Firearm homicide was the number one cause of death for Black men ages 15-34, and the leading cause of death for all black 15-24 year olds.

Americans use guns 2 million times a year in self defense.

In most cases, the bad guys flee at the sight of a gun pointed at them and no shots are fired.

I'm pro-gun AND anti-gun violence. It's too bad most liberals aren't.

" While handguns account for only one-third of all firearms owned in the United States, they account for more than two-thirds of all firearm-related deaths each year. A gun kept in the home is 22 times more likely to be used in a homicide, suicide or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense. "

- Kellerman AL, Lee RK, Mercy JA, et al. "The Epidemiological Basis for the Prevention of Firearm Injuries." Annu. Rev. Public Health. 1991; 12:17-40

FACT: Every two years more Americans die from firearm injuries than the total number of American soldiers killed during the 8-year Vietnam War.

- Based on data from CDC National Center for Health Statistics report "Deaths: Final Data for 1999." Vol. 49, No. 8

People who keep guns at home have a 72% greater chance of being killed by firearms and are 3.44 times more likely to commit suicide than those who do not keep guns at home (Annals of Emergency Medicine, Vol 41, p. 771).

Everyday in the United States, 8 young Americans ages 19 and under are killed in gun homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings.
For every child killed by a gun, four more are wounded.

There are a lot of liberals who own guns.

It's more of a class issue - rural people, and poor people (often the two are related culturally) tend to have or like guns. They are more likely to have been in the service, and might need to kill animals. They might be considered "tools".

Urban people and middle class people tend to dislike them or are unfamiliar with them. They don't go to war, and don't kill animals. Guns are a collector's hobby, and an expensive one at that.

I grew up with guns, and have no problem with them. I'm also a leftist/liberal or whatever you want to call it. I also don't have that much issue with gun control, though I think it's mostly a waste of effort.

The "guns are self defense" argument is mostly bull. Firearms are fundamentally offensive weapons. The only really defensive one is a shotgun.

A lot of guys get guns to compensate for their feelings of powerlessness, weakness, or inadequacy. This is why large gun cabinets were created.

If I go shooting, I'll imagine that I'm shooting Bush or Schwartzenneger. It'll make the cost of bullets more tolerable.