Humanizing the Statistics

Statistics can be confusing to fully understand. Interpreting their true meaning is difficult. In a world where every issue battles to gain traction on social media to reach the greatest audience, it is very easy to get lost in the numbers. I hope to use this platform provided by Will You Hear Me Now? in order to fight against the desensitization of statistics and instead humanize them, to see the threat gun violence poses on virtually every single relationship- the person affected, their family, and their entire community.

To begin, it is important to note that the harm from gun violence has been increasing. This is largely due to accelerating gun sales and easy access of guns to those under the age of 18.

• There are more than 400 million guns in civilian hands in the United States alone. Additionally, 44% of Americans report living in a gun household- meaning that if a person was to randomly select 10 people living in the United States, chances are at least 4 of them have access to a firearm.

• Two years ago, in 2022, more than 48 thousand people died from firearm injuries. This was over 8 thousand more lives lost than in 2019. In 2024, it's no surprise that this steep incline continues.

• In the United States, an average of one person dies every eleven minutes. This means that in the amount of time one walks their dog, on average, a life has been lost.

When learning about incidents with gun violence, particularly in educational facilities, people frequently think, "It will never happen to me”.

• But it happened to Alyssa Alhadeff, who was on her way to becoming an athlete on a national U.S. team.

• It happened to Martin Duque Anguiano, who dreamed of becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL.

• It happened to Scott Beigel, who was a geography teacher and cross-country coach that lost his life in an attempt to save others. These are from the Parkland school shooting alone.

Communities also face significant damages from gun violence. Learning that someone in your community has been lost threatens the very fabric of the community.

• 79% of American adults report stress from the possibility of a mass shooting, while 33% say fear prevents them from going certain places.

• The fact that the amount of U.S. children and teens that suffered firearm abuse increased by over 50% from 2019 to 2021 displays the toll gun violence places on creating and enriching communities.

Sitting in fear is not enough to being justice. It’s important to mobilize and utilize resources in order to prevent another family from receiving the news that their student no longer has a future ahead of them, just as Lori Alhadeff had to sit through the news that Alyssa will no longer be around. A community, by definition, is built on long lasting relationships.

We live in a society that is split between ignorance towards the problem and terror to the point where one is too afraid to act. It’s important to find a balance between the two. It’s important to take every step possible to advocate against gun violence in hopes that it will never take another life- whether this look like donating to families that have suffered from a loss, sharing their stories to bring greater awareness, or using your own voice to speak out and provide means to look towards a better, safer future.

Important Statistics to Note:

• In 2022, more than 48 thousand people died from firearm injuries, over 8 thousand more lives lost than in 2019.

• Mothers who witness at least one shooting in their community are up to 60% more likely to meet criteria for depression.

• 51%of U.S. teens say they worry "about a shooting happening at my school or a local school near me”.

• 79% of American adults report stress from the possibility of a mass shooting, while 33% say fear prevents them from going certain places.

• The U.S. gun death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 people in 2016. (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-savs-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/)

• The leading cause of death among children in 2020 was gun-related injuries. (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-is-behind-the-rise-in-gun-related-violence-in-the-US)

• There are 400 million guns in civilian hands in this country.

• Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun, while a larger percentage, 44%, report living in a gun household.

• (https://abcnews.go.com/US/teacher-coach14-year-freshman-florida-high-school-massacre/story?id=5309287)

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Editor's Note: Meher is the newest team member here at WYHMN.com. She's a high school senior who lives in Texas. In light of today's mass shootings in Georgia, we will follow up with another blog as more information comes in.