Fire, Vehicles, and Edged Weapons Can Be Just As Deadly Especially When Victims Are Unarmed
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Frequently, the gun control debate centers upon the question, "Will gun control laws actually decrease the use of firearms in crimes or in mass killings?" Of course, this is an important question. I believe, based upon the experience of every other nation that has implemented it, that it won't decrease crime.
However, gun control groups have changed their approach in recent years. They no longer talk about decreasing crime - because at the same time as the gun supply doubled, the homicide rate has dropped by nearly 50%. Now, gun control advocates focus almost exclusively upon active shooters and mass killings. They contend that banning certain guns, or even all guns, will end mass killings - but will they? Even if it were completely successful in removing privately owned firearms, could gun control stop mass killings?
The answer to that question is a definite NO. The reason is simple: Firearms are not the only weapon available to people. They are not even the most deadly weapon commonly available to people. There are three other weapons that have been used to commit mass murder in the last 50 years, let's look at them one at a time.
Edged Weapons
Sometimes we forget that until about 500 years ago, edged weapons (Swords, knives, axes, etc.) were the primary personal weapon. Wars were won with them and entire people groups were wiped out with them.
Edged weapons are just as deadly today as they were 1,000 years ago. While they clearly do not have the same ability to kill as many people as quickly as some firearms, they nevertheless have been used in mass murder attacks. In fact, some of these attacks have resulted in death tolls well into double digits. So, if the only other weapon a mass murder could chose was a knife or an ax, mass killings would certainly not stop - but the death toll from them might be reduced. However, edged weapons are not the only weapons available in the absence of firearms. (See data below for details on edged weapon attacks)
Vehicles
Vehicle attacks can be just as deadly - or even more deadly - than attacks with firearms. In fact the Nice, France truck attack on 14 July 2016 claimed far more lives than the worst mass shooting in US history (86 vs. 58). There is no reason to expect that, if gun control efforts made firearms unavailable (which is not possible), would be mass murderers would overlook vehicles as replacement weapons. (Again, see data below.)
Fire
Arson is a weapon that has, quite often, killed far more people then the worst mass shooting. Furthermore, banning matches and gasoline is basically impossible - so stopping mass murderers from using arson is impossible. How deadly can an arson attack be? Well here are some numbers:
Happy Land Fire (NY-USA) - 87 dead (more than worst mass shooting in US history)
Gothenburg Discothèque Fire (Sweden) - 63 dead
Daegu Subway Fire (China) - 192 dead
Cinema Rex Fire (Iran) - 420+ dead
Hotel Corona de Aragón Fire (Spain) - 80+ dead
Knights of Columbus Fire (Canada) - 99 dead (suspected NAZI arson attack)
Our Lady of the Angels Fire (USA) - 95 dead (also more than our worst mass shooting)
L'Innovation Dept Store Fire (Belgium) - 251 dead
(See detailed data below.)
So, if we were - by some miracle - able to get rid of all guns, it is very possible that mass murderers might chose even more deadly weapons, such as arson.
The problem isn't guns, or knives, or trucks or matches - it is people. Focusing on one weapon is very short sighted - and can result in a tragic game of "whack a mole" In nearly every recent mass shooting, law enforcement could have stopped the attack by doing something about a dangerous person. We need to learn from this and fix the problems that resulted in those who are charged with protecting us to fail at their job.
If you stop the attacker, you stop the attack, every time!
List of Incidents
Red Text = Death toll larger than worst US mass shooting.
Vehicle Attacks
Deaths/Injuries Incident Date
86/458 Nice Truck Attack (France) 14 July 2016
5/49 Westminster Attack (UK) 22 March 2017
13/130+ Barcelona attacks (Spain) 17 August 2017
7/10 Dutch Royal Family Attack 30 April 2009
6/30 Melbourne Car Attack (Australia) 20 January 2017
10/16 Toronto Van Attack (Canada) 23 April 2018
Arson Attacks
Deaths/Injuries Incident Date
87/6 Happy Land Fire (NYC - USA) 25 March 1990
32/15 UpStairs Lounge Arson (USA) 24 June 1973
15/0 Childers Palace Hostel Fire (Aust.) 23 June 2000
15/0 Whiskey Au Go Go Fire (Aust.) 8 March 1973
17/0 Kheyvis Fire (Argentina) 20 December 1993
63/216 Gothenburg Discothèque Fire(Sweden) 29 October 1998
44/0 Myojo 56 building fire (Japan) 01 September 2001
15/10 Osaka Movie Theater fire (Japan) 01 October 2008
11/15 Pension de Vogel Fire (Netherlands) 16 September 1992
22/? Changshu Dormitory Fire (China) 16 July 2017
192/151 Daegu Subway Fire (China) 18 February 2003
420+/? Cinema Rex Fire (Iran) 19 August 1978
80+/? Hotel Corona de Aragón Fire (Spain) 12 July 1979
37/5 Blue Bird Café Fire (USA) 1 September 1972
24/32 Gulliver's Nightclub Fire (USA) 30 June 1974
99/109 Knights of Columbus Fire (Canada) 12 December 1942
95/? Our Lady of the Angels Fire (USA) 1 December 1958
251/62 L'Innovation Dept Store Fire(Belgium) 22 May 1967
Edged Weapons
Deaths/Injuries Incident Date
19/26 Sagamihara stabbings (Japan) 26 July 2016
9/17 Middle School Students (China) 27 April 2018
29/130 Kunming Knife Attack (China) 2 March 2014
6+/? Changsha Attack (China) 13 March 2014
9/4 Xinbin County Attack (China) 2 August 2012
6/? Gongyi Axe Attack (China) 14 September 2011
8/5 Nanping School Massacre (China) 23 March 2010
9/11 Hanzhong Kindergarten Attack (China) 12 May 2010
6/37 Anne Anne Kindergarten (Hong Kong) 3 June 1982
5/0 2014 Calgary stabbing (Canada) 15 April 2014
6/7 Jerusalem Synagogue Attack (Israel) 18 November 2014
8/48 London Bridge Attack (UK) 3 June 2017
8/15 Osaka School Massacre (Japan) 8 June 2001
9/3 Ruzhou #2 High School (China) 26 November 2004
19/0 Yema stabbings (China) 29 September 2016
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