Americans own nearly half world's guns in civilian hands: survey

[douglas9]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Americans make up 4 percent of the world’s population but owned about 46 percent of the estimated 857 million weapons in civilian hands at the end of 2017, a survey showed on Monday.

The Small Arms Survey, an independent global research project based in Geneva, Switzerland, found that there were more than 1 billion firearms in the world, of which civilians owned 85 percent, while the rest were held by militaries or law enforcement agencies.

The number of guns owned by civilians globally rose to 857 million in 2017 from 650 million in 2006, the survey said. There were 120 guns for every 100 U.S. residents in 2017, it found, followed by Yemen with nearly 53 firearms per 100 people.

“The biggest force pushing up gun ownership around the world is civilian ownership in the United States. Ordinary American people buy approximately 14 million new and imported guns every year,” survey author Aaron Karp told reporters.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns/americans-own-nearly-half-worlds-guns-in-civilian-hands-survey-idUSKBN1JE220?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

[yonder]

1. Sold by the fear sellers to the fearful to create more fear. nt

[maxsolomon]

2. and the % of gun owners in that 4% of world population is about 30%

so 46% of the world's firearms in civilian hands are actually owned by 1.2% of the world's population.

[moondust]

3. Insane.

Most of the world knows better than to allow the widespread circulation of the "tools of quick and easy death" among civilian populations who don't need them and are often psychologically or emotionally unfit to own them.

K/R

[raccoon]

4. Gosh, that makes me feel safer! :sarcasm: Nt

[LanternWaste]

5. God bless America.

Effective commercial branding to the lowest common denominator makes rich men out of Pet Rock, gun and Chia pet manufacturers.