Dear Editor:

Fred Nehring’s gun death figure in his latest letter (The fact about gun violence, Jan. 14) was a bit off. It has actually been 32,000 over averaage in the last couple of years. Of these, suicide accounts for around 64 percent, while accidents are 3 percent, leaving about 33 percent caused by homicide of some kind.

Suicide is caused by many factors but I doubt one is simply the presence of a gun. If that was the case, America’s suicide rate would rival South Korea’s, which is over double ours. France has very few households with firearms and its suicide rate is on par with America and Japan. I think we can agree guns do not cause suicide.

The homicide rate in America is 5.1/100,000 with 67 percent homicides committed with firearms, and we rank 98th in the world — far below countries with much greater restrictions on gun ownership. With America’s rate of private gun ownership #1 in the world, by Mr. Nehring’s logic, it should be much higher. The FBI estimates four out of 10 homicides are, not surprisingly, due to arguments. There is very little further data on cause other than estimates from local law enforcement. New Orleans estimates that between 35 and 55 percent of homicides are gang related. Chicago estimates 80 percent and Baltimore’s police commissioner has claimed 80 percent of homicides in that city are drug related. It isn’t hard to think that law enforcement in Detroit, Los Angeles, St. Louis and other cities would tell similar stories. As you can see, some of America’s largest, most violent cities are really driving up the homicide rate.

There are many problems in America. Legal gun ownership by private citizens is not one of them.

Micheal Leighton

Boothbay