U.S. Still Averaging Over One Mass Shooting Every Day

 

There is another mass shooting making the national news. This time it's in a private christian school. A 15-year-old girl killed a teacher and a fellow student and injured several others before killing herself

I'm sure the congressional Republicans will send another truck load of thoughts and prayers, but that won't help those shot and it won't prevent other school shootings or mass shootings in the future. But they will do nothing to help prevent the deaths of innocent children and adults.

If we just look at the mass shootings (where at least four people have been shot), it might look like these shootings don't happen very often. But that is not true. Mass shootings did decline slightly this year, but they still average about 1.34 for every day of the year (according to the Gun Violence Archive). In any other developed country that would be unacceptable - but not in the United States.

U.S. politicians (mainly Republicans) have decided that its more important for criminals and other dangerous people to have access to the gun of their choice than to save innocent lives.

Meanwhile, a majority of the public would like to see stricter gun laws, and an overwhelming majority want to see the loopholes in the background check law closed - so criminals, terrorist sympathizers, abusers, and the dangerous portion of the mentally ill cannot buy or receive a gun.

Republicans claim they are protecting the right of Americans to own a gun. But no one is trying to deny any law-abiding citizen from purchasing or possessing a gun. We just want to make it harder for dangerous people to get one.

Republicans will also try to claim this teenage girl had mental problems. That doesn't really matter. The one thing she had in common with all other mass shooters is access to a gun. How and where was she able to get a gun?

It doesn't have to be this way. We shouldn't be leading the developed world in both mass shootings and gun deaths. But until voters get serious about preventing the shootings and deaths (instead of just offering "thoughts and prayers", it will keep happening at epidemic levels.

Politicians who want to protect the right of dangerous people to get a gun should be voted out of office.

Huge Support For Background Checks On ALL Guns Sales

The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between April 14th and 16th of a nationwide sample of 1,574 adults (including 1,358 registered voters). The margin of error for adults is 3.2 points, and for registered voters is 3.1 points.

Why Does The GOP Want Criminals To Legally Buy Guns?

The chart above is from the Gun Violence Archive.

Earlier this year Congress actually passed a measure concerning guns. It was a pathetic and toothless bill, and no one expected it to have any real effect on gun deaths and mass shootings. And that turned out to be true. It had no effect.

With a few days left in this year, the United States has had 650 mass shootings and experienced 42,253 gun deaths -- far more than any other developed country. It doesn't have to be this way.

Republicans try to convince voters that any gun law would violate the Second Amendment. That is simply a lie. The United States Supreme Court has never said the Second Amendment is unlimited. Just the opposite -- the court has ruled that reasonable restrictions are allowed (such as restricting where guns are allowed and restricting felons from possessing a gun).

One gun law that could actually be effective is a strict background check law. The U.S. already has a background check law, but it is weak and full of holes. Those holes allow anyone to purchase a gun without anyone checking their background -- and as many as 40% of gun sales may be done without a background check.

Over 80% of Americans, and a huge majority of gun owners, want to see a strict and effective background check law. The only thing stopping such a law are the Republicans in Congress.

Such a law would be constitutional, and it would go a long way toward keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people (like criminals). Why then do the Republicans oppose such a law? Do they really want to protect the right of a criminal to legally buy a gun?

A strict background check law would not impinge on the right of law-abiding citizens to buy and own a gun. They could easily pass a background check. The worst that could happen for law-abiding citizens is that they might have to wait a few days for the check to be completed, but they would be allowed a gun.

The only people affected by a strict background check are dangerous people -- criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill. Those people should not have guns.

Some might say those people could still buy a gun on the black market. But it's much harder to buy a gun on the black market, and more dangerous because both the buyer and seller could go to prison for it. And it could be made even harder. It is not an excuse to allow dangerous people to easily and legally buy a gun.

A strict background check law could be effective in reducing both the number of gun deaths and the number of mass shootings. It could save thousands of innocent lives each year. But it won't happen until voters get serious about it, and vote the obstructionists out of office. 

I urge all voters of both parties to refuse to vote for any politician who opposes a strict background check law.

Why Do We Let Any Idiot Get A Gun In The United States?

As I write this, the media is talking about another shooting. This time it is the deaths of three Black Americans by a racist shooter in Jacksonville, Florida. While tragic, it is sadly just a commonplace occurrence in this country. Guns take the lives of hundreds every day in the United States.

Currently, there have been 28,284 gun deaths and 473 mass shootings (where at least 4 people were shot) this year. And both of those numbers are on a record pace with four months left in the year. Why is this happening? It doesn't happen in any other developed nation.

Republicans try to place the blame on anything but guns. They will tell you it's because of mental illness. Some may be, but not all -- and there is no more mental illness in the United States than in any other country.

They will tell you it's because of violent video games. But other nations have access to the same video games, and it is not causing an exorbitant number of deaths and mass shootings in those countries.

They will tell you it is because of the declining interest in religion in this country. But the European nations have even less interest in religion that American citizens do -- and it is not causing massive gun deaths and mass shootings there.

The obvious answer is because there are too many guns in this society (more than one for every citizen) and it's easy for anyone (regardless of how dangerous they are known to be) to get any kind of gun (and ammunition) they want.

Republicans will also tell you that passing stricter gun legislation would be a violation of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. That is simply a lie! The right to own a gun, like our other rights, is not absolute.

We have the right to free speech, but there are restrictions on it. You cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and you cannot urge another to commit a violent act. And those restrictions are deemed constitutional.

We have the right to vote, but there are restrictions on it. Most states deny that right to criminals serving a sentence for their crime. And that restriction is deemed constitutional.

There are restrictions on guns that are constitutional and supported by a majority of Americans. One of these is a strict background check law that would deny the right to buy or receive a gun to those deemed to be violent (criminals, terrorists, domestic abusers, and some of the mentally ill).

Currently, there are large loopholes in the background check law. And many states don't report offenders as they are supposed to do. As many as 40% of gun buyers do so with going through a background check. That must be stopped, and over 80% of citizens (including gun owners) want it stopped. They want a stricter background check law that can be enforced.

It simply makes no sense not to do this. Who are the Republicans protecting by their opposition to a stricter background check law? It's not honest and law-abiding citizens. They could still purchase or receive a firearm under a stricter background check law. The only people Republicans are protecting are criminals and other dangerous people -- the people who do not have a right to own a firearm!

Republicans are wrong on this issue, and it's time for voters to make that clear. 

Congress Should Stop The Excuses And Act On Gun Violence

The epidemic of gun violence continues in the United States unabated. As of March 30th, 10,215 people have died from gun violence this year (4,341 homicides and 5,874 suicides). In addition, there has been 130 mass shootings (shootings in which at least four people were shot) -- the most recent being a school shooting in which three adults and three children (9 years old) were killed.

What is Congress doing about this? NOTHING! Too many of them (especially the Republicans) say nothing more can be done. And they come up with pathetic excuses for why it is happening, rather than admitting the real problem is too many guns and the ease with which dangerous people can legally buy any kind of gun they want.

In the Nashville shooting at an elementary school, the shooter was a person being treated for a mental illness -- and so dangerous that even her parents thought she should not own a gun. But she was able to legally buy 7 guns (3 of them assault weapons) from five different gun stores.

This gives those Republicans in Congress the ability to say the problem is not guns, but mental illness. But that is a poor excuse. If she had not been able to buy those guns, the shooting wouldn't have happened -- and three 9 year olds would still be alive and have a future. 

Does the United States have more mentally ill people than other developed nations (who don't have this problem of gun violence)? No! The difference is that in those other nations it is not easy for the dangerously mentally ill to buy a gun.

Republicans also will tell you that the problem is a decline in religion (and prayer in school). That's also ridiculous. Most of the other developed nations are less religious than the United States, but they don't have a problem with gun violence.

Republicans also want to blame video games. But the other developed nations have the same violent video games, and they don't have the problem.

Perhaps the most pathetic excuse is that stricter gun laws would keep law-abiding citizens from owning or purchasing a gun. No one is trying to take guns like pistols, shotguns, or hunting rifles away from law-abiding citizens. And a law-abiding citizen could easily pass a background check to buy a gun.

We need to close the loopholes in the background check law. Currently, there are too many ways to avoid these background checks (gun shows, purchases from individuals, etc.), and this makes it easy for those who shouldn't have a gun to legally buy one (including assault weapons -- the choice of most mass shooters).

Refusing to pass a strict background check law doesn't protect the right of law-abiding citizens to purchase a gun -- because they could pass the background check. The people it protects are criminals, domestic abuser, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill -- the people who could not pass the background check.

A huge majority of Americans know this, and they want a strict background check law (even most gun owners). They also know that such a law would be constitutional.

Another excuse is that criminals will just buy a gun illegally if they can't get one legally. Sometimes that might be true. But it is difficult and dangerous to buy gun illegally, and very hard for most people to do -- and we could make it even harder to do. A strict background check law would keep guns out of the hands of many dangerous people.

It's time for Congress to stop making excuses and act to stem the gun violence in this country.

The Gun Violence Epidemic In U.S. Continued In 2022

Congress passed a gun bill in 2022, but it was a very weak and ineffectual bill -- and had very little effect on the gun violence that plagues the United States. In 2022, there were 44,148 deaths by gun in this country. And there were 646 mass shootings (a shooting in which at least four people were shot).

Both of those numbers were less than in 2021 -- but only slightly less. And both numbers were still far to high. The country averaged about 121 gun deaths per day, and about 1.77 mass shootings per day. That is certainly no reason to celebrate!

There is no excuse for allowing this to continue. No other developed nation even comes close to those numbers -- and most third world nations don't either. That's because other nations have sensible gun laws. They don't let dangerous people have guns.

Right-wing Republicans whine that sensible gun laws would be a violation of the Constitution's Second Amendment, and that supporters of stricter gun laws want to take guns away from Americans. Both of those claims are lies! They are just excuses to protect the profits of gun manufacturers (and the campaign donations those manufacturers send to GOP politicians).

There are two sensible things Congress could do -- and both are constitutional. Both are also supported by a substantial majority of Americans. Congress could plug the loopholes in the national background check law for anyone wanting to purchase a gun or for anyone to receive a gun as a gift. Congress could also ban the sale (and possession) of assault-style weapons. These are weapons of war designed to kill as many people as possible in a short time. They are not appropriate for either hunting or self-defense.

Unfortunately, Republicans took control of the House in the last election, and have enough votes to filibuster any gun laws in the Senate. That means the carnage will continue for at least two more years!

Is this really what we want? If not, the gun-lovers must be booted out of Congress in 2024.

Some sensible gun laws would not prevent very gun death in the country. But they would save thousands of innocent lives each year.

NOTE -- the numbers in the charts above are from the Gun Violence Archive.

It's Been 10 Years And Nothing Has Been Done By Congress

Ten years ago, a criminal armed with an assault-style rifle entered an elementary school I'm Connecticut and killed 20 6 and 7 year old children and six adult teachers. Reasonable people thought surely this would cause Congress to pass some sensible gun laws -- like banning assault-style weapons and closing the huge loopholes in the background check law.

We were wrong. Congress has done virtually NOTHING that would prevent a repeat of Sandy Hook -- and indeed, it has been repeated in Uvalde, Texas. 

As of December 14th, 628 mass shootings have occurred in the United States this year -- and 42,167 people have died from gun violence.

Republicans whine about the Second Amendment as the reason they refuse to pass sensible gun laws. But neither an assault-style weapon ban nor background checks for ALL gun buyers would violate the Constitution's Second Amendment. The Supreme Court has already ruled about both, and found the constitutional.

The truth is that too many politicians (mainly Republicans) consider gun manufacturer profits (and the campaign donations from them) to be more important than the lives of Americans (both children and adults).

This will not change until these politicians, who have the blood of children on their hands, are voted out of office.

Fixing The Background Checks Law Would Save Lives

 

There is a simple and constitutional way to cut down on gun violence and save many American lives -- just plug the holes in the national background checks law for anyone wanting to buy a gun. Between 80% and 90% of citizens support doing that (including a large majority of gun owners). Sadly, Congress won't do that (mainly because the Republicans don't want to do it).

Robert Gebelhoff has an excellent article on ways to reduce gun violence in this country. Below is what he had to say about background checks in The Washington Post:

Federal law requires background checks to obtain a gun, but those checks are extremely porous.

Under federal law, only licensed gun dealers have to perform these checks; private individuals and many online retailers don’t. It’s hard to pin down exactly how many guns are legally acquired without a background check, but some surveys put it upward of 22 percent.

Some states go beyond federal law and require background checks for all gun sales. But since it’s so easy for guns to travel across state lines, it’s hard to judge the effectiveness of these policies on gun deaths.

Still, there’s evidence that such expanded background checks can help limit the flow of guns into illegal markets. We also know that most gun offenders obtain their weapons through unlicensed sellers. One survey of state prison inmates convicted of offenses committed with guns in 13 states found that only 13 percent obtained their guns from a seller that had to conduct a background check. Nearly all those who were supposed to be prohibited from possessing a firearm got theirs from suppliers that didn’t have to conduct a background check. Closing that loophole federally might help.

What else can we do to strengthen background checks? Four possibilities:

Close the “Charleston Loophole”

Most gun background checks are instant. But some — around 9 percent — take more time, and federal law says if a check takes more than three business days, the sale can proceed. As a result, thousands of people who are not supposed have access to guns ended up getting them, as the Government Accountability Office reported.

Among the people who benefited from this loophole? Dylann Roof, who killed nine people in Charleston, S.C., in 2015. Ending this practice would save lives.

Close the “Boyfriend Gap”

An estimated 70 women each month are killed with guns by spouses or dating partners, according to a 2019 analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by Everytown for Gun Safety.

Federal law prevents anyone with domestic violence misdemeanors from having a gun, but that law is defined narrowly and doesn’t include all domestic violence perpetrators — for example, boyfriends. More specifically, the law doesn’t keep guns from abusers who are not married, do not live with their partner or do not share a child with them.

Some states have expanded on federal law — and it works. One studyfound that rates of domestic-violence-related homicide decline 7 percent after a state passes such laws.

Implement waiting periods

The evidence that waiting periods to acquire guns reduce violent crime is limited. But there’s more evidence that they prevent suicides.

Research shows that people who buy handguns are at higher risk of suicide within a week of the purchase, and that waiting periods can keep them from using guns to harm themselves. In fact, one study found that when South Dakota repealed its 48-hour waiting period in 2012, suicides jumped 7.6 percent in the following year.

Improve reporting on mental health

Mental illness is associated with a relatively small portion (around 5 percent) of gun homicides. Federal law already prohibits anyone committed to a mental-health facility or deemed dangerous or lacking all mental capacities through a legal proceeding from having a gun.

But mental-health records are notoriously spotty. There’s limited evidence that improved reporting at the state level might reduce violent crimes. Connecticut started reporting mental-health data to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in 2007, and one study found that violent crimes committed by people with mental illness there significantly decreased.

We can also make it easier for family members to seek court orders to disarm relatives who might do harm to themselves. In Connecticut, which has allowed this since 1999, one study estimated that the law averted 72 suicide attempts through 2013 from being fatal.

There Have Been Over 600 Mass Shootings In U.S. This Year

Another mass shooting is making national news. This time it's a shooting in a Colorado LGBTQ club. A 22-year-old man entered the club with a long gun and started shooting. Five people were killed and 18 wounded before some of the club's customers disarmed and apprehended him.

There have been at least 601 mass shootings in the United States this year. Most of them never make the national news, but that doesn't make them any less serious. And there are about six weeks to go in this year. Averaging nearly two mass shootings a day, it looks like the country is on track to set another record -- and it's not a record to be proud of.

Congress passed a gun law earlier in the year, but it was not an effective law, and it has not slowed the number of mass shootings or gun deaths. The only thing it accomplished was to allow legislators to pat themselves on the back. They still refuse (especially the Republican legislators) to pass any laws that would have a real effect on gun violence in the country.

The crazy part is that there is something supported by 80-90% of the population (including most gun owners) that would have an effect -- closing the loopholes in the background check law. Sadly, too many legislators don't care what the public wants. They have decided that allowing criminals easy access to buying a gun is more important than saving American lives.

Republicans want to blame things other than guns for the problem -- mental illness, video games, etc.

But other developed nations have the same problems they are listing, and none of them have the same gun violence problem. It's time to admit that the problem is the easy access to guns by anyone in the country is the real problem. There are dangerous people who should not be allowed to legally buy a gun.

How much longer are we going to put up with the problem of unnecessary gun violence?

Gun Violence Is Out-Of-Control In The United States

 

Yesterday (June 1st), there was another mass shooting. This one was in a Tulsa hospital. Five people died (including the shooter) and others were wounded.

The Tulsa mass shooting was the 20th mass shooting in the United States since the Uvalde massacre on May 24th. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 233 mass shootings in the United States in the first 152 days of the year. That's an average of 1.53 mass shootings for every day of this year.

In addition, there have been 18,187 deaths due to gun violence (that about 119.65 gun-related deaths for every day).

It seems obvious that gun violence (and mass shootings) are out-of-control in this country. In a country with about 330 million people, there are more than 400 million guns -- and more are being sold every day.

Republicans wants to blame everything but the proliferation of guns and the ability of anyone to get a gun. But the United States is the only country with 1.2 guns for every man, woman, and child -- and it's the only developed nation with this kind of gun violence.

Republicans want to blame mental illness for the shootings. But the U.S. doesn't have more mentally ill people than other developed nations. It is, however, the only nation that makes it easy for those people to arm themselves with any kind of gun they want, and as much ammunition as they want.

Between 80% and 90% of Americans want anyone buying or receiving a gun to have to pass a background check. Unfortunately, the U.S. background check law is full of holes, and it's easy to bypass the background check and get a gun.

That should be immediately fixed. And any politician refusing to fix the background check law should be voted out of office, regardless of their political party.

The gun used in the Tulsa shooting was an assault-style rifle. The gun used in Uvalde was the same -- and the gun used in nearly every mass shooting is the same. It is a rifle that has only one purpose -- to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. There is no legitimate reason for civilians to own this weapon of war.

About 67% of the population would support banning these assault-style rifles. That is constitutional, and has been done in the past. It should be done again.

It is time to make a choice. Do we want to save lives, or do we want to allow criminals, terrorists, and other dangerous people to buy any weapon they want (including assault-style rifles)?

Closing the holes in the background check law and banning the sale of assault-style rifles would not keep any honest and law-abiding citizen from buying or possessing a gun. Refusing to do so though, will insure that many more lives are unnecessarily lost.

GOP Protecting Criminals' Gun Rights - Not Citizen Rights

 

The chart above is shocking, but true. The United States has more than three times the rate of child gun deaths than any other developed nation. And it's not just child deaths. We also have a much higher rate of gun deaths for adults.

The GOP and the NRA want you to believe it's a mental health problem. But the United States does not have a larger percentage of mentally ill people than any other nation. What we do have is more guns of all kinds floating around in our country. We have about 400 million guns for a population of only about 330 million. Put another way, that's an average of about 1.2 guns for every person (man, woman, or child).

We also have the loosest gun laws of any country. It is easy for anyone, even the most dangerous people, to get any gun they want and as much ammunition as they want -- and they can do it without being subjected to any kind of background check! Between 80% and 90% of the public wants this fixed. They want everyone who tries to buy a gun or is given a gun to have to pass a background check.

Why hasn't this simple (and constitutional) background check law been passed? Because Republicans in Congress kill the bill every time it comes up. They claim they are just trying to protect the Second Amendment right of Americans to buy or own a gun. That is a LIE!

Closing the loopholes on the current background check law would not prevent any honest and law-abiding citizens from buying or owning a gun. It would prevent convicted felons, terrorists, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun. And that's who the Republicans are protecting -- the dangerous people who should not own a gun, because they pose a danger to other people.

The Republicans are not protecting law-abiding citizens. They are protecting criminals, abusers, terrorists, and other dangerous people. And by protecting those people, they have created or encouraged the epidemic of gun violence in this country. 

Put bluntly, they have the blood of innocent people (many of them children) on their hands.

Most Support Background Checks & Banning Assault Rifles

The charts above reflect the results of the new Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done on May 25th of a national sample of 1,920 registered voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

U.S. Still Averages Over One Mass Shooting A Day

The chart above is from the Gun Violence Archive. It shows that in the 38 days of 2022, there have been 40 mass shootings in the United States (a shooting where at least four people are shot). That's more than one mass shooting for every day of this year.

There have also been 4,347 gun deaths -- about 144 gun deaths for each day.

No other developed country has this kind of problem with gun violence. The U.S. has the problem because of its extremely lenient gun laws. In this country, anyone (criminal, terrorist, the dangerously mentally ill) can get any kind of gun (and ammunition) they want -- legally! This should be fixed.

Between 80% and 90% of the public wants the loopholes eliminated in the background check law. But the politicians (especially the Republicans) refuse to do it. They claim it would create a hardship for people who want to give a gun to family members or friends.

But how hard could it be to just pay a few dollars and get a background check? If the recipient passes the background check, then you can give them a gun. If they don't, you should not be giving them a gun anyway -- because that poses a danger to other members of the community.

They also claim doing the background checks on everyone receiving a gun would violate the Constitution's Second Amendment. That's simply not true. The Supreme Court have already ruled that background checks are constitutional.

Closing the background check loopholes would not eliminate all gun deaths, but it would substantially reduce the number of them. The politicians know that. Too many of them have just sold their souls (and votes) to the NRA and the gun manufacturers. For them, guns are more important than American lives.

There Have Been 537 Mass Shootings In The U.S. This Year

Yesterday, there was another shooting in an American school. This time it was a high school in Arlington, Texas. It started as a fight between two students, but when a teacher tried to break it up one of the students pulled a gun and started shooting. Three people were seriously wounded and hospitalized, and a fourth was injured but did not require hospitalization.

With four injured, this meets the definition of a mass shooting, and it marks the 537th mass shooting of this year in the United States. With nearly three months to go in the year, it looks like the country will easily surpass the 610 shooting of last year (which was record).

This doesn't happen in any other developed nation. That's because none of the others have as easy access to guns as the United States does. In the U.S., it's easy for anyone to acquire a gun -- even children, criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill. That's because there are too many loopholes in our background check law.

The public overwhelmingly wants those loopholes closed (80% to 90%, including gun owners). But Congress still refuses to act. They have sold their souls (and votes) to the gun manufacturers and their biggest lobbyist -- the NRA.

This is not going to automatically get better. It will continue to get worse until reasonable action is taken to limit who can buy and possess a firearm.

The Inaction Of Congress On Gun Violence Is Shameful

 

The chart above is from the Gun Violence Archive. It shows that (as of August 8th) 26,784 people have died from gun violence, and 420 mass shootings have occurred in this nation. Both of those numbers mean we are likely to set new records this year in both gun deaths and mass shootings.

Why do we continue to allow this epidemic of gun violence to continue year after year? Why don't our national leaders in Congress take some action to protect citizens. Protecting the Second Amendment of the Constitution is the reason usually given, but that is a flawed argument. There are things that could be done to curb the amount of gun violence that do not violate the Constitution.

One of these is to plug the holes in the current background check law. When the law was originally passed, it did not mandate background checks for private gun sales or for sales at gun shows. These loopholes allow anyone that wants a gun to buy one -- even those who could not pass a background check. And it is estimated that as much as 40% of gun sales are currently done without a background check.

The NRA (and gun manufacturers) oppose plug the holes in the background check laws. But both are out-of-step with the wishes of the public. Poll after poll has shown that huge majorities of the public want to require a background check for private sales and at gun shows. And as the chart below shows, this includes gun owners (including Republican and Democratic gun owners).

That means there would not be a political price to be paid for improving the background check law. That leaves only one reason for Congress not to act. They, especially the Republican members, like the money they get from the NRA more than they want to prevent the deaths of citizens. That's Shameful!

This chart reflects the results of a Pew Research Center survey -- done between April 5th and 10th of a national sample of 5,109 adults, with a 2.1 point margin of error.

Gun Deaths & Mass Shootings Still On Record Pace In U.S.

While our politicians continue to ignore the problem, both gun deaths and mass shootings are on pace to set new records this year in the United States. It doesn't have to be this way. No other developed nation has anywhere near this kind of epidemic problem with gun violence.

The sad part is that there are measures that could be taken to at least partially fix the problem and save many American lives -- and those measures do not violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Currently, there are giant holes in the background check law -- holes big enough to allow anyone who wants a gun to get one (or more), and that includes criminals, the dangerously mentally ill, and those on a terrorist watch list. About 90% of the U.S. population (including gun owners) want those holes plugged so that anyone buying a gun (even in a personal sale) must clear a background check. But our politicians (especially the Republicans) won't even do that.

Majorities of the public also want stricter gun laws, and want assault weapons (and massive ammo clips) to be banned. Neither is even being discussed in Congress.

Easy gun access is not more important than American lives. We can have rational laws that will allow law-abiding Americans to own a gun and save lives. But to do that, we are going to have to get rid of the politicians who have sold their vote to the gun lobby.

Texans Oppose Gun Law Passed By GOP Legislature

 

The chart above reflects the results of a recent Quinnipiac University Poll -- done between June 15th and 21st of a sample of 1,223 Texas adults, with a 2.8 point margin of error.

In the last legislative session, the GOP-dominated Texas legislature passed a new law allowing Texas adults to carry a handgun without any license or training. But while that law may make some Republicans happy, it is not what most people in the state want. About 74% of Texas adults oppose the new law, while only 24% support it.

And once again, that legislature refused to pass a law requiring background checks for gun buyers in the state. As the chart below shows, that was also not what Texans wanted. About 90% of all state residents want gun buyers to be required to pass a background check.

Gun Sales Have Risen Every Month Over Previous Year

The chart above is from the FBI. It shows the number of background checks done every month for the last two years. These background checks are one of the best ways to see how many guns were sold. Note that in every month of the past year, gun sales (as determined by background checks) was higher than in the same month the previous year.

This is not a good thing in a nation that has three mass shootings every two days (about 1.5 per day), and is again on track to record more than 40,000 gun deaths for this year.

NOTE -- the figures for gun sales are probably even higher, since many sales do not require a background check be done.

Huge Majority Still Supports Background Checks For All

 

The chart above reflects the results of the new Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between March 27th and 30th of a national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,259 registered voters). The margin of error for adults is 2.9 points, and for registered voters is 3.1 points.

While Republicans in the Senate are poised to kill the background check law passed in the House, that's not what the American public wants to happen. Adults want the law to pass by a 56 point margin, and registered voters want it to pass by a 59 point margin.

Even rank-and-file Republicans want stiffer background checks by a 45 point margin.

Firearm Sales Increase In A Nation With Too Many Guns

 The chart above reflects the number of background checks done by the NCIS system for people wanting to buy a gun. It is the best indicator we have on the number of gun sales each month (even though it doesn't include private sale, internet sales, or most gun show sales).

Note that in most moths the checks have increased in the last three years. That means that gun sales are increasing -- even though we already had more guns than citizens. There seems to be no limit to the number of guns owned by individuals in our society.