Deaths due to Firearms in the United States 1979-1999: 716,198 or 13.6 per 100,000

Deaths due to Firearms in Canada 1979-1999: 25,986 or 4.86 per 100,000

One question - Why is the "war" on drugs?

I can't wait to return to my "native land" where I have the freedom to roll one up and not be afraid of getting shot in the process!

Why indeed?

I'd like to see the stats for firearm deaths involving drugs. Or people on drugs that commit murder with firearms. That's probably why.

Although I have my own conspiracy theories about the "Drug War" that reach to top levels. lol

Most of the crime surrounding drugs (other than possession of the drugs) is over money. A huge majority of the violent crime surrounding drugs has been traced back to the policies of prohibition, which makes the dealers rich while ensuring that their customers cannot get legal help.

I can't speak for the rest of the U.S. , but here in Tennessee a majority of firearms deaths involve situations in which the shooter and the victim have known each other for a long time . Example : Family or friends . Often times the shootings are the result of a fight or arguement , and many times alcohol is involved .Sometimes a man is shot over a woman , and sometimes a disgruntled man shoots his wife or girlfriend . Sometimes a woman will shoot a man - there are often bizzare shootings reported on the local news , but rarely are they like those seen in the big cities .

Lately the trend here is slowly moving towards gang and drug violence , so I imagine sometime in the near future this state will be similar to the rest of the country as far as gun violence .

Again this begs the question, why is the war on drugs, and not on guns? In Canada the worst thing that (generally) happens with (soft) drug use is that the next morning your gut hurts from eating too much and laughing too hard.....maybe we're just more relaxed as a culture.

I'm not sure I can answer that question really . The right to bear arms is passionately defended by many in this country . There are alot of people who use guns responsibly ( hunting , defending their homes ) . There are also alot of people who use guns illegally in crimes , as well as unintended accidents ( child finds daddy's gun and shoots anther child while playing ) . As for the war on drugs , I guess I don't really have an answer for that . Personally I think Cocaine , PCP , Heroin , crack , and all the other hard drugs are bad and should be banned , I don't understand the beef against pot . Alcohol and tobacco ( nicotine ) are both drugs , yet they are legal . One could argue that both are far more damaging than pot , yet pot is illegal . Really , I don't understand it all myself actually - but that's the way it is .

Ah, the great gun debate. Switzerland has the highest rate of gun ownership in the western world, with a homicide rate that would shame even Canada's. I used to shoot competitively for many years (handguns). I wanted to purchase a firearm (handgun) in N.Y. state, near the Canadian border. Mistake! NY's gun control laws border on the insane. There was a minimum six-month wait to purchase this item. I've bought many types of guns in Canada, and the paperwork took less than an hour the last time I did it. Punish gun CRIME, not ownership!
Hey, you guys notice ALL gun crime has now stopped in Canada? Thanks Cretien, I feel safer already!

I would like to see this statistic broken up into 2 categories. Long guns (rifles and shotguns) and handguns. I would bet that the vast majority of firearm related deaths in the US are from handguns and that is the reason for such a big difference between the 2 countries. My personal belief is that handguns were made for one purpose : to kill people. Just like the ban on assualt rifles that could be lifted in the US come Jan. 04. What purpose could an assault rifle possible have anywhere except to kill people.

Don't get me wrong I'm a firm believer in gun owners rights. I am a hunter and own several firearms myself. I just don't see the use for handguns. You want to defend your home? Use a shotgun. Atleast it is a hell of alot more difficult for some gang banger to conceal as he walks down the street.

Gangrenous, with THAT sort of logic, you sound like somebody who likes rights, as long as they fit you're idea of rights.

I know a couple of Canadians who own handguns...all properly registered...and use them for target shooting. It seems an odd hobby to me, but then I want to build Mower Henge in my backyard.

I also met a couple of honest to god working cowboys in a bar in Montana about twenty years ago. They explained how useful their handguns are to them...kind of a mobile version of the .22 on the farm.

So handguns do have a place and can be for more than shooting people.

Gun violence in the states has as much to do with social problems as anything else. The relatively easy access to guns makes things worse and the enduring myth of the all-american gunslinger makes it seem acceptable to shoot somebody sometimes.

You guys wanna talk about odd hobbies? I"ve got an internet pal in Indiana who has developed a pneumatic cannon made out of pvc pipe. He can fire a full can of soda through a cinder block wall @ 75 yards. I've seen the photos. And I learned a long time ago its a waste of time trying to explain the joys of target shooting on the dinner-party circuit. I just find it a hell of a lot more challenging. Contrary to popular belif though, in my travels to & around the U.S., I found gun-ownership to be rather light compared to northern Ontario. Hell, half the members of a shooting club I belonged to were O.P.P. I was taught gun safety at a very young age, something sadly lacking today.

I was in Salem, Massachusetts (near Boston), a couple of years ago with an hour to kill one afternoon. So I decide to go to this little Harley-Davidson dealership and drool on the bikes for a little while. I walk in, check the hawgs, and at the back of the store, I see a sign saying "authorized Smith & Wesson dealer". Well no shit, here they had the bikes at the front and the guns at the back. One stop shopping or what? Throw in a beer cooler and I'd still be there! Always thought THAT one was a little odd, LOL.