‘It’s the Guns’ Causing Crimes

The chart, published by VOX, is from Gun Policy. It shows the U.S. vs. its “peers,” a category which appears to consist of “high income” countries.

Limiting the comparison of the U.S. and other countries on the basis of this one category allows gun control proponents to sidestep the opportunity to contrast the U.S. and its next-door neighbor, Mexico. (On August 17, 2016, Breitbart News reported that although Mexico had  “restrictive” gun control — including comprehensive background checks — it still had a homicide rate over five times higher than the rate in the U.S.)

Additionally, if you abandon the limited comparison of “high income” countries and simply look at gun violence around the world on a per-capita basis, it is quickly apparent that the U.S. record is not as dismal as some would have us think.

PolitiFact demonstrated the wisdom of shifting the argument to a per-capita one after Beto O’Rourke claimed “no other country comes even close to” the U.S. regarding gun violence deaths.

PolitiFact pointed to a study that looked at gun violence deaths on a per-capita basis and that study found the U.S. ranked 20th on a list of firearm deaths in countries and territories. In other words, 19 other countries/territories ranked higher than the U.S.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at [email protected] You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.