According to the Seventh (1998-2000) United Nations Survey of Crime Trends one notices the U.S. ranks 2nd (of 16) in Murders with Firearms per capita and 3rd (of 25) in overall murders per capita when compared with other OECD countries.

Its quite clear that other comparable countries with low firearm murder rates have no skyrocket in overall murder rates. Perhaps the U.S. (and Mexico) need to work on not only decreasing murder rates by firearms, but decreasing murder rates in general.

Actually in all fairness, it is mainly the Sunbelt States that have the atrocious murder rates. If the Sunbelt states followed suit with their Northern counterparts, the U.S. would have the low to average murders rates expected of a country of their prestige.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/...int=-1&id=OECD
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/...int=-1&id=OECD