昨天加州发生了惨案，就距离我们圣地亚哥一个多小时车程的圣巴拉蒂诺县，那可是我经常开车路过的地方。几个丧心病狂的人枪杀了十四个无辜的老百姓并打伤十七位。这是我所知道惨案发生距离我最近的地方。为此，纽约州东南部阿尔斯特县（Ulster County ）警长Paul J. Van Blarcum 呼吁有枪的民众随身带枪，以保护自己和民众的安全。
This is also a nation in which, in 2012, there were 1.2 million violent crimes, defined as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Or, put another way, 1.2 million scenarios in which there was potential for someone to kill in self-defense.
Oh, and match those 259 justifiable homicides with the theft of about 232,000 guns each year, about 172,000 of them during burglaries. That’s a ratio of one justifiable homicide for every 896 guns put in the hands of criminals.
Those 259 justifiable homicides also pale compared with, in the same year, 8,342 criminal homicides using guns, 20,666 suicides with guns, and 548 fatal unintentional shootings, according to the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report. The ratio for 2012, per the Violence Policy Center, was one justifiable killing for every 32 murders, suicides or accidental deaths (the ratio increases to 38-1 over the five-year period ending in 2012). That’s a heavy price to pay.
