Gun related deaths have risen in recent years and continue to grow, according to the The Gun Violence Archive. The numbers present an issue of gun violence in America.
The United States ranks number one around the world in gun ownership.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported mortality rates by firearms increased 34.6%, and Texas had the highest firearm mortality in 2020 with 4,164 deaths. In Texas, between 2014 to 2022, there have been a total of 249 mass shootings.
Data shows that 221 children ages 0 to 11 years old died from gun violence. The number of children injured by gun violence is 399. The data shows 673 children ages 12 to 17 died from gun violence. The number of children injured from gun violence is 1,183.
Other countries such as Canada have created gun reforms that impose a 28-day waiting period, mandatory training, background checks, and a ban on military firearms. The United Kingdom introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Actwhich banned semi-automatic rifles and increased registration on other firearms. This was after the Hungerford massacrein 1987.
How can America solve the gun epidemic? Should gun violence be viewed as a public health crisis? Why does the U.S. seem to be the only country with a gun violence problem? Who is primarily affected by gunshot wounds and firearm violence?
Guests:
- Ronald M. Stewart, MD, FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery at University Hospital
- Abené Clayton, a reporter on The Guardian U.S.'s Guns and Lies in Americaproject
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*This interview was recorded on Monday, June 13.