Red State Lies: Facts Show More Guns Equal More Gun Deaths

 

 

Note: In the coming days, I’ll be posting several metrics which prove a number of important points about many subjects. Unfortunately, this has become necessary because there’s a mass misconception about so many different issues. The flames of falsehood are often fanned by radical right-wing media and their lackey superspreaders on social media. Fortunately, for the sake of truth and clarity, we have plentiful data and facts from reliable sources to correct these lies.  Opinions are meaningless without facts and data to back them up.

This is Part 1 in my series exposing that the most dangerous, backward, uneducated, and poorest states are overwhelmingly led by conservative Republicans.

DAY 1 DATA: MORE GUNS EQUALS MORE GUN DEATHS

Gun rights proponents assert that more guns reduce crime. They aim to arm everybody, including teachers. They want open-carry laws. They want to make it easy for people to purchase guns. However, their arguments are intentionally misleading, especially on the question of where most gun deaths occur. Gun fanatics often point to major cities, which of course do have more shootings (duh, that’s where most people live). They insist laws on gun restriction do not work.

READ MY ARTICLE ON DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF CHICAGO GUN VIOLENCE HERE

However, let’s look at actual data up through the year 2020.

So, which states are the worst for gun deaths (including mass shootings, murders, suicides, and accidents)?

Notice a startling fact. The MOST DANGEROUS STATES for GUN DEATHS are all Republican-led Red States. Take a look at the worst nine states for gun deaths (stats are per capita — which means what are the chances of any person being killed by a gun in that state, statistically speaking?):

Deadliest Gun States

1. Alaska (24.5 per 100k people)
2. Alabama (22.9 per 100k people)
3. Montana (22.5 per 100k people)
4. Louisiana (21.7 per 100k people)
5. Mississippi (21.5 per 100k people)
6. Missouri (21.5 per 100k people)
7. Arkansas (20.3 per 100k people)
8. Wyoming (18.8 per 100k people)
9. West Virginia (18.6 per 100k people)
10. New Mexico (18.5 per 100k people)

This map tells us everything we need to know about gun violence. The darker the color, the more dangerous the state is for guns. What do Alaska, Alabama, Montana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wyoming, and West Virginia all have in common? Answer: THESE STATES HAVE THE LOOSEST GUN LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES. They are also overwhelmingly Republican.

Now, let’s look at the opposite side of the data. The lighter the color, the less dangerous the state is for guns. What do Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Connecticut all have in common? Answer: THESE STATES HAVE THE TOUGHEST GUN LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES. They also HAVE THE LOWEST RATES OF GUN OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES. They are also overwhelmingly Democratic.

It’s time to set the record straight with facts and share them. The lies have been going on for too long. Statistics tell us the truth.

Claim #1: States with more guns are safer, so we should encourage more citizens to arm themselves — FALSE

Claim #2: States with stricter gun laws aren’t safer. Tough gun laws don’t work — FALSE

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Note that I’ll be back daily to post several other metrics (most from official federal government statistics) that are irrefutable as to how the most dangerous, backward, uneducated, and poorest states are overwhelmingly led by conservative Republicans.