According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), firearms were used in 8 out of 10 homicides in the United States in 2021, and approximately 21,000 people died. This is his highest rate since 1968, when the CDC began keeping online records. When self-inflicted gun deaths are included, the United States has about four times as many gun deaths as the next-highest number of gun deaths.
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), mass shootings and deaths in the United States jumped to about 4 times Since 2013.
Currently, less than 1 percent of Americans are immigrants, but that number is growing as more families move abroad. Most cited factors such as increased remote work, technology tools such as language apps, and the attractiveness of more affordable housing and health care. However, more and more people are now considering or considering making the transition. protect yourself and their families gun violence And a mass shooting incident.
The United States is known worldwide for its high number of gun deaths. In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, violent crimes involving tourists are rare; Travel advisory issued About domestic extremism, open carry laws, and how to respond to active shooters.
cutting gun control
Although most Americans support stricter gun lawslawmakers in some states passed more gun rights, including concealed carry without a permit. florida and texas. tennessee He refused to consider a red flag law proposed by the Republican governor in response to the deaths of three school children.
This disconnect is causing parents to look for new ways to protect their children from guns, including moving abroad. This transition is evidenced by the following results: overseas travel test22.7% of respondents who added personal motivations for moving abroad cited gun violence, mass shootings, and safety.
Parents considering immigration
Kansas State’s Drew Mannone is one such example. “I have a toddler and am currently pregnant. I’m worried about my kids going to school, about my Mexican husband leaving home because he might face racists, and even more so as a black woman. The amount of anxiety I experience has skyrocketed over the past five years when I think about things like the thought of being alone in public.”
Manon and her husband are considering Canada, where people are killed by firearms. 5 per 100,000 people compared to 4.12 per 100,000 people in the United States.
Erica Radcliffe lives in Minnesota with her husband and toddler. she says: She said, “I refuse to buy her a bulletproof backpack. She doesn’t deserve to live in fear. Her biggest concern is not what to hide or fight, but what to show. It should be a matter of telling them.”
Radcliffe’s family is considering PortugalSpain or Germany, the number of gun deaths per 100,000 people is 0.4, 0.12 and 0.08 respectively.
Cheryl Carter Holdaway is a mother of two who lives in California. She explains: number one cause of death in children It feels impossible to stay in America. It feels like a primal instinct to keep my children (ages 8 and 11) away from this danger. ”
Like many American parents, she has first-hand stories of children facing gun violence. “When my eldest son was in kindergarten, we had our first lockdown because a man with a gun walked past the campus multiple times. When I got the alert, and my heart sank, We’ll never forget those times. We’re disgusted.”
Holdaway’s husband is a remote worker, so they are considering countries such as: Digital nomad visa. Holdaway is open to moving with her family on student visas and pursuing a graduate degree.
Janelle Deere is a mother of three who lives in Florida. she says: “I have three children, two in elementary school and one in kindergarten. Our kindergarten went on lockdown a few months ago because a shooter was in the area. Driving as safely as I could and picking her up early, shaking, it’s a memory I won’t soon forget. Gun violence is a daily occurrence here, so we can’t forget it. .”
Like many parents, they are torn between keeping their children safe and trying to change local laws. “I honestly feel sorry for wanting to move away from this country because this is our home,” Diehl admits. “More importantly, so many Americans don’t have the means to move overseas. If we don’t come together and demand action, everyone will be left behind. And I remember vividly what happened at Columbine, too. Not much has changed. In fact, it’s gotten worse. So how do we keep our children safe if the government refuses? Others It’s time to focus on the country.”
Young people and teachers also retire.
People without children are also fleeing gun violence. Kifer Green, an Arizona engineer, argues: I couldn’t imagine having a family in America. ”
The United States has more guns per capita than any other country, at 1.21. Yemen is a distant second, with 53 guns per capita. The United States does not have the most gun homicides (18th), but it does have the most mass shootings.
In this case, a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed, and that number is growing, with 476 mass shootings so far this year. CNN reports that 40 million Americans currently live in within 1 mile The scene of the shooting.
Green, who is considering a move to Europe, hasn’t forgotten that. He has visited Germany, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, and plans to visit Portugal and Spain before choosing his new home.he was in berlin during that period Hamburg shooting incident, one of only two in Germany this year, but that didn’t bother him. “I’d rather live in a place where there are two mass shootings a year than two a day,” he says.
Lee Kane Muto lives in Washington, DC and works as a teacher. she says: “I teach high school, and that’s one of the biggest reasons for moving. I live in Virginia, where there’s a trial going on and the police are getting shot at. decided it was a natural fit for the job.”
Alex Magnus is a high school student from Alabama who wants to attend a safer, more tuition-free university in Germany. They point out: “I’ve had gunman threats since I was in middle school. There were many times my classmates and I had to hide until everything cleared. I don’t understand why this won’t be an issue in college. I don’t know.” August UNC Student Newspaper printed text Between classmates confronting an active shooter.
“It should be safe.”
Several parents mourned the untimely loss of their American children to gunfire. “My heart hurts for the parents who lost their children and for the children who had to experience such random acts of violence in what should have been a safe place of learning,” Manon said. Ta.
This article was created by Media decisions Syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Jen is the co-founder of Expatsi, a site that matches Americans with the best countries to move to and assists them with the immigration process. She and her partner Brett are planning to go to Mexico, where she hosts TikTok Live events and her Facebook group to answer questions and build a community with other people looking to leave the United States.
