Violence Policy Center

In the following viewpoint, the Violence Policy Center (VPC) provides an array of statistics on gun violence—particularly handgun violence—in the United States. The VPC argues that America’s high levels of handgun-related homicide, suicide, accidental shooting, and injury justify a ban on civilian ownership of handguns. The VPC asserts that handguns are rarely used in self-defense and that therefore their purported benefits are minor compared to the enormous harm they cause. The VPC is a national educational organization that works to reduce gun death and injury in America by promoting awareness about the problem of gun violence.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What was the firearms death rate in the United States in 1995, as compared to Canada, Australia, and England, as cited in the viewpoint...