Monday Map: Gun Laws Around the World

Today's map looks at gun laws and gun ownership around the world, another dubious statistic in which our country leads the world. The blue boxes represents the number of firearms in the country per 100 civilians. Check out the full map at the Virginian-Pilot website.

We love our guns: there are nearly as many legal guns in this country as there are people. More than 30% of households have at least one firearm.

And we use our guns, too. On people. In 2006 alone, more than 30,000 Americans died in gun-related deaths. Half of these were suicides, meaning 15,000 people died in 2006 alone through gun violence or accidents. Another 70,000 people were injured that year by guns.

I'm not against gun ownership, but I think we need tighter control of firearms in this country. Weapons make their way too easily into the hands of criminals under the current system. Yes, even if guns were banned, criminals would acquire them. But targeted gun control laws only harm the bad guys. They keep guns out of criminals' hands while allowing law-abiding citizens to own weapons for sport and protection.

One of the most glaring gun law loopholes in the U.S. allows unlicensed dealers to sell guns at gun shows without conducting any kind of background check. Four out of every 10 guns sold in the U.S. are sold by unlicensed dealers. Seventeen states have taken action to close the loophole, but a federal law is desperately needed. A bill pending before the Senate would close this loophole, and it needs your support. Visit the Brady Campaign's website to learn more about this issue and to ask your representatives in Congress to co-sponsor the bill.