Louisiana is a prime example of the NRA's flawed talking points
It’s sad that Gun Violence mass shootings have become the norm in America, that no one is
surprised at stories like these anymore. My hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana has seen yet another mass shooting. 19 people were shot at a Mother’s Day Parade, or second line as we call it in NOLA, many of them seriously wounded.
I actually met a victim at a bus stop the other day. His bullet hole wound was still visible and he had no use of his entire arm except for his thumb. All he was given was ten pills and cab ride home. What can we learn from this shooting? Something I hope.
Since the gun control debate resurfaced in late 2012 due to Newtown, the NRA and their conservative backers have been on a warpath against any and all measures to regulate the sale and usage of guns. It didn’t matter that 20 kids were gunned down in their classrooms. I mean hey, the rights of the shooter are more important. No surprise then, the federal background check failed in Congress, so the emboldened NRA has decided to keep up the pressure and fight tooth and nail against any gun control laws.
In New Orleans, its a good thing no one was killed. If higher caliber guns had been used, maybe it might have been different. However, the recent incident in New Orleans reveals more than just a need for stronger gun control. It also revealed a major flaw in the main conservative argument against gun control.
The NRA and its affiliates stated over and over again that only more guns could stem gun violence. The whole “it takes a good guy with a gun to stop bad guys with a gun” was the pillar of the NRA argument. To them, the more guns people have and the more easily they can get them, the safer the environment will be. Well, let’s examine that claim shall we.
Louisiana is one of the most heavily armed states in the country. 44.1% of Louisiana’s population own firearms, making it armed to the teeth in comparison to say New York or California. According to the NRA types, this should mean that Louisiana has a low gun violence rate because so many people own guns. You probably won’t be surprised to know this isn’t true in the least.
Louisiana, by many estimates has the highest gun violence rate in the country. Louisiana had nearly 20 gun deaths for every 100,000 people in 2010. Louisiana has over 4,000,000 people roughly. The math would deduce that some 800 people die annually from the use of guns every year. That is higher than New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and California (all states with a much higher population).
This recent shooting on Mothers Day is one of hundreds that people in Louisiana deal with every year. What is important about this issue is that it appears more gun ownership does not equal less gun violence. In fact it seems to be quite the opposite. Louisiana is one of the most heavily armed states in the nation, but according to the Center for American Progress (based on the stats I gave you) Louisiana is either first or second in the rate of gun violence in the country.
The suspects in the shooting have been arrested and are awaiting trial. Aekin Scott (the main shooter) is but one of countless examples of the flaws in the NRA logic. To them giving more people access to guns means a reduction in gun crimes. My home state is a prime example of how flawed that logic is. More guns does not equal less gun violence. As an old NRA favorite used to say; “Facts are stubborn things” – Ronald Reagan.
The most recent stats I gathered were from a study by the CAP which was conducted in 2010. Three years is not a long span, and the data has in fact not changed very much since 2007. You are making a very flawed argument yourself in this approach. New Orleans is part of the state of Louisiana, which means that it is subject to the jurisdiction of the state gun laws which are very lax. Of course more deaths as an average would take place in New Orleans, as the New Orleans area is the most populated center in the state. The fact of the matter remains that New Orleans has a higher rate of gun deaths as a percentage of its population than cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and even Detroit. Do you know what the difference between New Orleans and the other cities I listed? New Orleans belongs to a state that has one of the most armed populations in the nation and also has one of the most lax gun laws in the country. I would be more than happy to link you to some of my research if you would like.
Great facts but your map is 6yrs. old. And further more gun violence stats in NOLA compared to gun owners in the entire state of Louisiana. I would expect a better argument from a student at Tulane.