Shocking no one, a new study released by the Center for American Progress found that states with the weakest gun laws have the highest number of gun deaths, accidental or otherwise.
via Reuters
Alaska had the most gun deaths, with 20.28 deaths per 100,000 people in 2010, twice the national average, the analysis by the Center for American Progress showed.
Louisiana and Montana, which followed with 19.06 and 16.58 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively, were among the 10 states with the weakest gun laws, according to the study, the latest to link gun laws to firearm deaths.
Eight of the states with the highest levels of gun violence were among the 25 with the weakest gun laws, said the report, citing a study last year by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
More substantively, the study highlights that this isn’t just about the types of guns that are sold. It’s also about lax laws regarding the import or export of guns, the trafficking of illegal guns, and economic disparities.
For example, those at the top of the list in gun deaths are also near the top of the list in poverty. On the other hand, states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut had the lowest rate of gun deaths.
Of course the tragic irony is that states with the highest poverty and greatest number of gun deaths are also the most likely to vote for conservative candidates, leading to even greater economic disparity and even more guns on the street. A self-perpetuating, vicious cycle.