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发帖数: 29846 | 1 The U.S. Has More Guns, But Russia Has More Murders
by and James Glynn
September 21, 2013 4:36 PM
The U.S. and Russia have been taking lots of jabs at each other.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized President Obama's plan for a
military strike in Syria, and the Russian leader then denounced American "
exceptionalism" in a biting op-ed in The New York Times.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., fired back Thursday with his own op-ed in the
Russian paper , entitled, "Russia Deserves Better Than Putin."
Even Monday's shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, in which a gunmen
killed 12 people, has become part of the feud.
Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia's
parliament, used the shooting to mock the United States as it was happening.
"A new shootout at Navy headquarters in Washington — a lone gunman and
seven corpses. Nobody's even surprised anymore. A clear confirmation of
American exceptionalism," Puskoy tweeted.
Новая стрельба у штаба ВМС в Вашингтоне
- одинокий стрелок и 7 трупов. Никто уже не
удивлен. Наглядное подтверждение "амер.и
сключительности"
— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov)
But while Pushkov sneers at U.S. gun laws, how do the stats look in Russia?
According to , Russians have far fewer guns than Americans — and far more
homicides.
There are fewer than 13 million firearms in circulation in Russia, compared
with an estimated 300 million in the United States. That works out to about
9 guns per 100 people in Russia and closed to 100 guns per 100 people in
America.
The most recent for Russia show that there were 21,603 killings in 2009.
A worker at the Grand Okhota sportsman gun shop in Moscow on April 23.
A worker at the Grand Okhota sportsman gun shop in Moscow on April 23.
Karpov Sergei/ITAR-TASS /Landov
According to the FBI, the United States had 13,636 homicides in 2009 with a
population that is more than twice as large. More than 80 percent of those
killings were gun-related.
It's difficult to make a direct comparison of gun homicides in the two
countries because Russia doesn't break down its murder statistics.
Russian Gun Laws
Russia has tough gun laws on the books. It's illegal for Russian citizens to
own automatic and semi-automatic guns. It's possible to apply for a handgun
or shotgun license, though citizens are required to provide reasons such as
hunting or target shooting.
Applicants face strict background checks, including criminal history, a full
psychological evaluation and a medical exam. They must pass a test on
firearm laws and safety.
Each weapon is then registered by the police during a home visit. Police
take bullet patterns, test bullets and cartridges so bullets can be matched
if the gun is used in a crime. A license lasts five years, after which
applicants must go through the whole process again.
In spite of these laws, the country does have periodic mass shootings by
people thought to be mentally ill.
Last November, after a five-day drinking binge, 30-year-old lawyer posted a
message online referring to humanity as "compost."
Shortly after, he walked into the Moscow pharmaceutical company where he
worked and opened fire, killing six colleagues and critically injuring
another. He was jailed for life last week.
Move To Ease Gun Laws
The , a Moscow-based organization that has more than 5,000 members, is
trying to make guns more easily available in Russia.
"Our citizens are deprived of normal tools of self-defense, and that plays
an important role in public safety," , the group's 24-year-old founder, told
The Moscow News.
But she has a long way to go in convincing the public. A poll by the in 2011
showed that 80 percent of Russians are opposed to easing existing gun laws. | K**********i
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