We're subsidizing the skyrocketing gun murder rate with our tax dollars

[Lemon Drop]

Well this is nauseating.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ghost-gun-...-feds-raid

"Using official data released by the Small Business Administration (SBA), Wagner analyzed the first tranche of PPP loans disbursed under the Trump administration and found nearly $83 million went to some 285 firearms manufacturers, importers, and distributors in the U.S., all of them enjoying what was inarguably a banner year. If you include all firearms-related businesses and organizations that got PPP loans, such as state NRA affiliates, shooting schools, and the like, the money climbs to almost $160 million.

“The gun industry certainly did experience a surge of sales in 2020,..."


PPP funds were supposed to be for struggling businesses and organizations. Politically connected gun sellers appear to have fudged their data to get this federal money. Meanwhile lots of Mom and Pop shops never could get loans that would have allowed them to stay in business.


The murder rate was up 20% in 2020, with 75% of murders now committed with firearms, up from 50% a few decades ago.

Background checks were up 40% from 2019.

The merchants of death including ghost gun kit makers had a bumper year, but we still bailed them out.

[mattkime]

Not surprising

[deckeda]

Of course we did, because all the Kool-Aid drinkers are convinced you can't prevent gun deaths with fewer guns.

[Mr645]

With all the criminals killing people and so many police departments defunding, law abiding citizens have to consider protecting themselves.

[DeusxMac]

Mr645 wrote:
With all the criminals killing people and so many police departments defunding, law abiding citizens have to consider protecting themselves.

Yep, it's ALL those "criminals"...

"9-year-old boy accidentally shot in chest by father after alleged road rage incident"

"2-year-old boy shoots parents in Maine home"

"Tennessee Toddler Fatally Shot after Another Young Child Finds Gun"

"9-year-old boy accidentally shot by father in Fifth Ward"

"8-year-old boy accidentally shoots mother at baseball game"

"Child accidentally shoots self in Belton convenience store parking lot"

"13-year-old boy charged in shooting death of 12-year-old sister"

... and on, and on.

[Mr645]

Wow, 7 accidents. Good thing cars are totally safe, and scuba diving.

And on and on and on

[pdq]

Cars have massively positive societal benefits.

Guns, not so much.

One is designed to safely move people from one place to another more rapidly than walking, biking, horses, or skateboards.

The other is designed - specifically designed - to kill things.

One of these things is not like the other.

[Mr645]

Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 every day. Most often, the gun is never fired, and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. Every year, 400,000 life-threatening violent crimes are prevented using firearms.

https://fee.org/articles/guns-prevent-th...arch-show/

[pdq]

Fantasies from sock puppet master John Lott, among others.

If the case for defensive gun use is so compelling, how come the NRA and gun nuts are adamantly opposed to public health groups like the CDC being allowed to do studies of it?

[JoeH]

Mr645 wrote:
Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 every day. Most often, the gun is never fired, and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. Every year, 400,000 life-threatening violent crimes are prevented using firearms.

https://fee.org/articles/guns-prevent-th...arch-show/

More BS statistics that come from an organization which follows almost no currently accepted methodologies for compiling them. Largely based on anecdotes that have no supporting investigations behind them. Some of their claims have been looked at by others, at best a small fraction could pass muster.