22,000 Americans commit suicide by firearm per year. That is more than half of the 40,000 Americans that commit suicide per year. This is a 40,000 person stadium filled.
Whenever we talk about the 34,000 American killed by firearm per year, we are told by gun rights advocates that the suicides should be discounted from the total. Does anyone believe this may be a ridiculous idea to do?
Firearm suicide attempts are much more successful than suicide attempts by poisoning or even jumping. If restricting access to guns help reduce the suicide rate, why shouldn't that be something we do? Isn't it a good thing to have people be forced to try less successful methods of killing themselves?
I think when we talk about gun deaths we need to talk about firearm suicides and how we reduce the total amount of killed that way.
Do you disagree?
Whenever we talk about the 34,000 American killed by firearm per year, we are told by gun rights advocates that the suicides should be discounted from the total. Does anyone believe this may be a ridiculous idea to do?
Firearm suicide attempts are much more successful than suicide attempts by poisoning or even jumping. If restricting access to guns help reduce the suicide rate, why shouldn't that be something we do? Isn't it a good thing to have people be forced to try less successful methods of killing themselves?
I think when we talk about gun deaths we need to talk about firearm suicides and how we reduce the total amount of killed that way.
Do you disagree?
