Great article by AmmoLand. The article includes links to numerous sources/studies so you can verify their findings (and also give them to your skeptical anti-gun people). Studies
10 Likes
What? No way. Get outta town. How can this be true when the Democrats and gun-grabbers said it would. How could they be wrong? 
7 Likes
Is anyone really surprised by this?
This information has been known for decades. Those who want to disarm law abiding Americans have agendas that have 0 bearing on safety.
If their goal was safety, the bills and laws they pass would be aimed at the criminals. Not John and Jane Public. Itās already been proven that CCW permit holders are the most law abiding section of the populace.
4 Likes
It didnāt stop my brother from getting skunk drunk and then hanging himself.
I am so sorry for your loss, @KillJoy. I cannot being to imagine the heartache your family is going through.
1 Like
Can you please stop clogging this site with facts and statistics?? Itās making my liberal head hurt and making me question my preconceptions! 
Thanks for posting this. Not that AmmoLand is unbiased but, as you say, they do link to lots of good sources for original data.
It would be just as easy to note that the US is 34th in suicide rates, well behind nations with some of the strictest gun laws in the world, like Sweden, Belgium, South Korea, and Japan.
Still and all, I do appreciate the efforts of some health professionals to work with the gun community to help with suicide prevention. It does feel self-evident that most of those who attempt suicide do not want to succeed, and that folks rarely survive the first attempt if it is with a gun.
1 Like
Iām deeply sorry to hear about your loss, @KillJoy . A powerful reminder that there are real people behind the statistics.
1 Like
All the ācommon sense gun safety lawsā are simply infringements on law abiding gun owners in the ānameā of safety. The law does no good, but the name of it sounds good. Assault, attempted murder, murder, brandishing a gun are already illegal.
I wholeheartedly agree. I am far from an expert on suicides, but it appears that there are those who seek to call attention and will use a less lethal means or a means that allows a rescue of some sort (slit wrists, overdose, etc). And then there are those who really (in that moment) do not want help and they will use the most āassuredā means of suicide like a firearm, jumping off a roof, hanging, etc.
We need a method to address both of those before they escalate to the level of a suicide. Extra background checks, AWB, Red Flag laws, etc donāt get those people the help they need.
I have often said, if we can just get some help to our Veterans who at one point weāre committing suicide at a rate of 22 per day (8k/year), that alone can put a huge dent in the number of suicides per year.
1 Like
Yeah, I think we both agree that any programs or policies really need to be grounded in science and evidence. Over on the left, lots of my friends insist on this when it comes policies they are interested in, but somehow overlook this criterion when talking about guns. Itās a conversation I try to have, and this kind of posting is helpful (although I now note it is eight months old. Whoops.)
Thanks again for making it available.
1 Like
I read a couple of range suicides witnessed by another forumās members. Very sadš¢
Iāve said I have really bad PTSD. Sure thoughts that I and my family would be better off if I died but who the hell is going to do that to me? I certainly wonāt do it. I have my faith and my family to help. My brother was skunk drunk when he did the dirty deed. It destroyed his children. Both children are now married and avoiding having children because of the deep wounds left behind. In fact my nephew blew up at me saying I wasnāt there g do or them. I was barely here for my own family struggling from my own trauma. Hopefully heāll lighten up as he grows older. I was an ass before I realized that it was signs and symptoms triggered by PTSD. My world has improved dramatically. But I still get really anxious in crowds, loud noises, bad treatment towards my family and me, but please donāt try to pull some made up red flag BS on me. Soldiers are not necessarily unfit to have guns as fun or self defense. Itās our right.
Rant over. Thank the vets in your life. Donāt waste it on me. Iām not worthy of it. I tried my best and nearly got killed in non-combat traumas. Give it to someone who went to war.
3 Likes