Piers Morgan On Gun Violence In The United States: Map Shows Worldwide Gun Ownership
Piers Morgan, the British TV journalist and personality, took to Twitter yesterday in response to the tragic events in Virginia. A lone shooter gunned down a reporter, Alison Parker, her cameraman, Adam Ward and the subject of the interview, Vicki Gardner, the lone survivor, on live television. The act was allegedly to express the shooter’s displeasure with the state of gun violence in the United States, prompting a deluge of rejoinders from gun advocates. The Washington Post reported on shooting incident.
The debate has caused an article by Voxx featuring a map depicting gun ownership per capita worldwide to begin trending on social media. Citizens of the United States own more guns per capita than any other country on the world map.
One map that puts America's gun violence epidemic in perspective: The United States owns way, way more guns per… http://t.co/tyA68jCwzE
— ????????? (@wcg5xn) August 26, 2015
“Don’t you dare post this photo. That’s disgusting. But if you want an assault weapon, feel free! It’s your right!” Morgan scolded some journalists in the United States for their unwillingness to post images of the Virginia tragedy. Debate has raged online regarding the images and whether or not they are appropriate to circulate. The Inquisitr has decided not to run the photos, but to report Morgan’s comments.
Morgan then held up England as an example of a country where guns have been banned, which he says experiences “32 gun deaths” each year, while the United States reports “80 a day.”
Steve, England has bad people.
We have 32 gun deaths a year.
You have 80 a day.
Do the math. https://t.co/bF6v2MvsHz— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 26, 2015
“80 more people will die from guns in America tomorrow. And Friday. And Saturday. And every day. Any Americans care?” Morgan tweets.
80 more people will die from guns in America tomorrow.
And Friday.
And Saturday.
And every day.
Any Americans care?— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 26, 2015
The world map showing the United States ranking for per capita gun ownership combined with Morgan’s statistics is being held up by many on social media in the United States, and worldwide, as proof that gun reform is necessary. Others feel that gun laws in the United States are fine the way they are.
Britain banned guns after Dunblane – no school shootings since.
America did nothing after Newton – 100+ school shootings since.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 26, 2015
Morgan then references the 1996 Dunblane school attack that saw a lone shooter kill 16 children and a teacher, sparking a debate that led to the banning of handguns in England. The journalist notes that more than 100 school shootings have occurred in the United States since the Newtown shootings of 2012 that left 27 dead. USA Today reported on the tragedy.
What’s your take? Could the Virginia shootings have been prevented with reform to gun laws in the United States? Is the United States somehow fundamentally different than England and in need of a different solution? Does the United States position on the gun map need to change?
[Piers Morgan Screenshot Courtesy Piers Morgan Twitter Account – Gun Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
