If this is Tuesday, and I'm in a 3rd world hell-hole -- I must be in Brazil!

People like to think that, because Americans have the Second Amendment protection of their personal choice to own a firearm (and almost everybody can legally possess a firearm in America), it must be the Murder Capital of the World.

Right?

Wrong.

That uncomfortable Second Amendment allows us to own a firearm to protect ourselves.  So this must mean that we have more murders by firearm than any other country in the world.

Not necessarily:  "Struggling Countries" are often overwhelmed by members of their citizenry who are not reluctant to take advantage of their country's distraction.


Here' the summary of a Wapo article which counts "mass shootings"   Yes, America is right up there.
So, this proves that America is  the deadliest state in the world for murders by guns. 

Right?

Wrong!

Curiously, even American "Mass Shootings" combined with "Gangland Shootings" in America do not seem to compare with those in a country which has completely forbidden private ownership of firearms ... so the murder rate is only ascribable to those who DO own firearms.... more likely, those who have illegally acquired firearms to protect whatever *(criminal?)* endeavor in which they may have been engaged.

Some people might decide that forbidding firearms possession is a "mistake"  they may not be right, and a new Republic might be forgiven for trying to drain the swamp before drilling a new well.  But the point needs to be addressed sooner or later.

There's a country in South America which doesn't allow private citizens to own firearms.

 Brazil!

Gun Ownership Is Illegal In Brazil, So People Are Taught To Never Fight Back - The Advocates for Self-Government:

The average citizen in Brazil is not legally permitted to own a gun.  This should, by Liberal thought, result in "Less Guns/Less Crime".

Brazil proves that this is a fallacy: the crime problem in this country is certainly being addressed by its government, but a large, rich country such as Brazil has problems of its own ... which America shares, in part if not in whole

 Brazil is, in fact, the Murder Capital of the World!

Less Guns, More Crime?  Not so!  

(Note: the following is personal conjecture; it is not a quote, so no source is cited.)

There are plenty of people who point to countries with fewer guns as models which they believe the United States should follow. However, there are few who take notice of Brazil, a country with far fewer guns but which still struggles with gun violence and death.   No one seems to take note, but the numbers are there for those who want to see them.
The conclusion is likewise obvious: fewer guns do not necessarily mean fewer deaths by guns.  According to UN statistics cited by the BBC of Brazil, Brazilians own 15 million firearms compared to 270 million held by Americans. Yet American deaths by guns in 2010 numbered 9,960, while Brazil listed close to 36,000 such deaths in 2009. It is also interesting to note that the population of Brazil is nearly 200 million while the United States has over 310 million.  Clearly, the problem is much more immediate in this vibrant, growing country.

So the next time someone tries to convince you that "More Guns In The Hands of Untrained Civilians will result in more murders ..

POST SCRIPT:

I'm reluctant to go on the record as someone who is pointing a finger at a foreign government as 'responsible" for civilian deaths.  I have no personal knowledge of anything that occurs outside my local area.   I only briefly research, and suggest possible conclusions.  Nobody should take this commentary to be conclusive evidence of wrong-doing by any governmental entity, anywhere in the world.   I rely on published (Internet) sources 100% and I do not have access to the root data provided by these sources.

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