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You've Already Lost: Guns Edition

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. -- dead old white property-owning men, 1789

In Monday's afternoon and evening Intro Psych classes, I talked about health psychology, and in addition to the discussions of the HPA Axis and Cognitive-Mediational Theory and religiosity as a positive coping mechanism, we had a detailed discussion of suicide. In the U.S., the demographic most at risk for suicide is the rural white male, age 65+, with access to handguns. Because I can't seem to stop thinking about thinking, I started looking at some basic facts about guns in America from sources like the CDC and Vox and The Guardian -- keeping in mind that gun ownership surveys are largely inaccurate, as Americans can still legally purchase guns in many states without a permit or licence -- but I hit the wall and stopped after I accumulated the following:

*The U.S. makes up 4.5% of the global population, yet owns 40% of the world's guns

*46% of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms are in the hands of U.S. citizens

*25% of Americans own all guns in the U.S., but 3% of Americans own 50% of the guns in the U.S. (anywhere from 8 to 140 guns)

*25% of U.S. gun homicides happen across census blocks with 1.5% of the country's total population 

*3 million Americans carry loaded handguns on a daily basis, and 9 million Americans do so monthly

*20% of gun owners belong to the NRA, with a majority identifying as Republicans

It still amazes me that something written in 1789, in a specific post-Revolution context, still drives public policy in the 21st Century. (I mean, we're not soaking ourselves with gin and wiping our asses with pine cones like we did in the 1800's, so change is possible.) And it amazes me further that "well regulated Militia" has taken a back seat to "people" in terms of constructing an American identity that cannot be extricated from an identity involving guns. And when 5% of a population (20% of 25%) drives the public policy for the majority of Americans, it's clear that democratic action has failed in the instance of guns.

But all that aside -- and believe me, that's a lot of ALL. THAT. -- given that there are more gun suicides in America than gun homicides, it's shameful that we can't find some middle ground that protects gun ownership (and gun owners) while also reducing harm, especially the self-harm among the demographics most at risk. (Aside from the above demo, another category for higher-than-average suicide risk is Native American males aged 40-44.) I always tell the kids that one of the joys of psychology is identifying products and policies that should change, given the data, but never will. And so long as we can't recontextualize language and meaning from hundreds of years ago, Americans -- perhaps some Americans you know -- will keep dying needlessly.

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