“There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?” is a quote from Yuri Orlov in the movie “Lord of War.”
The sheer number of weapons on the planet is pretty staggering but so are the statistics related to gun violence. Both have the same affect when looking at the statistics.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice website, in 2005, the National Crime Victimization Survey reported 477,040 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a fire-arm.
In June 2006, Oxfam international reported “up to 14 billion bullets were manufactured globally every year and there is no reliable data on how billions of those bullets are used or to whom they may be sold.”
According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division website, Marion County reported seven homi-cides in 2007.
In the wake of the Aug. 9 shooting death at the Huddle House in Marion, just days after a man was shot in Mullins, gun violence is hitting too close to home.
Families are left with losses they can never recover and thousands of dollars in expenses are paid for medi-cal treatment and even more heartbreaking funeral services.
Law abiding citizens will continue to voice outrage over the senseless violence plaguing our very own com-munities.
Lawmakers will continue to haggle over ways to take illegal weapons off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.
However, communities have to demand security, whether that means more law enforcement officers on the street to better response times and patrols, stiffer penalties for violent offenders or if all else fails, arming themselves.
Individuals are finding it too easy to gain access to guns, and it’s worst when the person with his or her finger on the trigger is either a juvenile or an untrained adult.
The message is clear, life is priceless and if a person is guilty of taking one, there is a cost that is going to be paid.
The judge will be sure to let you know just how much that will be.
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