Over the weekend, The New York Times posited that there was only one variable that could explain the number of mass shootings in the United States: America’s “astronomical” number of guns.
An ever-growing body of research consistently reaches the same conclusion: The only variable that can explain the high rate of mass shootings in America is its astronomical number of guns https://t.co/tH1B5vqaJ5
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 19, 2018
That piece inspired Mikel Jollett, frontman of the band Airborne Toxic Event, to try his hand at some math:
You can blame victims, blame doors, blame “mental illness,” blame ex-girlfriends… But there is one undeniable fact at work:
more GUNS = more DEATH
In every city, every state, every country. https://t.co/3cQ0WzSer1
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) May 20, 2018
More guns equal more death in every city and every state? That should be easy enough to fact-check.
This must be one of those "liberal facts" I've been hearing about. https://t.co/34aUytVpIN
— Hannibal Kekter (@Troll_Trollio) May 21, 2018
But that’s not true, at all
— 82Brew (@rodgers_jeff) May 21, 2018
In fact the states with higher rates of gun ownership have drastically lower overall violent crime. The states with stricter gun control have higher rates of violent crime. As for death by gun specifically, there is no correlation either way. https://t.co/WLgo57qzq4
— ?/K/aitilyn?? (@kitty_Kaiti) May 21, 2018
That's the opposite of what is true. https://t.co/uNnd1Gnq8c
— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) May 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/JELester9/status/998629277590523905
That's just a blatant lie.
You're really bad at this, y'know? https://t.co/nGijUT01Db
— I'm a woman, and I'm mad as Hell (@nowhere_nh) May 21, 2018
Imagine being this wrong in less than 280 characters.
That takes a lot of skill. https://t.co/aCUSH8Mb0Z
— Robb (@ItsRobbAllen) May 21, 2018
? Aside from the fact that this is factually incorrect and a quick Google search will prove how wrong you are, you get an F for effort. Regurgitating the same rhetoric over and over again is an automatic failing grade. Try harder next time.
— Eva ?? (@EvaMerica1776) May 21, 2018
Actually, no. The empirical data say exactly the opposite.
— Chris McKeever (@TheRealMcKeever) May 21, 2018
Lmao. It's undeniably the EXACT OPPOSITE. Either you can't or don't "do" research, or you are purposely deceptive. Either way, a total douche move. https://t.co/R2QHKcQVsE
— ❌Saxx Skwerl❌ (@SaxxSkwerl) May 21, 2018
Simply, demonstrably, absolutely inaccurate: https://t.co/VrDfGMcHYw
But thanks for playing. https://t.co/ejDNbaZb7A
— Jonathan (@CorrelA_B) May 21, 2018
Undeniably the opposite. pic.twitter.com/KlNK1TQf3c
— Nathan Lewis (@NathanNWE) May 21, 2018
This is a lie.
If this was true then the US would have the highest murder rate in the world.In fact, there is zero correlation between number of firearms and homicide rate. https://t.co/izRcEmLonu
— Pedantic Bastard (@PedanticBword) May 21, 2018
Except when the 'fact' is empirically false. pic.twitter.com/2ZEZq5gHr7
— Guy Faux (@Faux_Guy_) May 21, 2018
nope check the stats and compare Wyoming and DC for just one example
— Peace (@AynRiedel98) May 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/AndrewQuackson/status/998489368292622336
https://twitter.com/AndrewQuackson/status/998490026559397889
Illinois, 26.2% gun ownership
Murder rate: 8.2 per 100,000Arkansas 57.9% gun ownership.
Murder rate 7.2 per 100,000 https://t.co/a8Ftbus9Eo— Red Eye Smirking Teen Robot (@Red_Eye_Robot) May 21, 2018
Plano TX has 5 guns per person. Homicide rate of .3 dead/100000 residents per year. Try again. Also, if you remove New Orleans, Philly, Chicago, LA, NYC and DC from homicide totals, US has 3rd lowest homicide rate in the world https://t.co/4qPZKpRKGR
— Christopher Lloyd ⭐⭐⭐ (@Chrispyandfried) May 21, 2018
Did you even research
— Amy Sedlatschek ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@amysuds) May 21, 2018
I guess I got my answer lol ? pic.twitter.com/VJXmXecCC7
— Amy Sedlatschek ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@amysuds) May 21, 2018