Top 15 Killers of Americans: Homicides are off the list, even though more people are carrying guns than ever before

by Chad D. Baus

CNN.com is reporting that while the leading killers of Americans continue to be non-infectious diseases like heart disease, strokes and lung diseases, one of the perpetual causes of death fell off the top 15 list this year:

Homicides.

From the article:

"Most of the changes were positive," said Sherry Murphy, a statistician at the National Center of Health Statistics and one of the authors of the annual mortality report. "Homicides fell from among the 15 leading causes for the first time since 1965."

Even as this news was breaking, news outlets across the country were reporting that sales of firearms had spiked to new highs during the Christmas shopping season. What's more, thanks to passage of concealed carry laws in more states, and to improvements of those laws in states that have existing laws, more Americans are exercising their Second Amendment rights by legally carrying concealed handguns than at any time in our nation's history.

If guns are tools of destruction designed only for killing, as those in the gun ban lobby claim, this good news could never have happened.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.