Are there more guns or people in the U.S.?
Current Event Friday
Data Scavenger Hunt
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above:
What country has the most guns per capita (person) in the world?
How many more guns per capita does the top guns per capita country compared to the second highest country?
How many guns are there for every single American?
Time to do some math (yay-math!) Given that there are roughly 120.5 guns per capita in the U.S. and the population of the U.S. is roughly 329 million, about how many guns are there in the U.S.?
What is the big story the visual tells about American gun ownership in comparison to the rest of the world?
Big Brain Questions
Answer these questions by yourself using your brain and the links below:
List one thing the chart makes you wonder:
In total, the Small Arms Survey estimated that there were 857 million civilian-held firearms in the world at the end of 2017. The US accounted for around 45 percent of those guns. Why do you think Americans own so many guns?
America actually has less crime and less violent crime than countries like France, Denmark, Canada, and the UK (see chart below). Some think there is less crime in the U.S. because the U.S. has more guns. Others think the U.S. has more guns because people are scared of crime. What is your explanation for the relationship between guns and crime.
According to Gallup, less than 40 percent of all households in the U.S. report to owning one or more firearms, highlighting the fact that many gun owners in the country own multiple firearms. A Pew Research Center study in 2017 showed that 29 percent of all gun owners owned more than five guns, with 66 percent reporting they owned two or more. Explain whether it would make you feel better if a few people had lots of guns each, or if lots of people had a few guns each.
Many American laws that have attempted guns have been ruled unconstitutional and struck down because they violate The Second Amendment which reads: 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. The Second Amendment was an Amendment which changed the original constitution. While it would be possible to Amend the Constitution with a 28th Amendment repealing the 2nd Amendment, we have only Amended the Constitution 27 times in 235+ years. Is it easy to Amend the U.S. Constitution?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Some groups like Brady United try to increase regulations on guns in America. Others like the National Rifle Association (NRA) try to limit regulations on guns. Decide which side you are on and learn more about how you can help them achieve their goals.
Get Creative
Breaking news: 2030 - There are now more than 14 guns per person plus 3 guns per robot in America. The 44th Amendment was just passed guaranteeing robots the right to concealed carry. Make a creative response to life in 2030 America.