FBI, CDC: Rifles Not a Leading Cause of Death

The FBI 2018 crime report released shows that scary-rifle-related deaths were below those caused by blunt objects. Blunt objects that are mostly used in assault include clubs, hammers, and metal bars. According to the statistics, blunt objects accounted for 443 deaths, knives and other sharp items accounted for 1,515 deaths, while rifles that the Democrats are so keen on banning were only used to inflict 297 deaths.

Despite these statistics, there are no calls from the Democrats to ban clubs or knives. Similarly, personal weapons such as hands, feet, and fists caused 672 deaths. These statistics put to shame the amount of effort spent on any weapons whatsoever.

The figures also put to question the gains expected from banning such weapons. Other statistics have shown that 60% of deaths from firearms are caused by suicides. Various gun-control proponents have tried to change the picture of firearm-related deaths with former Vice President Biden claiming that guns cause more deaths than any other cause. This is despite guns causing less than 2% fatalities, and diseases such as heart attack and cancer causing over 60% of deaths each year.

In the same context, the FBI report shows that gun-related deaths have reduced by 6.7% between 2017 and 2018. The report helps clarify various issues such as the perception that gun-related death was rising. The FBI report comes at an appropriate moment when the debate on gun control and “assault rifles” ban is still ongoing.

Closely related to this report are the results of a study carried by the APM Research Lab. The report shows that the majority of Americans are misinformed about gun-related deaths. Most Americans interviewed said that mass shootings caused the most gun-related deaths. Such misinformation arises from gun-control groups that tend to obsess over a small aspect of gun-violence at the expense of the truth.

You know, we joke a lot about gun controllers here, but sometimes we need to be serious. Arms are for hugging, so please give your loved ones a hug. You never know when it might be your last time to do so. Carry your weapon to prevent others from becoming a statistic. Yes, this shirt is goofy, but we mean it. Call your loved ones just to tell them you love them.

Just to prove that these data points are nothing new, the CDC's report on the leading causes of death in 2017 (latest available) shows the following, listed in order:

• Total Deaths - 2,813,503

1. Heart Disease - 647,457 deaths (23.0%)

2. Malignant Tumors - 599,108 deaths (21.3%)

3. All Accidents - 169,936 deaths (6.0%)*

4. Respiratory Disease - 160,201 deaths (5.7%)

5. Cerebrovascular diseases (strokes and the like) - 146,383 deaths (5.2%)

6. Alzheimer Disease - 121,404 deaths (4.3%)

7. Diabetes - 83,564 deaths (3.0%)

8. Influenza and Pneumonia - 55,672 deaths (2.0%)

9. Kidney Disease - 50,633 deaths (1.8%)

10. Suicide - 47,173 deaths (1.7%)**

Just to keep the point that firearms are not a leading cause of death, using this supplemental table from the CDC report, of the 169,936 accidental deaths, and the 47,173 suicides, only 486* and 23,854** deaths respectively were inflicted by firearms of any kind. Totaling all of these deaths with the 14,542 firearm induced homicides from that year, the deaths inflicted by firearms was 38,882 (1.4% of deaths). Please note that this does not exclude justifiable homicides in any way. Here are these same statistics in chart form (click for a larger view):

None of this is to dismiss the loss of life. Each one of these numbers was a human being whose life ended in 2017, and whose families will never get to see or speak to their loved one again. Certainly every life is precious, and it is particularly tragic when those lives were stolen from them due to depression or an evil individual. LSGR Podcast Host, Derek Wills' sister, Carrie Wills, was a firearm-inflicted suicide statistic in 1997. He also lost a brother-in-arms to post-traumatic stress in 2013, Sgt. Jesse Martin, USMC. The heartache and gravity of these types of deaths are not lost on us at all. We highlight these statistics, however, because it is important to stop the political exploitation of these tragedies as a means to usurp our natural rights.

LSGR is actively fighting to stop the spread of misinformation, and your support is what makes it possible. Join LSGR today and help us get the truth out there! Please sign and share our petition telling lawmakers that we will not tolerate even the existing infringements on our natural rights! We will not stand idly by while our government transforms us into unarmed subjects. We are a free people, and will defend our liberty from all enemies, foreign and domestic.