U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people

[JODO 2]

U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people

By Laura MacInnis

Tue Aug 28, 1:25 PM ET

The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.

U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.

About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said.

"There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people," it said.

India had the world's second-largest civilian gun arsenal, with an estimated 46 million firearms outside law enforcement and the military, though this represented just four guns per 100 people there. China, ranked third with 40 million privately held guns, had 3 firearms per 100 people.

Germany, France, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil and Russia were next in the ranking of country's overall civilian gun arsenals.

On a per-capita basis, Yemen had the second most heavily armed citizenry behind the United States, with 61 guns per 100 people, followed by Finland with 56, Switzerland with 46, Iraq with 39 and Serbia with 38.

France, Canada, Sweden, Austria and Germany were next, each with about 30 guns per 100 people, while many poorer countries often associated with violence ranked much lower. Nigeria, for instance, had just one gun per 100 people.

"Firearms are very unevenly distributed around the world. The image we have of certain regions such as Africa or Latin America being awash with weapons -- these images are certainly misleading," Small Arms Survey director Keith Krause said.

"Weapons ownership may be correlated with rising levels of wealth, and that means we need to think about future demand in parts of the world where economic growth is giving people larger disposable income," he told a Geneva news conference.

The report, which relied on government data, surveys and media reports to estimate the size of world arsenals, estimated there were 650 million civilian firearms worldwide, and 225 million held by law enforcement and military forces.

Five years ago, the Small Arms Survey had estimated there were a total of just 640 million firearms globally.

"Civilian holdings of weapons worldwide are much larger than we previously believed," Krause said, attributing the increase largely to better research and more data on weapon distribution networks.

Only about 12 percent of civilian weapons are thought to be registered with authorities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070828/us_nm/...d_firearms_dc_1

[Jasman0717 9]

"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

~ Thomas Jefferson

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

3. Colt: The original point and click interface.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.

7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.

10. The United States Constitution ©1791. All Rights Reserved.

11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the

others.

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer, easier and in

control.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for and defend.

23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

26. Control criminals, not guns!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

ditto jasman

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

If you would know the value of money, go try to borrow some; for he that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing.

Benjamin Franklin

[Ban Hammer 14,301]

amen

[SteveLaura 0]

"The most heavily armed society in the world" and we still can't overthrow this government? Jesus, what's the point?

[Ban Hammer 14,301]

"The most heavily armed society in the world" and we still can't overthrow this government? Jesus, what's the point?

who's wanting to overthrow it?

[SteveLaura 0]

*tongue, cheek*

My knowledge of US history is still a little hazy, but wasn't that the point of the well-maintained militia? To overthrow a corrupt government, if needs be?

[Carolyn 1]

Am I reading wrong, or did that article say several vastly different estimates on the number of guns per capita in the USA?

Either I need more coffee or the statistics are bogus.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Yay guns!

[almaty 19]

great news..when Romney gets in he be able to cut taxes by putting a fee on ownership of each gun.....

[Ban Hammer 14,301]

*tongue, cheek*

My knowledge of US history is still a little hazy, but wasn't that the point of the well-maintained militia? To overthrow a corrupt government, if needs be?

ya might wanna be a bit more obvious unless you want guys in suits with no sense of humor knocking on your door

[almaty 19]

i have no issue with gun ownership..have some....but, i do have an issue with some of the stupid people i know packing heat while they are driving...

[Otto 83]

Yemen is out of control...

[SteveLaura 0]

*tongue, cheek*

My knowledge of US history is still a little hazy, but wasn't that the point of the well-maintained militia? To overthrow a corrupt government, if needs be?

ya might wanna be a bit more obvious unless you want guys in suits with no sense of humor knocking on your door

What is the point of the well-maintained militia, then?