bing prompt : Jenny with a muzzleloader and extra exhaust

Green Angry Pundit has this to say:

Americans’ love for guns is, to put it mildly, a bit excessive compared to other countries. The United States, home to less than 5 percent of the world’s population, boasts a staggering 46 percent of the world’s civilian-owned guns. This puts the U.S. at the top of the list in terms of firearms per capita. Moreover, the U.S. has the dubious honor of having the highest homicide-by-firearm rate among the world’s most-developed nations​​.

When it comes to gun violence, the numbers are equally alarming. By mid-2022, guns had killed about 19,000 people in the U.S., with the majority being suicides. Astoundingly, mass shootings, defined as incidents with at least four victims, were occurring at a rate of at least one per day​​.

In stark contrast, other countries with high gun ownership don’t face the same level of gun violence. Canada, for instance, ranks fifth globally in gun ownership with about thirty-five firearms per hundred residents. Despite this, Canada does not experience a similar level of gun violence as the U.S. Canadian gun laws, often prompted by gun violence incidents, include measures like a twenty-eight-day waiting period for purchases, mandatory safety training, more detailed background checks, and restrictions on large-capacity magazines and military-style firearms​​.

Australia serves as a prime example of effective gun control. Following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where a gunman killed 35 people, the Australian government implemented strict gun laws. These included a ban on automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles, mandatory licensing and registration, and a gun buyback program. As a result, gun-death rates and gun-related mass killings in Australia have declined significantly​​.

Japan is another country often cited for its highly restrictive firearm regulations and correspondingly low gun death rate. In Japan, most guns are illegal, and the few that are allowed require rigorous screening processes, including formal instruction, mental and drug tests, and thorough background checks. This approach has led to extremely low ownership rates and very few gun-related deaths​​.

Norway, despite high gun ownership rates, has very low gun homicide rates. The country’s gun laws are considered strict, and most Norwegian police, like their British counterparts, do not carry firearms. This contrasts sharply with the U.S., where the gun homicide rate is about forty-four times higher than Norway’s​​.

In summary, while the U.S. leads the world in gun ownership and gun-related homicides, other countries with high gun ownership, like Canada and Norway, have managed to avoid similar levels of gun violence through more stringent gun control measures. Australia and Japan, with their strict gun laws, serve as examples of how effective gun control can significantly reduce gun-related deaths.

CFR.org – Link one – Link two