U.S. Shootings Since 1963 Have Killed More Americans Than All Wars Ever

[Janelle2002 3,865]

U.S. Shootings Since 1963 Have Killed More Americans Than All Wars Ever Well, this is depressing.

01/27/2016 05:12 pm ET

• Sebastian MurdockReporter, The Huffington Post

Here's the shocking claim: Since President John F. Kennedy was shot down in late 1963, more Americans have been killed by gunfire in this country than died in all U.S. wars.

The Virginia Center for Public Safety, a gun control advocacy group, repeated that assertion, which has been made before, in fliers handed out at a Jan. 18 rally in Richmond. And PolitiFact decided to run the numbers with the latest data.

Short version: It's true.

Firearm-Related Deaths in the United States | FindTheData

Here's what PolitiFact discovered:

• From the Revolutionary War through December 2014, 1.2 million Americans have died in military conflicts, according to the Congressional Research Service.
• A 2012 report by a Binghamton University historian estimated a 20 percent higher death toll from the Civil War, which would push total deaths in military conflicts to 1.4 million.
• By contrast, domestic gun deaths from 1968 to 2014 add up to nearly 1.5 million.
• Some 63 percent of those gun deaths were suicides, and 33 percent were homicides.
• PolitiFact could not find data for gun deaths before 1968. Add in the missing years, and the total number of firearm fatalities since JFK's death would surely be higher than 1.5 million.

So yes, more Americans have died from gunfire within their own country in the last half-century or so than died in all the wars the U.S. has ever fought.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama announced new anti-violence actions that would, among other things, close the gun show loophole that allows certain purchasers to bypass background checks. His announcement sent gun manufacturers' stocks soaring.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gun-deaths-since-jfk-assassination_us_56a903c6e4b0f6b7d54485c4

[ready4ONE 5,400]

But only a third of the deaths were homicides so keep your dirty, filthy, Liberal paws off the 2nd Amendment!

Seriously though, the numbers should be pretty sobering.

[Darnell 8,478]

Janelle2002 - I surprisingly not have any issue with the stats.

[smilesammich 10,727]

Janelle2002 - I surprisingly not have any issue with the stats.

no surprise..

[Darnell 8,478]

hey - refocus on percentages, instead.

[Sousuke 1,214]

I'm not sure why this is shocking.

First, the US population is large and thats alot of years to accumulate deaths. For instance, the Civil War occured with 620,000 deaths and a 30 million population. Second, the US has a relatively low war dead count compared to other nations due to geography and isolationist policies for its first 150 years.

Here are two examples that show just how unshocking those statistic are. The US lost as many people in a few weeks of the 1918 flu epidemic as the entire Civil War.

Another example, in just 5 years more people die from obesity than all US wars.

Its all about scale.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Sousuke

[ExPatty 502]

Not really sobering to me. First, I don't care how many people guns killed 50 years ago. I care how many they kill these days, and for a country of this size--availability heuristic notwithstanding--the odds of being killed by a gun are exceedingly low. Far lower than many things we bring upon ourselves due primarily to our obesity epidemic. But, the odds of being killed in a mass shooting are exceedingly low. Most shootings are by gang bangers and criminals. I can tell you virtually all of the gun deaths in my city are conducted by, and against young black men. If you're outside that demographic you're even less likely to be killed by a gun.

This is sobering: less percentage of people are killed by guns now than there were in 1963, but far more are killed by type ii diabetes. So what are we doing about that? Absolutely nothing effective. We complain about terrorism, gun deaths, bird flu whatever while chomping down on chips and groaning when we stand up because we are eating ourselves to death.

Edited January 29, 2016 by ExPatty

[Expat1 971]

Thankfully Obama, his empty words, and his broken promises will soon pass into the pages of history. "I printed money" isn't exactly an undying legacy to leave behind.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Not really sobering to me. First, I don't care how many people guns killed 50 years ago. I care how many they kill these days, and for a country of this size--availability heuristic notwithstanding--the odds of being killed by a gun are exceedingly low. Far lower than many things we bring upon ourselves due primarily to our obesity epidemic. But, the odds of being killed in a mass shooting are exceedingly low. Most shootings are by gang bangers and criminals. I can tell you virtually all of the gun deaths in my city are conducted by, and against young black men. If you're outside that demographic you're even less likely to be killed by a gun.

This is sobering: less percentage of people are killed by guns now than there were in 1963, but far more are killed by type ii diabetes. So what are we doing about that? Absolutely nothing effective. We complain about terrorism, gun deaths, bird flu whatever while chomping down on chips and groaning when we stand up because we are eating ourselves to death.

Actually, it was suicides.

"Some 63 percent of those gun deaths were suicides"

[ExPatty 502]

Actually, it was suicides.

"Some 63 percent of those gun deaths were suicides"

Yeah but really people don't care about those, since a large number (not all) of those suicides would happen irrespective of guns.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Yeah but really people don't care about those, since a large number (not all) of those suicides would happen irrespective of guns.

Of course you people don't. Are you some of those people as well? Guns kill. Sorry you don't agree.

And again, you said the most are committed by "gang bangers." The stats prove you wrong.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Janelle2002

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Thankfully Obama, his empty words, and his broken promises will soon pass into the pages of history. "I printed money" isn't exactly an undying legacy to leave behind.

Didn't know president Obama was the topic of this thread. Or do you expect the murder rate to cease once he's out of office?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Yeah but really people don't care about those, since a large number (not all) of those suicides would happen irrespective of guns.

Or perhaps it could be seen as 2/3rds of the time guns are used to kill, purchased to 'protect' mind you, they are instead used to commit suicide by the 'protected' gun owner or someone they love.

[ExPatty 502]

Of course you people don't. Are you some of those people as well? Guns kill. Sorry you don't agree.

And again, you said the most are committed by "gang bangers." The stats prove you wrong.

Sorry, I meant most non-suicides are by gang bangers. I live in the suburbs and am surrounded by people who own guns. The odds of me ever being killed by one are exceedingly tiny.

Not sure what "you people" means.

Edited January 29, 2016 by ExPatty

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Of course it has been shown here many times that if you took out the gun violence from 3 or 4 inner cities with strict gun laws our numbers would fall in line or lower than most European countries.

But that truth is racist