The United States is the butt of many political jokes in Europe, especially when it comes to issues like gun violence. Europe likes to hold itself up on a pedestal for heavily restricting firearms and lowering the number of gun deaths it deals with. However, not only has that led to a rise in other crimes, such as a knife crime epidemic, where European officials are even considering banning certain kitchen knives, but statistics suggest Europe has a greater problem. And one that is laughable in a first-world country.
In Europe, there are more deaths due to a lack of air conditioning than the U.S. has in gun deaths, both in total and on a per-capita basis.
Lack of air conditioning is a bigger threat to life than gun violence.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 22, 2026
Where is Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Giffords, Brady, Sandy Hook Promise?
Instead of targeting law abiding gun owners, those groups would save more lives if they demanded everyone have air conditioning. https://t.co/6FRr0cfG5X
In 2024, the U.S. saw 44,447 Americans die as a result of gun violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And yet in Europe, just between June and September, 62,775 people died as a result of overheating or other heat-related illnesses.
A basic first-world tool like AC is far less common in Europe for a variety of reasons. Electricity costs there are, on average, about two to three times higher than those in the United States, and Europe is generally less willing to use energy-intensive appliances like air conditioning in pursuit of its climate goals. So not only is the continent reliant on foreign adversaries for much of its energy, but the limited energy it does have is not used to prevent heat-related deaths.
In other words, Europe might have fewer gun deaths than the United States, but it is still vulnerable to the climate, a problem faced by developing countries.
As conservatives across the West point out, these tragedies are easily mitigated by embracing fossil fuels, while humanity spearheads technological innovation to help forward efforts to maintain the planet’s health. But Europeans seem willing to let their little to no progress they are making now trump the lives of over 60,000 Europeans.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
Help us continue to report on and expose the Democrats’ gun control policies and schemes. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member