Where Are Guns The Deadliest?

A study on gun deaths, published in the Atlantic, revealed some surprising things.

First, gun deaths per 100,000 appeared to be highest in states with higher gun ownership (such as in the South, particularly Louisiana, and in the mid- and mountain West), and, in the case of Arizona and Nevada, in states with extraordinarily lax open- and concealed-carry laws. Far fewer gun deaths per 100,000 occurred in the Northeast, where gun control laws are stricter. (An exception is Washington D.C., which had the highest per-100,000 gun death rate in the country.)

Correlations between certain social factors and gun deaths were also surprising (or not). States voting for McCain, for example, had higher rates of gun-related deaths than states voting for Obama (R = 0.66). States with higher rates of poverty had higher rates of gun deaths (R = 0.59). States with higher percentages of college grads had lower rates of gun deaths (R = -0.64). And states with higher numbers of immigrants had lower rates of gun deaths (R = 0.34).

No, these correlations aren't airtight-strong. Rather than being proof that the social factors listed cause gun deaths, they more suggest that the social climate in those states that led to those social outcomes also lead to higher, or lower, rates of gun deaths per 100,000 residents. However, the correlations are strongly suggestive that a populace in poverty is more dangerous than an economically sound one; that more guns does not equal more safety; and that education can reduce gun deaths.

Imagine that - liberal positions (reducing poverty, controlling guns and improving access to education) really do make us safer.