Gun control activists would have you believe that presence of a firearm in the home guarantees that someone in the house will accidentally kill themselves. They want gun muggles to believe that average Americans are unable to handle the responsibility of safely operating and owning a gun. There’s just one problem . . .
According to the National Safety Council, accidental firearms-related deaths are at an all time low — despite gun ownership being at an all time high.
The National Safety Council is an organization dedicated to compiling statistics on accidents in the workplace and at home. Their latest figures reveal that firearms account for roughly 0.3% of all accidental deaths in the United States. That’s the lowest the number since 1903 when the NSC started keeping track.
If the antis’ position was based on factual data, if gun ownership was inherently dangerous, the increased rate of gun ownership in recent years should have triggered [sic] a sharp rise in the rate of firearms-related accidental deaths.
This well and truly debunks the myth that “a gun in your house makes you less safe.” Heck, you could almost read the results to say that having a gun in the house makes you less likely to be accidentally killed by a gun. But that would be a lazy interpretation of the results, and this isn’t The Trace.
What’s going on here?
Actual gun safety efforts by organizations like the National Rifle Association are having a positive impact, teaching gun owners how to be responsible with their firearms, ensuring that no one gets injured who didn’t deserve it.
That’s a far cry from the approach Moms Demand Action has taken, declaring that any attempt to teach gun safety — especially to children — is “atrocious.”
Moms Demand Action is demanding the “abstinence only” approach to firearms safety, even though the opposite approach seems to be doing real good and having real results.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Everytown for Gun Safety, Americans for Responsible Solutions, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and other gun control groups don’t actually care about saving lives, focusing instead on their civilian disarmament agenda.
Wait, you mean “just say ‘no'” doesn’t work!? That education is the way to go! I completely agree…in many areas besides gun safety, too!
I’ve been around firearms as long as I can remember (I’m only 34 so it’s not saying much but…) and I can’t remember a time when either my parents, my drill instructors or myself haven’t drilled the the 4 basic safety rules into my head. My parents started with those and the whole “it’s not a damn toy, this tool has on purpose, etc.” and I’ve abided by that my whole life with not negligent discharges ever (knock on wood, and remember the damn rules). I think that study helps prove that more and more people are teaching everyone in the house hold those same principles. It will never shut the anti’s up because they can’t stand when you use logic and facts to over rule their irrational fears and nanny state mentalities.
‘It’s not a damn toy, it’s a tool with a purpose’ were my dads exact words to me growing up. Course he said roughly the same thing about everything from skillsaws to the car to women..
“That’s a far cry from the approach Moms Demand Action has taken, declaring that any attempt to teach gun safety — especially to children — is “atrocious.””
Teaching sex ed (should, in my opinion) be a thing. (Others, I’m aware aren’t. Let’s set that aside for this discussion.)
Children are taught to look both ways before crossing traffic.
Taught to ‘stop, drop, and roll’ if on fire.
Taught what that ‘yuck’ symbol on chemicals means.
Taught not to get in cars with strangers who offer candy. (Though I sure wish only Progressive kids would. *snicker*)
A country stacked high with guns and oceans of ammunition doesn’t educate kids what guns can do?
(John Boch, I sure hope that this is on the list you and others are developing…)
I tend to agree. The problem comes with when and what you teach them. You cannot help but teach something related to morality in some way. You will be teaching values and in a pluralistic society that means eventually you will teach against someone’s values.
What are the odds Shannon Watts has armed security?
Just want to note that the figure used is for 2009, and the preliminary figures for the following two years show a tiny uptick, according to the National Safety Council itself.
The number is eight years old? Boy, these guys need a computer or something to speed up their data acquisition!
While noting things, by what percentage has the U.S. population grown since 1903? I’m guessing +150%, as in far more than doubled? Yet firearm accidents have decreased?
It has increased far more than 150%. According to the US Census Bureau, the population in the 1900 census was: 76,303,387. In April 2010, the estimated population was: 308,758,105. Definitely more than quadrupled in that time frame!
“This well and truly debunks the myth that ‘a gun in your house makes you less safe.’ ”
Umm, no. No it does not. Because that myth is not based on accidental deaths alone, but on the number of suicides with guns (20,000+) and the number of family members (mostly spouses) who kill each other with guns (2000 or so) each year.
But hey, I’m not saying it’s not a myth, just that this doesn’t disestablish it. For that, you have to look at the murder rate involving persons in the same household and the suicide rate with guns over time, and then compare those numbers to the increase in the number of firearms and the increase in the population.
“…the number of suicides with guns (20,000+) and the number of family members (mostly spouses) who kill each other with guns ”
Neither of those things would qualify as ‘accidental.’
So Yes, this report debunks the myth that guns make you less safe. There are more guns, more owners, but accidental deaths are declining as well as most other deaths resultant from firearms. The guns aren’t the problem, the guns aren’t the cause.
Let’s try a little reading comprehension here, Chip. No, Chip, I don’t believe the myth either; it is a statistical ploy to support a gun ban argument. But the myth that “guns in the home make you less safe” is NOT NOT NOT based on accidental deaths, but on ALL deaths in the home. So the fact that accidental deaths are statistically minuscule–which they have been for decades at around 500 per year everywhere, including hunting accidents, does NOT disprove the myth.
Don’t you know that handguns are blood thirsty beasts and people who own them will be COMPELLED TO KILL, whether the person killed is themselves or someone else???? That’s why guns have to be LOCKED UP, not for their safety, but for YOURS! In other words, the myth is based on the belief that if there are guns in the home, they will be more likely to be used for their primary purpose. This belief supports the further dogma that eliminating guns in the home will reduce “gun violence.” The number of accidental shootings and deaths has little to do with this belief system.
Now I see where we disconnected….. I fell into the trap of logic and facts while trying to argue against feelings and beliefs.
Sorry, my bad.
Is any part of the safety statistics book published? I went to the site and you have to pay $84. Without breaking copyright is it possible to post a clip from the relevant page? I want to put this out on Facebook. Yes, I like TTAG and I could just link to TTAG but a link or display from the actual primary source would be credible and convincing to people. Thanks.
This article is lacking in content and is more propaganda than news. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a gun owners and recreational shooter who fights for the rights of ownership on a regular basis, but in reading this I noticed a glaring omission. The issue I have is the author failed to insert a link to the data that supports this claim. The National Safety Council link is for the sale of the 2017 edition of Injury Facts not access to the fact themselves.
One thing I have learned in the fight against gun control is the folks who want to take away your guns will use whatever means they have at hand. We, as advocates for the ownership of firearms, need to be not only doing things better but to be seen to be doing things better.