Opinion: Red flag laws could save an average of 20,000 Americans per year

John A. Tures
·3 min read
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This is a column by John A. Tures, a professor of political science at LaGrange College. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu

Are you the parent of a schoolchild, a teacher, a student or related to any of these three? If so, the killings from Uvalde, Texas to Oxford Township, Michigan and dozens of others have been a gut-punch to you. Yet a solution is not only possible, but also within our grasp. Read this and see how you can make a difference, and change history.

You recognize these lives are precious, and while we’re given the power to pray, we’re also given free will and a moral responsibility to solve problems and protect people. And there’s something we could do that has bipartisan support from politicians and voters from both parties. It’s worked in America, in red and blue states, where it’s been adopted. It’s called a “red flag law.”

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Red flag laws "permit immediate family members and law enforcement to petition a civil court for an order – often called an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) – to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations,’” states an Everytown for Gun Safety factsheet, cited by to Newsweek.

Red flag states have lower death rate

Guns seized by law enforcement from a person who was the subject of Florida’s new red flag law.
Guns seized by law enforcement from a person who was the subject of Florida’s new red flag law.

As noted by Everytown for Gun Safety, 19 states have passed and implemented red flag laws: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

I compared the firearm death rates, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, from these 19 states to the 31 states which did not pass a red flag law.

The seven states with the lowest firearm death rates also have something in common: a red flag law. I also found that the firearm death rate in states with a red flag law is only 11.26 per 100,000 residents, far less than the average firearm death rate for states without a red flag law (17.5 per 100,000 residents). The difference in means is also statistically significant.

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With around 326 million Americans, that would mean an estimated 57,170 firearm deaths if every state didn't have a red flag law in 2020, but only an estimated 36,875 firearm deaths if every state had a red flag law in 2020. That would save an average of 20,295 lives with red flag laws if applied nationwide. In 2020, there were 45,222 firearm deaths in America (from homicides, accidental shootings, suicides. etc.), according to data from the CDC.

Red flag laws are supported by Republicans and Democrats

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled a willingness to work with Democrats on gun legislation.

CBS News reports that Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, Martin Heinrich and Richard Blumenthal have met with Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Pat Toomey, Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy to have discussions on legislative solutions.

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Bloomberg reports that Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have also supported red flag legislation, and Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath has been given the green light by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to introduce national red flag legislation.

Reuters reports that 70% of people polled prefer red flag laws, adding “79% of people - and 78% of Republicans – said they would be more likely to support a candidate who supported passing background checks and red flag laws for all new gun purchases.”

Here’s what you can do

Contract your legislators in the U.S. Congress and state legislature today, should you choose to make a difference: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/. Please don’t let another massacre occur without wondering whether you might have done something to at least try to stop it.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College.
John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Red flag gun control laws could save thousands of Americans each year