 as homicide and 19 as undetermined. This means 2.5% of firearm deaths were accidental while more than 99.6% of motor vehicle deaths were accidental, counting undetermined deaths in both categories as accidental."
Hanson goes on, "How can you compare deaths that are almost exclusively accidental to deaths that are almost exclusively deliberate? These two statistics have almost 100% mutually exclusive variables. Consumer safety regulations prevent accidents, not deliberate misuse."
Hanson also says that firearm accidents are quite low. For example, the data cited by the Violence Policy Center indicates 104 gun deaths in Alaska in 2009. However, 79 of those were suicides and 19 were homicides. Assuming the remaining number were unintentional deaths, that means there were only 6 firearm accidents. During the same period, 84 people died in motor vehicles, all of which were accidents.
Another example: In Indiana, there were 735 gun deaths, 458 were by suicide, 249 were deliberate, and just 22 were accidents. This pattern holds true for every state.
"It's unfortunate," concludes Hanson, "that the Violence Policy Center really isn't interested in accidents or violence. They're just anti-gun. Twisting statistics to mislead people doesn't help anyone avoid an accident nor does it help curb violence. And the fact is that firearm accidents are at historic lows, firearms are one of the most heavily regulated products in the world.
"If they're really interested in accidental gun deaths, why don't they support gun safety education in our public schools? Why don't they run educational safety announcements on TV?"
Ken Hanson is a gun rights attorney in Ohio. He serves as the Legislative Chair for Buckeye Firearms Association, and is the attorney of record for Buckeye Firearms Foundation, which filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court cases. The National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) has awarded him with its 2008 Defender of Justice Award and 2009 Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award. He is the author of The Ohio Guide to Firearm Laws, a certified firearms instructor and holds a Type 01 Federal Firearms License.
Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action committee (PAC) dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense, hunting, competition, and recreation. We work to elect pro-gun candidates and lobby for pro-gun legislation.
For more information, please visit www.BuckeyeFirearms.org.