Unit 3 AOS 2

Question 1

Animal Cruelty Statistics

Answer 1

• Scientist calculated in 2013 for the journal poultry science that if humans grow at a similar rate that chickens grew for poultry farming a 3 kg newborn baby would weigh 300 kg after two months
• today more than 200 million land animals worldwide are slaughtered every day according to the UN food and agricultural organization which is 80 billion animals a year the number of people who have ever lived is estimated at 117 billion
• In a recent study, test subjects were sharing a photograph of a typical industrial-scale chicken coop and asking “would you be happy to buy a chicken from here?” more than 75% said no
• Chickens who are farmed for their meat often live short and painful lives as their rapid growth causes them to suffer various ailments including lameness and chronic heart and lung conditions. Baby chickens may sometimes suffer organ failure weeks after they hatch.

Question 2

Gun Violence Statistics

Answer 2

• Gun violence is a daily scourge that threatens our most fundamental right: the right to life. More than 600 people die every day as a result of firearms violence, which is driven in part by easy access to firearms – whether legal or illegal.
• Up to 71% of all homicides globally involve gun violence.
• In 2022, there were 46 school shootings, more than in any year since 1999, inflicting untold harm on children who witness the gun violence or are left cowering in classrooms, trying to hide from it.
• With more than 25% of children witnessing an act of violence in their homes, schools, or community over the past year, and more than 5% witnessing a shooting, it becomes not just an issue of gun regulation, but also of addressing the impact on those who have been traumatized by such violence (Finkelhor et al., 2009).
• CWLA’s National Blueprint points out that children and youth exposed to chronic trauma can experience inhibited brain development, producing a lasting impact on life outcomes. Likely a result of such exposure, participants noted numerous skill deficits among the children and youth they serve who live in neighborhoods that have high rates of poverty and crime. As suggested by the research, many children experience problems with violence and aggression because they lack nonviolent conflict-resolution skills.
• In 2023, it was estimated that 32% of U.S. adults personally own a gun, while 42% of households have at least one firearm. This translates to approximately 75 million individuals owning guns. The U.S. has the highest estimated number of guns per capita globally, with 120.5 guns for every 100 people.

Question 3

Gun violence policies

Answer 3

• International standards recommend prohibiting any possession of firearms without a licence; that states should register all firearms; and that unlicensed possession should be treated as a criminal offence.
• A firearms licence should be subject to certain criteria. For example, the applicant should undergo a comprehensive background check to identify any risks, such as:
  a criminal record
  history of problematic use of drugs/alcohol, emotional issues, mental health conditions and
  any other circumstances which heighten the risks of the harm to self or others using firearms.
• Gun licences should be time-limited and training on how to use the weapon should be mandatory. The number and type of weapons that an individual can possess should also be strictly limited in line with the principles of necessity and credible justification.
• Some firearms and ammunition represent an unacceptable level of risk to public safety and should be banned for personal use. These should include, at a minimum, fully automatic firearms, semi-automatic assault rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and semi-automatic submachine guns.

Question 4

example of working gun reform

Answer 4

• Following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, in which 35 people were killed and many more injured by a lone gunman, Australia moved to enact sweeping gun reforms.
• Since then, murders and suicides by gun have plummeted. Between 1996 and 2019, firearm deaths more than halved.