In this bit of propaganda, JoinTogether promotes having the Consumer Safety Commission regulate “gun safety” because:
more than 20,000 Americans under age 20 (are) killed or injured each year by guns
Once again, what are the facts?
According to the Centers for Disease Control WISQARS tool, in 2000 there were 6,706 unintentional non-fatal gunshot injuries for people 19 years of age and younger, and 193 accidental gunshot fatalities for the same demographic.
That’s 6,899 accidental deaths and injuries for “children” under the age of 20. If you drop the age of the “children” to 18, the numbers are 5,232 and 174 respectively, for a total of 5,406. The rest of the deaths and injuries are intentional – and “gun safety” won’t affect those unless (as I’m sure they mean it) “gun safety” means “guns that won’t fire.”
The blurb also states:
The report found that up to one-third of unintentional shootings could be prevented by changing gun designs, or adding features such as devices that keep guns from firing when dropped or indicate when the gun is loaded.
Riiiight. One-third (2,922 approximately) could be prevented if all NEW guns had the features they suggest? What about all the OLD guns out there? This is simplistic in the extreme.
But then, that’s the strategy, isn’t it? Take the statistics, warp them to suit, and make simplistic attention-grabbing arguments. Then claim everyone who calls you on it as a heartless gun-lover who wants to see babies die.
This is the kind of crap that made me an activist.