A huge amount of the gun violence experienced every day in the United States is actually handgun violence. Remove handguns from the picture, and the national murder rate is very similar to that of Canada's. Yet, handguns are extremely prolific throughout the United States, accounting for over half of all guns in total, and are synonymous with personal protection against criminals. Handguns are used and misused every day, and more often than not they make the headlines because of their deadly power. While handgun homicides are a key issue in American society, they are far from the only issue. More Americans commit suicide using a gun than with any other type of weapon, and states with the least-strict handgun laws have the highest gun-suicide rates. The same is true for accidental shootings, which claim hundreds of lives annually. Handguns have drastically and permanently changed the course of the American debate on firearms, necessitating new legislation for their use and misuse.
