In a shocking revelation that underscores the dire state of gun violence in America, a new report by the Commonwealth Fund has found that certain U.S. states have firearm death rates comparable to those of countries embroiled in conflict and civil unrest. The findings paint a grim picture of a nation grappling with a public health crisis of epic proportions, one that demands immediate attention and decisive action from policymakers and citizens alike.
States Rivaling War-Torn Nations
The report highlights several alarming comparisons that bring the severity of the issue into sharp focus. Mississippi, for instance, recorded a staggering firearm-related death rate of 28.5 per 100,000 people in 2021, nearly doubling that of Haiti (15.1 per 100,000), a nation plagued by political instability, gang violence, and a recent assassination of its president that pushed the country to the brink of civil war.
Even states with the lowest firearm death rates in the U.S. fare poorly when compared to other developed nations. Rhode Island, which boasts the nation’s lowest rate at 3 deaths per 100,000, still stands at a staggering 23 times higher than the United Kingdom (0.13 per 100,000) and 1.3 times higher than France (2.3 per 100,000).
A Nation in the Crosshairs
The United States, as a whole, finds itself in the 93rd percentile of all countries and territories when it comes to overall firearm mortality, with a rate of 13.5 deaths per 100,000 people. This sobering statistic places the nation in a league of its own among developed countries, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive gun reform measures.
“No country we compare ourselves to has the rates and absolute deaths like we do in the US,” warns Evan Gumas, a research associate at the Commonwealth Fund. “It should be something we’re paying attention to.”
A Public Health Emergency
The report’s findings come on the heels of a declaration by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who labeled firearm violence “a public health crisis in America” in a June report. Murthy cited alarming statistics that place the United States far ahead of peer wealthy nations in terms of firearm injuries, with the burden falling disproportionately on children and adolescents.
In a grim milestone, firearms surpassed car accidents and all other causes of illness and injury to become the leading cause of death for American children ages one to 17 in 2020. The rate of firearm deaths among U.S. children is a staggering 72 times higher than in the United Kingdom (36.4 deaths per million versus 0.5 deaths per million).
“School shooting drills were a very big part of our every day. That’s not normal,” reflects Gumas, who attended public school in the wake of the tragic Sandy Hook massacre.
The Toll on Marginalized Communities
While mass shootings involving semi-automatic rifles often dominate headlines, handguns are responsible for the vast majority of firearm deaths in the United States. The burden of this violence falls disproportionately on marginalized communities, with Black Americans experiencing the highest firearm-related death rate at 34.2 per 100,000, followed closely by Native Americans and Alaskans.
Moreover, firearms are the weapons most frequently implicated in gender-related violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), further underscoring the intersectional nature of this public health emergency.
A Call to Action
As the nation grapples with the devastating impact of gun violence, the Commonwealth Fund report serves as a clarion call for swift and decisive action. Policymakers, public health experts, and concerned citizens must come together to address the root causes of this crisis and implement evidence-based solutions that prioritize the safety and well-being of all Americans.
The time for thoughts and prayers has long passed; it is now a moment for bold leadership, innovative strategies, and unwavering commitment to building a safer, more just society for all. The lives of countless Americans, and the very soul of the nation, hang in the balance.
