Increased gun ownership raises risk of injury

On the anniversary of the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and just two days after a northeast Iowa 10-year-old accidentally fatally shot her mother with a loaded handgun owned by another family member, I was disheartened to find a letter congratulating the hundreds of new gun owners in Iowa since the passage of the “shall issue” legislation last year (“New gun owners show they've earned privilege,” Jan. 8).

The presence of a significant number of additional guns in our state is no cause for celebration.

Recent studies cited by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center found that across developed countries, where more guns are available, there are also more homicides. Here in the United States, states with higher rates of household gun ownership have higher rates of firearm homicide.

According to the International Action Network on Small Arms, having a gun in the home increases the overall risk of someone in the household being murdered by41 percent; for women, the risk is nearly tripled (272 percent).

Instead of improving our safety, the acquisition of more private firearms increases the risk of injury or death to those nearby. Taking note of reduced gun casualties in Australia, Canada and other countries after passage of reasonable restrictions on gun sales and ownership, we, too, should pass legislation to reduce gun-related tragedies in our state.

Alice Dahle

Cedar Rapids