Bimmerman Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Being a gun owner and hunter, I'd have to vote to keep guns. I recently did a report for school on concealed carry laws and their effects on violent crime. While researching, I stumbled upon some interesting statistics and papers. "John Lott and David Mustard, in connection with the University of Chicago Law School, examining crime statistics from 1977 to 1992 for all U.S. counties, concluded that the thirty-one states allowing their residents to carry concealed, had significant reductions in violent crime. Lott writes, "Our most conservative estimates show that by adopting shall-issue laws, states reduced murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7% and robbery by 3%. If those states that did not permit concealed handguns in 1992 had permitted them back then, citizens might have been spared approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults and 12,000 robberies. To put it even more simply criminals, we found, respond rationally to deterrence threats... While support for strict gun-control laws usually has been strongest in large cities, where crime rates are highest, that's precisely where right-to-carry laws have produced the largest drops in violent crimes." (Source: "More Guns, Less Violent Crime", Professor John R. Lott, Jr., The Wall Street Journal, August 28, 1996, (The Rule of Law column). When Florida enacted shall-issue legislation in 1987, the homicide rate fell faster than the national average. David Kopel, Research Director at the Independence Institute comments on Florida's concealed carry experience: "What we can say with some confidence is that allowing more people to carry guns does not cause an increase in crime. In Florida, where 315,000 permits have been issued, there are only five known instances of violent gun crime by a person with a permit. This makes a permit-holding Floridian the cream of the crop of law-abiding citizens, 840 times less likely to commit a violent firearm crime than a randomly selected Floridian without a permit." ("More Permits Mean Less Crime..." Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19, 1996, Monday, p. B-5) Finally, one more piece of evidence in favor of concealed carry laws, from http://www.justfacts.com/gun_control.htm, a compilation of statistics and research about all aspects of gun control: Florida adopted a right-to-carry law in 1987. Between 1987 and 1996, these changes occurred: *******************Florida ******United States homicide rate ********* -36% ****** -0.4% firearm homicide rate ****-37% ****** +15% handgun homicide rate ***-41% ****** +24% In summation, concealed carry laws cause a measureable decrease in violent crime. Getting rid of guns would therefore be detrimental to public safety, even though it is a very politically correct idea. (I'm sorry if the table is hard to read; I couldn't figure out another way to make it work) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth InSidious Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Rifles are only .22 calibre, revolvers have to be of an oblsolete nature. I saw an article in The Times about the Olympic team trying to get the laws relaxed as at the momment they are training in Switzerland. You can fire 7.62mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 In summation, concealed carry laws cause a measureable decrease in violent crime. Getting rid of guns would therefore be detrimental to public safety, even though it is a very politically correct idea.But why are they needed for public safety? Do most Americans feel that their law enforcement and/or government cannot provide that safety and so they have to provide it themselves? What are you requiring safety from? For those US posters, what do you feel is the reason for the high murder rate in American cities compared to elsewhere (for example, in Canada)? I find that a fascinating topic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth InSidious Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Certainly, Canada has as many guns as the US, so it can't be that...Maybe it's mentality? The USA gained independance and national identity by bloody rebellion, Canada was gained independance through fear of another. National identity is debatable, considering the Canadian national anthem was only chosen in 1980... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Obi-Wan Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Certainly, Canada has as many guns as the US No. Certainly not. Well, at least not after this up coming election. There will be a lot more restrictions and rules towards guns. Especially because of the crime rate increasing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukeiamyourdad Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 In summation, concealed carry laws cause a measureable decrease in violent crime. Getting rid of guns would therefore be detrimental to public safety, even though it is a very politically correct idea. A statement backed only by numbers. Correlation plausible, but does not paint the whole picture. A lot of other countries have gun restrictions yet lower crime rates. Your argument then loses most of its ground. Basically, you base it all on the numbers you see. Yes, there is a correlation in Florida between the concealed carry laws and crime rate. However, it is only a correlation, meaning that there could be other causes for the crime rate going down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Com Raven Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 No way! I love the hardware I handled in the army, and may even get me a license to own some heat one day. That is not to say that I endorse war or violence of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 The "guns cause violence" argument is just about as intelligent as "video games cause violence." I personally own three rifles, one shotgun, two handguns, a recurve bow, and a compound bow. All of the firearms are kept in a fireproof safe, with the combination kept from the younger members of my family. I use all of my weapons for hunting, which feeds my family quite handily and cheaply, and for pleasure, target shooting, plinking, etc. In spite of my "arsenal" never have I once considered turning one or all against my fellow man. Granted, if I walked in on my house being robbed, or my family being attacked, my considerations would change, but that seems to be a valid exception to the rule. Guns or bows, or spears, or swords or video games are not the cause. People who do not value life, common sense, or responsibility, are the cause, and always will be. Anti gun laws only affect the law abiders like myself. If it suddenly became illegal to own a gun, I would definately give mine up to the proper authorities (albeit unhappily) However, the local idiots who buy their guns with the serial numbers filed off, out of the back of some other idiots van, would continue to get their guns from the idiot's van, or the disgruntled government workers basement, or the crack addicts back yard. Like now, those who can't afford a gun, would still find a bigass knife, to terrorize those who they see as easy prey. But if less violence is the goal, then harsher punishment for law breakers would be a better start than banning guns. my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnaGuard Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Don't really care whether they go or stay. I just picked one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachineCult Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Leave them here, I collected almost 30 bb guns when I was a kid and now I own 2 over and under and a pump-action shotgun and a Mauser C96 w/stock (they're only legal with a stock where I live.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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