•Press Release Gun Violence Prevention Inequality United States
Washington — Move over, apple pie. A mass shooting is now the unique icon that distinguishes the US. The Center for Economic and Policy Research published two insights on this most horrifying, but thoroughly US phenomenon.
In Black Children are Disproportionately Harmed by Extremist Gun Rights Policies in the US, CEPR’s Algernon Austin compares US gun homicides to that of other countries. When looking at just the US, Austin finds US Black children die from guns at three times the overall US rate.
In most of the world, there are common sense gun safety policies which contribute to lower rates of gun violence. The extremist gun rights policies of the US disproportionately harm Black children.
“The US is a toxic country as far as gun violence is concerned, particularly for Black people. Only when US politicians are committed to common sense gun safety policies will we see any change,” said Austin.
In Staying Together for the Kids Won’t Reduce Mass Shootings, CEPR’s Shawn Fremstad debunks the accusation that “fatherlessness” is what makes someone a mass shooter.
Fremstad cites research that shows there is no relationship between mass shooting rates and both divorce and nonmarital birth rates in 39 rich countries. There is also no evidence-based reason for believing that mass shootings are caused by widows, other single mothers, grandmothers who raised their grandchildren, or lesbian couples, all of which are examples of “fatherless” household arrangements.
“If the US wants to reduce mass shootings, it must focus on regulating firearms and changing its gun culture,” said Fremstad.
