:)
Posted on 07/08/2003 10:42:28 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
New York (dpa) - A study released Tuesday on legal gun ownership
worldwide shows the United States - not surprisingly - leads the
world, but it also shows that Europeans own a high number of firearms.
The number of guns owned by civilians in the United States is
between 238 million and 276 million, making country of 268 million
people the most armed in the world, the study by the Graduate
Institute of International Studies in Geneva said.
But it also said the 15 European Union nations, with more than 300
million people, have a total of 84 million firearms, with Finland
leading in per capita gun ownership.
The study was presented to a 156-nation conference at U.N.
headquarters on progress made in banning the illicit trade of small
and light weapons around the world, which killed an estimated 500,000
people a year. Those weapons are military sidearms, assault rifles,
rifles, sub-machine and machine guns and grenade launchers.
The Swiss study focused on legal gun ownership among ordinary
citizens, excluding military personnel and police officers. It said
what the study revealed about Europe debunked the belief that
Europeans are disarmed and do not privately hold a large stock of
guns.
It said 80 per cent of the estimated 84 million firearms in Europe
are in civilian hands, with Finland leading with 39 guns for every 100
citizens, followed by Norway with 36 guns, Sweden with 24 guns and
Denmark with 18 guns.
But the United States, which the study estimates has between 83 and
96 guns for every 100 people, still has far more guns per person than
Europe, where the survey estimates there are 17.4 guns for every 100
people.
The study said Americans are most armed in the world, followed by
Finns and Yememis.
The National Rifle Association, the leading U.S. group representing
gun owners, says there are more than 200 million privately owned
firearms in the United States. These guns are owned by about 60
million people, NRA statistics posted at the 4-million-member
organization's website say.
The Swiss group was among the nongovernmental organizations that
were taking part in the conference to review implementation of the
2-year-old U.N. agreement to ban the illegal trade of small and light
weapons. There are an estimated 600 million such weapons around the
world, both legally and illegally owned.
The U.N. has denounced the lucrative illegal trade of small arms
for fueling civil wars, threatening peace efforts and development
projects in poor countries.
When the week-long conference opened Monday, the research group,
the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), said little
progress had been made to implement the ban. It said only 37 of the
156 governments have set up national committees in the past two years
to coordinate action against small arms, and 56 have submitted
progress reports to the U.N. on implementing the ban.
Progress has been ''particularly slow'' in countries in North
Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, it said.
And in a related story
AMERICA CELEBRATES 227 YEARS OF FREEDOM
:)
I have heard that there is an average of 2 per adult down here. We have 21 million citizens, and you have to figure that 2/3 or 14 million are adults...28 million! We're well prepared to defend the Alamo this time.
And in a related story ... AMERICA CELEBRATES 227 YEARS OF FREEDOM
This can't be repeated often enough.
Well, my wife and I are doing our part ... we've exceeded that average by 100%: small concealable pistol, heavier pistol, shotgun, and rifle each ...
Sounds a little low ... at least in my household.
I know people who have more than that.
You betcha. Six months ago, the day I moved from New York to NC, I bought a Browning .380 and a Taurus .17HMR.
Don't forget the bullets!
No good coming home to an empty gun! < /monty python screeching british accent >
BANG
I live here too
Heard from Him lately?
Where are You at?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.