America's Gun Dilemma

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The recent assassination attempt on former President Trump is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true cost of gun violence in America.

More guns ≠ More safety. Mass shootings that take place across different states in America especially in schools is more common than Lance Stroll becoming a world champion. 💀

With an increased gun production comes increased sales leading to increased violence, shootings, homicide and even suicides among teenagers and a positive correlation between gun production and gun deaths has been observed over the past 10 years. 📈

In 2020, gun companies produced and imported more guns than ever before, and there were more gun deaths than ever before — more than 45,000!

In 2021, the number of guns produced hit a record high of 22.5 million, while the number of gun deaths also set a new high of 48,830!

In 2022, the ammunition and arms industry added about $80 billion to the U.S. economy. But the cost of gun violence was a staggering $557 billion!

Now this cost falls on the shoulder of the citizens of the country ultimately in the form of lost productivity, health expenses etc. The average annual cost for overall gun violence in the United States is about $1,698 for every resident in the country.

This increase in violence pushes more households to buy guns for protection, which in turn leads to even more violence, creating a vicious cycle of destruction.

If we were to prevent this from further happening, we must have background checks, assault weapon bans and mandatory waiting periods put into place.

Additionally, investing in mental health services, community intervention programs and educating the public about gun safety are also important.

Imposing taxes on firearms as well as funding for research on gun violence can help break the cycle of violence.