This USA Today headline is “fake news”.
Foreigners aren’t staying out of the US because of gun fears; they’re staying out of the US because they don’t want to be illegally kidnapped by poorly-trained, anonymous, cash-incentivized “homeland security” zombies sent forth like Orcs from Mordor.
Most gun deaths in the US are suicides. At least 1,200 of the rest are people shot by cops.
In 2023, there were 46,728 firearm deaths in the U.S., with suicides accounting for the majority (58%, or 27,300) compared to homicides (38%, or 17,927).
From 2022 to 2023, total gun homicides *decreased* by about 9%, while gun suicides reached a new high for the third consecutive year.
Is America armed to the teeth?
Yes and no.
It’s true that we have about 400 million guns in private hands and a total population of about 342 million.
So, to put a point on it, we have more guns in private hands than people.
But does *everyone* have a gun?
Nope. Not even close.
It turns out half of all the guns in the United States are owned by just three percent of American adults, and 78 percent of Americans do not own a gun.
However, some 7.7 million Americans own between eight and 140 guns each.
Are those people gun nuts? Gun fondlers? Collectors?
All that, and a bit more.
They are a diverse group, and I will not attempt to characterize them, other than to say those 7.7 million total more than TWICE ALL law enforcement and ALL military in the US COMBINED.
READ THAT LAST SENTENCE AGAIN.
For the mathematical, that’s more than 1.2 million sworn law enforcement officers serving in the United States, with about 137,000 working for federal agencies,
The U.S. military has approximately 1.3 million active-duty personnel, and about 765,000 to 800,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel. Combined, the total number of uniformed military members is around 2.1 million.
BOTTOM LINE: When push comes to shove, and the fascists overstep their mark, America will be like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz — we will have the tools for rapid change very close at hand.
If they fuck with the ballot box (and they will), the bullet box may be next.
As I note often these days, if General Dwight Eisenhower were alive today, he’d kill Donald Trump.
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