1-1-2020 update: The truth about 'assault weapons' and mass shootings un the US

The number of people murdered in mass shootings fell 4.5% from 2018 to 2019.
The number of people murdered in mass shootings fell 38.7% from 2017 to 2018.

According to Mother Jones (link below), from 1982 thru 2019, 'assault weapons' accounted for 401 mass shooting deaths; handguns accounted for 430 such deaths.
This works out to 10.55 (45.16%) and 11.32 (48.42%) deaths per year, respectively.

10.55 deaths/year in mass shootings with ‘assault weapons’ represents 0.06781% of all murders
10.55 deaths /year in mass shootings with ‘assault weapons’ represents 0.09940% of all firearm-related murders

In addition:
-1982-2019, in16 mass school shootings of all kinds, 142 deaths resulted for an average of 3.75 deaths per year.
-73 of these deaths, 51.41%, involved the use of an ‘assault weapon’, for an average of 1.97 deaths per year. On average, 3-4x more kids are killed each year in school bus accidents.

And so, with around 17 million 'assault weapons' in the US, slightly over 10 people per year are murdered with same; these murders represent <0.1% of all firearm related murders.
Thus, further proof there is no sound argument, practically or constitutionally, for banning 'assault weapons'.

Source:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/
- In compiling this information from the MJ spreadsheet, I was as inclusive as I could be - for instance, some events involved the use of a Mini-14/30 and M1 carbine which are not necessarily 'assault weapons' while others included the TEC-9 and MAC-11, which are oversized handguns rather than rifles. I included them in the total.
- The Obama administration, seeking to bolster its gun control agenda, changed the definition of 'mass shootings' in 2013 to include 3, rather than 4, deaths per incident. As these shootings are not represented in the data set prior to 2013, they are excluded from the data set from 2013 and later.

 

Just ban all weapons.

 

Have you given any thought at all about this position?

 

So all the Democrat leaders have to go. I'm okay with that.

 

But....but...guns are a big problem.

 

Oh, boy. Here we go again.

Knock yourselves out.............

 

Again - I'm not arguing for a ban on personal ownership of weapons.

That said, let me put this in a perspective that conservatives can understand. We constantly read threads about the "high" rate of violent crime among black Americans posted by conservatives. They will never point to the statistics that over 90% of black Americans aren't involved in violent crime - they WILL ALWAYS point to the 10% that are, and use that small percentage as proof of whatever anti-black ideas they have rolling around in their head.

So are you surprised that anti-gun people take the same mind-set when addressing the gun violence problem?

Just say'n.

 

A rock or a tree branch can be used as a weapon.

 

I fear the cast iron frying pan more than I do a gun.

 

There is no such thing as assault weapons, that is a completely fabricated epithet the leftists came up with that is as valid as something conjured up by Wile E Coyote. It can't be stated enough that there isn't a single sporting rifle that can be classified as a military weapon or could be used effectively in combat.

 

Good to see you agreement that those who seeks to ban 'assault weapons' have no rational basis for doing so.

 

I accept your concession of the point.

 

what a way to sidestep the real issues.

Over 50% of the murders in US are committed by blacks and blacks are only 12% of the population. Do you think this is a criss or not?

In 2018, according to FBI homicide stats, blacks were the offender in 3,177 homicides and whites were 3,011. How can it be possible that with whites being 60% and blacks 12%, blacks actually commit more homicides? This is unbelievable...

here are the stats:
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u....018/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls

The real crisis we have is not mass shootings but gang violence and other related deaths, even suicide. As you can see from FBI stats, there were 6,570 homicides in 2018 and how many of those were a result of mass shootings? a very small, insignificant #. More people die in car accidents, plane crashes than in mass shootings but we are to believe that mass shootings is the biggest problem. Do you realize how crazy this is? Out of all these thousands of deaths in automobile accidents, gang violence, suicides etc... we are to believe that mass shootings is the #1 issue, this is how dishonest democrats have become. The democrats don't really care about the real issues (black offender homicide rates, gang violence etc.) but only about the issues they can use to build political capital. Know this, the real issues will never be solved if we keep covering it up and diverting to much less important issues.

 

You realize of course that almost anything can be used as a weapon, right

 

And free unicorns for everyone!

 

Brilliant idea!! Make sure the law abiding citizens can’t defend themselves against criminals or our wonderful government!!

 

Plastic steak knives for all!

 

WHO are you going to ban them from?

Law-abiding citizens would either be disarmed without any just cause, or be made criminals by refusing.
Criminal don't abide by laws, so they would see it as assistance from government, disarming their victims, making crime safer for them.
A shortage created in such a way would also create two advantages for the criminals. First- it would create a black-market for guns. Not only would guns become profitable for criminals to deal in as a result, but it would make the smuggling or covert manufacturing of guns a thriving industry.

Plans based on emotion that fail to look at the bigger picture and long-term results- are invariably short-sighted and wind up producing negative outcomes.

It's been stated, pointed out a million times- Guns don't kill people; PEOPLE kill people.
No gun is a murder weapon until it is in the hands of a person intent on murder- a lunatic, a deranged person, a criminal.
That is the common denominator or violence, regardless of the weapon chosen.
When we deal with that factor, we will have resolved the problems guns are blamed for, without any actions regarding weapons. It's PEOPLE. It's always been people.

 

I in 1o involved in violent crime? That seems high as hell.

 

Just walk into Michael's and purchase a stick of 1/2" hardwood crafting dowel, sharpen it with your Buck or Swiss knife, notch the handheld end and build the diameter up with bank line or duct tape for a firm, non-slip grip. Attack a crowd in close quarters, or see if you can take down an entire line at a cash register.

Or buy any one of hundreds of other quick and more lethal weapons most anywhere down at the shopping mall or big boxes.

The hardwood dowel isn't one of my favorites, but I'm not gonna talk about the more lethal store bought stuff.

 

Must just be a coincidence cuz the US doesn't have a problem with gun violence (wink).

 

There always the classic few house hold chemicals mixed in the proper amounts. The most dangerous weapon in the world is a human mind bent on evil.

 

The human mind is the most important sex organ and the most important killing machine.

 

Whenever you think you can demonstrate the necessary relationship between the gun laws in the countries you cite and the rates of gun-related crime you claim, let us know.
We both know, of course, you will never, ever, do so, because we both know you cannot.

 

Does it surprise me that you maintain the misguided (to be kind so I don't get slapped on the wrist again) belief US gun ownership resulting from US gun laws doesn't make us unique among developed counties? No.

https://lawcenter.giffords.org/facts/gun-violence-statistics/