What Would Happen If Guns Disappeared From the World?

Statistics indicate that suicides account for about 60 percent of the 175,700 firearm killings recorded in the United States between 2012 and 2016.

More than 80 percent of suicide attempts using guns end in death because the suicide's chances of survival are low.

Some argue that the solution is to abolish the right of citizens to bear arms; others favor easing some restrictions on carrying weapons.

But what would happen if the firearms disappeared suddenly and irreversibly from existence? While this idea may seem impossible, it makes us drop politics from the equation and think objectively about the possible implications of the decision to limit firearms in the world.

The immediate consequence of the disappearance of weapons would be simply a decrease in the number of gunshot wounds. Around 500,000 people are killed every year by firearms violence worldwide. The highest number of fatalities from armed violence is in the United States, whose citizens own between 300 and 350 million firearms, and firearm homicides in the United States are about 25 times higher than in other high-income countries combined. .

Prohibition of firearms

Australia has demonstrated that the lower the number of weapons available, the lower the number of deaths from armed violence and suicide. In 1996, a gunman opened fire on visitors to an archaeological site in Port Arthur, Tasmania. The attack killed 35 people and injured 23. It was barely a few days before the government passed new legislation prohibiting the possession of semi-automatic weapons and rifles and bought from citizens the firearms included in the market price and destroyed them all.

The risk of homicide or suicide by firearms in Australia has fallen by more than 50 percent since the introduction of new firearms bans.

Firearms also increase the risk of domestic violence, with a study suggesting that the risk of women being killed by domestic violence is five to eight times higher if a partner has a weapon. Some studies have concluded that the presence of a firearm in the home increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in men, and this phenomenon is called "the impact of the weapon."

The higher rates of intentional homicide in the United States compared to developed countries may be attributed to the fact that most incidents of assault in the United States are committed using firearms that increase the risk of death seven times.

If two angry and drunken young men quarrel in the UK, the quarrel will result in bruises in the nose and eye, but in the United States, statistics show that one of these men will probably have a gun, and the other will die.

Firearms may cause more deaths in clashes between police and criminals. Around 1,000 US citizens are killed annually by police, while arrests in Australia and Canada hardly result in any deaths, although police officers carry weapons in all three countries.

Peace is elusive

Wars, conflicts and civil strife will not stop with the disappearance of firearms, but instead of returning to white weapons, from swords, arrows and bayonets, modern nations will use other killing machines, such as explosives, tanks, missiles, chemical and biological weapons.

Wildlife

While poaching of endangered animals will be completely reduced by the disappearance of firearms, controlling the problematic animals, such as rabid raccoons, paranoid elephant herds or poisonous snakes, will become increasingly difficult.

Firearms are indispensable for controlling invasive alien species that invade certain areas and threaten ecosystems, especially on the islands. If firearms disappear, the euthanasia of infected animals will become even more brutal.

Economic importance

Economically, the United States will be the biggest loser from the disappearance of firearms. The Firearms Traders' Association estimates that the firearms trade contributes about $ 50 billion to the US economy.

The United States may even reap indirect economic gains if firearms disappear. The direct and indirect losses incurred by the United States from incidents of armed violence, including costs related to injuries, fatalities, etc., are estimated at more than $ 200 billion annually.

However, some holders of licensed weapons may be fearful and insecure if deprived of their weapons. Some carry weapons in self-defense. In the case of arms embargoes, potential victims of violence may not be able to protect themselves from stronger and violent attackers.