Jean Lemaire, writing in the Journal of Risk & Insurance, mentioned some interesting statistics in his 2005 article titled “The Cost of Firearms Deaths in the United States: Reduced Life Expectancies and Increased Insurance Costs.”

The first interesting thing? In the year 2000, the United States experienced 10,801 homicides. In the same year, the European Union had 1260 homicides and Japan had 22. The point he went on to make is that by eliminating guns, we would improve male life expectancy to the same degree as that effected by a total cure for prostate and colon cancer.

Another interesting fact? In 2004, just under 30,000 Americans were killed by guns, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Just over half were suicides, but that doesn’t mean they don’t count.) That’s about the same number of Iraqis killed this past year – and they’re in a war zone.

I know there’s not an easy answer, but as the mother of a young man, I so wonder what it will take. I think the Supreme Court is going to weigh in on this question this year – I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.

This photo is courtesy of Craig PJ from Australia. I found it on Stock.Xchng.