In the aftermath of the Parkland High School shooting, we are having lots of debates about the role of the NRA in shaping gun legislation. Politicians who take money from the NRA are said to be in the organization’s pockets. But don’t forget where the NRA gets its money: gun manufacturers. And while no manufacturer celebrates gun violence, the facts are clear: mass shootings are good for their business.
More than 32,000 Americans die each year from gunshot wounds. Few of these people are criminals shot by innocent victims defending themselves or their loved ones. Some gun-related deaths result from criminal violence. A tragic number result from accidents. And a tiny number, less than 1%, result from mass shootings.
Yet it is these mass shootings that dominate the news, and that drive gun sales. The publicity surrounding such shootings scares many people into purchasing guns, in hopes that having a gun on hand will help them stop a shooter before he can do more damage. Mass shootings also lead people to purchase guns because, in the aftermath, some politicians call for gun control efforts, which cause people to purchase guns before they are banned.
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