When it comes to gun ownership in the United States, nowhere comes close to the state of Wyoming. With 196 registered firearms for every 1,000 residents, it ranks as America’s most gun-friendly state by a considerable distance. Even though Wyoming is awash with guns, one for every five residents, its violent crime rate is relatively low compared to other states. Nevertheless, a high rate of gun suicide is still cause for serious concern.
Washington, D.C. comes second on the list of per capita gun ownership with 66 firearms per 1,000 residents
via America’s Most Gun-Friendly States [Infographic] – Forbes.
I guess Forbes is now in full competition against Rolling Stone for the dumbest gun article in history.
Kids, do not do drugs. This is what happens when you mix “journalism” and Maroc Afghan Pot.
This message brought to you by Common Sense, Layers of Editorial Oversight and the Church of WTF Were You Thinking.
Hat Tip to Mad Saint Jack.
UPDATE: Apparently the article-bashing was so generalized that Forbes pulled the article. But the Internet Never Forgets and thanks to a tip by Skidmark, I can bring you the Infographic in question:
My subdivision in Tennessee beats that guns per capita. Easily over 1000 firearms per 1000.
Forbes pulled the article within hours of publishing it. A Google search will still get you the graphic.
Forgot this in the original – Virginia at #5? Yipee! Because the only guns we register are machine guns!
stay safe.
“Nevertheless, a high rate of gun suicide is still cause for serious concern.”
All suicide is cause for concern. Is it supposed to be “better” if someone OD’s or sits in their running car with a hose stuck in the window? Someone determined to check out, will and guns have nothing to do with it. They just expedite the process.
On their graphic, it says “registered” firearms. Most of the states listed don’t have registration. They can get a estimate by dealers calling into NICS, but that doesn’t take into consideration the people that have a permit and can buy a gun without the call. It also doesn’t take into consideration people that purchase more than one gun at a time. I put 8 firearms on a 4473 that a guy purchased and since he had a permit, I didn’t have to call NICS. The gun haters have no clue how many guns are really out there. Which is how it should be.
Intellectual honesty on the part of Forbes and/or the “data journalist” who created the graphic would suggest posting a correction and not simply pulling the infographic.
It does go to show that the old saw about “damned lies and statistics” applies to data visualization as much as to plain old numbers.
Lol at registering firearms, you’re not gun friendly when you have to let daddy government know you have guns
[…] than a day after sites like The Truth About Guns (see also Gun Free Zone and probably others) began highlighting the problems with this infographic, it disappeared from […]
Can’t remember the name, one writer at Forbes, when Charles Rangel was caught cheating on the tax laws he helped write, was griping that ‘Rangel is a delightful pol, and it would be a shame if he lost his committee positions because of something like this.’
Friggin’ idiots.
I feel the need to post that on Moms Twitter feed, and see how many times it’s blatantly circulated before anyone realizes how stupid it is, hehhehheh.