Today's Gun Banner Talking Points

  CDC's map of gun death rates by state.  Of course that includes suicides which are most gun deaths.  The other methods of suicide are pretty much impossible to prevent (hanging, vehicle crashes, exhaust fumes) and not much less effective.

Murder rates by state are pretty interesting: 

States with the Lowest Murder Rates

North Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Wyoming all have murder rates that are under one murder per 100,000 residents.

North Dakota had a total of 15 murder deaths in 2017. The state also has the 14th lowest violent crime rate in the country and the ninth-lowest incarceration rate. The state is generally one of the safest; however, it has one of the highest suicide rates in the country.

Vermont also had only 15 murder deaths in 2017. With the second-lowest violent crime rate in the country of 165.8 incidents per 100,000 people and the second-lowest number of assaults per capita, Vermont is considered to be the second-safest state all around.

New Hampshire had a total of 17 murders in 2017. New Hampshire has the fourth-fewest assaults per capita and is considered to be the sixth-safest state in the U.S. New Hampshire also has the third-lowest violent crime rate in the country of 198.7 per 100,000 residents.

Maine has the lowest murder rate in the United States with less than 1 murder per 100,000 residents. Maine had a total of 19 murders in 2017. Maine is also the third-safest state in the United States with the lowest number of assaults per capita of any state. Some of the safest cities in Maine are Sabattus, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, and Eliot.

Rhode Island also had a total of 19 murders. Rhode Island is considered to be the most peaceful state in the United States. Violent crimes are relatively uncommon in Rhode Island with a rate of 232.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, the ninth-lowest in the country.

Wyoming had only 19 murders in 2017 as well. Wyoming has the smallest population of any state in the U.S. and they say that with a small population comes a small crime rate. The safest cities in Wyoming are Kemmerer, Glenrock, and Worland.

Only Rhode Island can be considered antigun. Note that North Dakota has a very low murder rate, but very high suicide rate. This is generally true across the West. Complicating this is that Native Americans are more common in the West and have more than twice the U.S. suicide rate.