Gun control is an intensely controversial issue in the United States. Modern debates regarding the Second Amendment have focused on if it was meant to protect the private rights of individuals to own and bear arms, or if it was solely meant for militia like the National Guard. The most confounding segment of the Second Amendment is: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This ambiguous sentence is often at the heart of the tumultuous battle between gun owners and gun control advocates. Regardless of the politics, it is undeniable that gun violence in America is running rampant. This infographic by Joslyn Law Firm examines gun homicide rates in every state and compares them to how gun-friendly they are:
While many of the states with high gun homicide rates also have high gun-friendliness scores, there are some outliers. For example, Maryland’s gun-friendliness score is only one star, but Baltimore’s high gun homicide rate contributes heavily to the overall state rate. Here are the five states with the highest gun homicide rates compared to their gun-friendliness score:
- Louisiana – 11 gun homicides per 100,000 people (Gun-friendliness score of 3)
- Mississippi – 10.2 gun homicides per 100,000 people (Gun-friendliness score of 5)
- Alabama – 9.5 gun homicides per 100,000 people (Gun-friendliness score of 4)
- Missouri – 8.5 gun homicides per 100,000 people (Gun-friendliness score of 5)
- Maryland – 7.4 gun homicides per 100,000 people (Gun-friendliness score of 1)
It is up to the readers to decide if there is correlation and to make their own decisions on the matter. The important thing is that we keep collecting data, visualizing it to achieve the big picture, and interpreting it objectively. That is why design has the power to change the world for the better.
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