Firearm laws work
"We found evidence that stronger firearm laws are associated with reductions in firearm homicide rates. The strongest evidence is for laws that strengthen background checks and that require a permit to purchase a firearm. The effect of many of the other specific types of laws is uncertain, specifically laws to curb gun trafficking, improve child safety, ban military-style assault weapons, and restrict firearms in public places"
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582989
Lee LK, Fleegler EW, Farrell C, Avakame E, Srinivasan S, Hemenway D, Monuteaux MC. Firearm Laws and Firearm Homicides, A Systematic Review. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(1):106-119. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.7051
The Australia, Japan, Norway, and U.K approaches that delivered results:
- massive gun buyback programs
- stricter laws, testing, mental and background checks
- law enforcement and community partnerships
- ban of certain types of firearms
Interesting account of how firearms regulation work in Australia, from a first-person perspective:http://time.com/4172274/what-its-like-to-own-guns-in-a-country-with-strict-gun-control/
No guns, no gun-related homicides (d'uh!?)
JAPAN
"Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world. In 2014 there were just six gun deaths, compared to 33,599 in the US
(...)
"Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world. In 2014 there were just six gun deaths, compared to 33,599 in the US
(...)
Handguns are banned outright. Only shotguns and air rifles are allowed
(...)
(...)
The law restricts the number of gun shops. In most of Japan's 40 or so prefectures there can be no more than three, and you can only buy fresh cartridges by returning the spent cartridges you bought on your last visit
The result is a very low level of gun ownership - 0.6 guns per 100 people in 2007, according to the Small Arms Survey, compared to 6.2 in England and Wales and 88.8 in the US"
HONG KONG
Nobody has real guns (as opposed to Airsoft) in Hong Kong besides for the police, army, private security. As a result, there has been no gun homicides for over 10 years. Not one!
"In Hong Kong and Macau, gun ownership is tightly controlled and possession is mainly in the hands of law enforcement, military, and private security firms (providing protection for jewelers and banks). Under Section 13 of Cap 238 Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance of the Hong Kong law, a license is required for unrestricted firearms and ammunition.[36] A license may be issued after a rigorous process to check for criminal records or a history of mental illness. License holders may store other firearms at home in a locked box, but ammunition must be kept at a different premises."
Gun ownership level is a significant predictor of firearm homicide rates
"Results. Gun ownership was a significant predictor of firearm homicide rates (incidence rate ratio = 1.009; 95% confidence interval = 1.004, 1.014). This model indicated that for each percentage point increase in gun ownership, the firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9%.
Conclusions. We observed a robust correlation between higher levels of gun ownership and higher firearm homicide rates. Although we could not determine causation, we found that states with higher rates of gun ownership had disproportionately large numbers of deaths from firearm-related homicides"
Michael Siegel, MD, MPH,corresponding author Craig S. Ross, MBA, and Charles King, III, JD, PhDThe Relationship Between Gun Ownership and Firearm Homicide Rates in the United States, 1981–2010
Am J Public Health. 2013 November; 103(11): 2098–2105.
Published online 2013 November. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301409
Am J Public Health. 2013 November; 103(11): 2098–2105.
Published online 2013 November. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301409
"Our review of the academic literature found that a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries. Case-control studies, ecological time-series and cross-sectional studies indicate that in homes, cities, states and regions in the U.S., where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide""We analyzed the relationship between homicide and gun availability using data from 26 developed countries from the early 1990s. We found that across developed countries, where guns are more available, there are more homicides. These results often hold even when the United States is excluded"
"Using survey data on rates of household gun ownership, we examined the association between gun availability and homicide across states, 2001-2003. We found that states with higher levels of household gun ownership had higher rates of firearm homicide and overall homicide. This relationship held for both genders and all age groups, after accounting for rates of aggravated assault, robbery, unemployment, urbanization, alcohol consumption, and resource deprivation (e.g., poverty). There was no association between gun prevalence and non-firearm homicide"
"Differences in rates of homicides of Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) across states are best explained not by differences in crime, but by differences in household gun ownership. In high gun states, LEOs are 3 times more likely to be murdered than LEOs working in low-gun states"
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/
(Individual sources listed in the link)
(Individual sources listed in the link)
Self-defense use of firearms
"In 2005, Florida amended its self-defense laws to provide legal immunity to individuals using lethal force in self-defense. The enactment of “stand your ground” laws in the United States has been controversial and their effect on rates of homicide and homicide by firearm is uncertain
(...)
We found that the implementation of Florida’s stand your ground law was associated with a 24.4% increase in homicide and a 31.6% increase in firearm-related homicide.
Meaning The removal of restrictions on when and where individuals can use lethal force was associated with a significant increase in homicide and homicide by firearm in Florida"
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582988
Is a misnomer; firearms are mostly not used for self-defense:
"We find that the claim of many millions of annual self-defense gun uses by American citizens is invalid"
"We find that the claim of many millions of annual self-defense gun uses by American citizens is invalid"
"Most purported self-defense gun uses are gun uses in escalating arguments, and are both socially undesirable and illegal"
"Firearms are used far more often to intimidate than in self-defense"
"Self-defense gun use is rare and not more effective at preventing injury than other protective actions"
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/
(Individual sources listed in the link)
(Individual sources listed in the link)
Argument of the gun lobby: Honduras
The gun lobby sometimes bring up Honduras as an example of a country where gun ownership is banned, yet firearm murder very high.
However, this is simply not true:
- Up until 1985, there was no official regulation of gun ownership and possession by private citizens
- Currently, "It is recognized the right of ownership and possession of firearms to citizens and foreign residents". That includes up to 5 firearms, including handguns, long-guns, an semi-automatic shotguns
- Assault and automatic weapons are banned
80% of Honduras gun crimes are committed with unregistered guns.
"Contributing to the amount of unregistered guns circulating through Honduras is the fact that corrupt elements of the police and military are believed to sell weapons to the black market."
Clearly, Honduras has social problems preventing firearms regulation and limitations from ever working; no amount of laws will work in a corrupt framework.
Honduras is an example of failed state, not a good example of whether or not gun possession and/or legislation works or not.
Argument of the gun lobby: Switzerland
Switzerland is more the exception than the rule. And it does control weapons acquisition, registration, and use more tightly than the U.S.
" Swiss authorities decide on a local level whether to give people gun permits. They also keep a log of everyone who owns a gun in their region, known as a canton, though hunting rifles and some semiautomatic long arms are exempt from the permit requirement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Switzerlandhttps://www.loc.gov/law/help/firearms-control/switzerland.php
"Pro-gun types in America have long pointed to Switzerland as a country with supposedly lax rules, widespread ownership of arms, proud hunting and shooting cultures and few resulting criminal problems. As of late last century some 40% of Swiss households had a weapon, usually a military-issue rifle or pistol in a cupboard. Almost all men, having been conscripts, were familiar with small arms. They kept weapons at home because they had to refresh their shooting skills each year.
http://www.salon.com/2015/09/14/the_rights_deeply_misleading_new_gun_control_meme_america_should_be_more_like_switzerland/
http://factmyth.com/factoids/switzerland-requires-citizens-to-own-guns/
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/30/viral-image/viral-flawed-post-compares-honduras-switzerland-gu/
http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/the-swiss-difference-a-gun-culture-that-works/
http://www.beingfactual.com/are-these-claims-about-switzerlands-gun-ownership-true/
Gun-lobby myth debunking
" Swiss authorities decide on a local level whether to give people gun permits. They also keep a log of everyone who owns a gun in their region, known as a canton, though hunting rifles and some semiautomatic long arms are exempt from the permit requirement.
But cantonal police don't take their duty dolling out gun licenses lightly. They might consult a psychiatrist or talk with authorities in other cantons where a prospective gun buyer has lived before to vet the person."
http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2
Gun laws are much more restrictive than in the U.S. And the law does not, in any way, force gun ownership.http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Switzerlandhttps://www.loc.gov/law/help/firearms-control/switzerland.php
"Pro-gun types in America have long pointed to Switzerland as a country with supposedly lax rules, widespread ownership of arms, proud hunting and shooting cultures and few resulting criminal problems. As of late last century some 40% of Swiss households had a weapon, usually a military-issue rifle or pistol in a cupboard. Almost all men, having been conscripts, were familiar with small arms. They kept weapons at home because they had to refresh their shooting skills each year.
Yet Switzerland is not a gun-lover’s paradise. In fact, it is a model for the benefits of restricting gun use. Ownership rates have tumbled in this century, especially after the army cut the number of conscripts by four-fifths. It now puts recruits through psychological checks to weed out the violent, depressive or criminal. Soldiers may still store weapons at home, but no longer with ammunition. On leaving the army, ex-soldiers must be cleared by police before buying their military-issue weapons. As a result, fewer do so. Civilian buyers need police permits too, while juries screen applicants at shooting clubs. 'It is a bit state and a bit social responsibility. It works very well,' says Mr Vo-Thanh.
One spur to tighter rules was a mass shooting, in which 14 people died, in Zug in 2001. Public enthusiasm for guns has declined. Although voters rejected seven years ago a proposal to ban home-storage of weapons, fewer people do so. According to an estimate in 2016, only 24% of Swiss own guns. Increasingly it is the elderly who attend shooting clubs. Many store their weapons there.
The reduced availability of weapons has coincided with—and helps to explain—steadily falling rates of suicide and murder in which guns are used, as well as lower levels of all types of killings. The rate of gun homicides in 2015, 0.2 per 100,000 people, was roughly half the level of the late 1990s. In contrast, America’s figure was 4.0; and over the same period it has barely budged."
http://www.salon.com/2015/09/14/the_rights_deeply_misleading_new_gun_control_meme_america_should_be_more_like_switzerland/
http://factmyth.com/factoids/switzerland-requires-citizens-to-own-guns/
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/30/viral-image/viral-flawed-post-compares-honduras-switzerland-gu/
http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/the-swiss-difference-a-gun-culture-that-works/
http://www.beingfactual.com/are-these-claims-about-switzerlands-gun-ownership-true/
Gun-lobby myth debunking
Myth: The
AR-15 is a hunting rifle, not a military weapon, nor an assault rifle. It just
looks like a M-16
Reality:
Reality:
While it may no longer be used by the military, it certainly was designed for that purpose, and used in the Vietnam war.
“The ArmaLite AR-15 was designed to be a lightweight assault rifle and to fire a new high-velocity, lightweight, small-caliber cartridge to allow the infantrymen to carry more ammunition.
(…)
In July 1960, General Curtis LeMay, then Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, was impressed by a demonstration of the AR-15 and ordered 8500 rifles.[38] In the meantime, the Army would continue testing the AR-15, finding that the intermediate cartridge .223 (5.56mm) rifle is much easier to shoot than the standard 7.62mm NATO M14 rifle”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArmaLite_AR-15#Armalite_AR-15
Myth: High-capacity
magazines bans would be ineffective because stats show that mass-shootings are
done with magazine of 10 rounds or less and that shooters instead use lots of magazines
as they only take seconds to replace.
Reality:
That has to be the silliest argument ever made! The argument for semi-automatic riffle control is that they let mass-shooters mass shoot! That would be next to impossible with a riffle that takes 20-30 seconds to recharge between each shot… like a hunting rifle for example. What needs to be controlled is any weapon that lets a criminal shoot at a rate greater than one shot every 10-20 seconds.
Reality:
That has to be the silliest argument ever made! The argument for semi-automatic riffle control is that they let mass-shooters mass shoot! That would be next to impossible with a riffle that takes 20-30 seconds to recharge between each shot… like a hunting rifle for example. What needs to be controlled is any weapon that lets a criminal shoot at a rate greater than one shot every 10-20 seconds.
Myth: AR-15
is not the weapon of choice for most mass shooters, most mass shootings are
done with hand-guns. Banning the AR-15 would not do anything
Reality: While true, that statement obfuscates two important facts;
1. Most mass-shootings are done using semi-automatic hand-guns, so the length of the gun is mostly a technicality. What matters is the magazine capacity (up to 17 in a Glock)
2. It is not on a whim that the AR-15 is targeted for ban; some of the deadliest shootings have indeed been done using the AR-15.
Las Vegas, Colo. : 59 dead, 851 injured
Sutherland Springs church shooting, Texas : 27 dead, 20 injured
Reality: While true, that statement obfuscates two important facts;
1. Most mass-shootings are done using semi-automatic hand-guns, so the length of the gun is mostly a technicality. What matters is the magazine capacity (up to 17 in a Glock)
2. It is not on a whim that the AR-15 is targeted for ban; some of the deadliest shootings have indeed been done using the AR-15.
Las Vegas, Colo. : 59 dead, 851 injured
Sutherland Springs church shooting, Texas : 27 dead, 20 injured
Orlando
nightclub shooting, Florida : 50 dead,
58 injured
Furthermore, the vast majority of the mass-shootings were done using semi-automatic weapons, whether riffles or handguns. What about a ban?
An assault-rifle ban was actually tested in the U.S. between 1994 and until its expiration in 2004. While imperfect since the existing guns were still left in circulation and the ban didn’t cover all semi-automatic weapons, there were nonetheless measurable positive results.
Had the ban been covering all semi-automatic weapons and covered retirement of existing gun-base, it is hard to deny the positive outcome it would have had on reducing gun-related crime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?utm_term=.1c66b721e73f https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/15/its-time-to-bring-back-the-assault-weapons-ban-gun-violence-experts-say/?utm_term=.a7a152a90d8c
Myth: There is no
gun-problem in the U.S., compared with the rest of the world, the U.S. actually
suffers a murder rate well below the global average
Reality: One of the most disingenuous statement that can be made. It is hard to see that statement as nothing but an attempt to derive the conclusion that the U.S. is pretty much middle-of-the-road when it comes to murder rate when, in fact, it is much higher than all of the first world nations. Do the proponents of these stats really want to be in the same rate-range as failed-states such as Somalia or Rwanda? (because it currently is).
Reality: One of the most disingenuous statement that can be made. It is hard to see that statement as nothing but an attempt to derive the conclusion that the U.S. is pretty much middle-of-the-road when it comes to murder rate when, in fact, it is much higher than all of the first world nations. Do the proponents of these stats really want to be in the same rate-range as failed-states such as Somalia or Rwanda? (because it currently is).
A few selected data points from the rankings by UNODC:
In red are the top 5 most murderous countries. In gray, the U.S. with the next 5 more murderous, and next 5 less murderous. Then, in green, the rates for the rest of the first-world nations.
To crystalize the facts and using the same data,
let’s just compare the U.S. to its G7 peers (and a few of Asia’s micro-states
that I know very well… just because). The percentages represent the excess
murder rate of the U.S over the listed country…
Furthermore, while the U.S. does have an abnormal murder-rate, the myth hides the fact that the gun-related rates are much, much worse; with the U.S. up to 25 times the rate of under developed nations.
On the bright side, with an aging population, it is likely that the lowering-homicide trend is going to continue in the U.S. and in the rest of the world.
Furthermore, while the U.S. does have an abnormal murder-rate, the myth hides the fact that the gun-related rates are much, much worse; with the U.S. up to 25 times the rate of under developed nations.
On the bright side, with an aging population, it is likely that the lowering-homicide trend is going to continue in the U.S. and in the rest of the world.
However, it hardly justifies doing nothing and accept this U.S.
‘exceptionalism’.
http://time.com/4206484/america-violent-death-rate-higher/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate
http://time.com/4206484/america-violent-death-rate-higher/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate
Myth: Mass-shootings
are only a small slice of the total gun-related deaths in the U.S
Reality:
True. Now, what’s your point?
Reality:
True. Now, what’s your point?
The following 10 are from James Alan Fox, http://archive.boston.com/community/blogs/crime_punishment/2012/12/top_10_myths_about_mass_shooti.html
Myth: Mass shootings are on the rise.
Myth: Mass shootings are on the rise.
Reality: “Over
the past three decades, there has been an average of 20 mass shootings a year
in the United States, each with at least four victims killed by gunfire.
Occasionally, and mostly by sheer coincidence, several episodes have been
clustered closely in time. Overall, however, there has not been an upward
trajectory. To the contrary, the real growth has been in the style and
pervasiveness of news-media coverage, thanks in large part to technological
advances in reporting.”
Myth:
Mass murderers snap and kill indiscriminately.
Reality: “Mass
murderers typically plan their assaults for days, weeks, or months. They are
deliberate in preparing their missions and determined to follow through, no
matter what impediments are placed in their path.”
Myth:
Enhanced background checks will keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of
these madmen.
Reality: “Most
mass murderers do not have criminal records or a history of psychiatric
hospitalization. They would not be disqualified from purchasing their weapons
legally. Certainly, people cannot be denied their Second Amendment rights just
because they look strange or act in an odd manner. Besides, mass killers could
always find an alternative way of securing the needed weaponry, even if they
had to steal from family members or friends.”
Myth:
Restoring the federal ban on assault weapons will prevent these horrible
crimes.
Reality: “The
overwhelming majority of mass murderers use firearms that would not be
restricted by an assault-weapons ban. In fact, semiautomatic handguns are far
more prevalent in mass shootings. Of course, limiting the size of ammunition
clips would at least force a gunman to pause to reload or switch weapons.”
JC’s note: as per prior Myth;
issue is indeed semi-automatic weapons, including assault rifles. That’s what
the ban should cover.
Myth:
Greater attention and response to the tell-tale warning signs will allow us to
identify would-be mass killers before they act.
Reality: “While
there are some common features in the profile of a mass murderer (depression,
resentment, social isolation, tendency to blame others for their misfortunes,
fascination with violence, and interest in weaponry), those characteristics are
all fairly prevalent in the general population. Any attempt to predict would
produce many false positives. Actually, the tell-tale warning signs come into
clear focus only after the deadly deed.”
JC’s note: Early identification
and prevention is, at best, wishful thinking. The root cause is the
unrestricted availability of guns and ammunitions
Myth:
Widening the availability of mental-health services and reducing the stigma
associated with mental illness will allow unstable individuals to get the
treatment they need.
Reality: “With
their tendency to externalize blame and see themselves as victims of
mistreatment, mass murderers perceive the problem to be in others, not
themselves. They would generally resist attempts to encourage them to seek
help. And, besides, our constant references to mass murderers as ‘wackos’ or ‘sickos’
don’t do much to destigmatize the mentally ill.”
Myth:
Increasing security in schools and other places will deter mass murder.
Reality: “Most
security measures will serve only as a minor inconvenience for those who are
dead set on mass murder. If anything, excessive security and a fortress-like
environment serve as a constant reminder of danger and vulnerability.”
Myth:
Students need to be prepared for the worst by participating in lockdown drills.
Reality: “Lockdown
drills can be very traumatizing, especially for young children. Also, it is
questionable whether they would recall those lessons amid the hysteria associated
with an actual shooting. The faculty and staff need to be adequately trained,
and the kids just advised to listen to instructions. Schools should take the
same low-key approach to the unlikely event of a shooting as the airlines do to
the unlikely event of a crash. Passengers aren’t drilled in evacuation
procedures but can assume the crew is sufficiently trained.”
Myth:
Expanding right to carry provisions will deter mass killers or at least stop
them in their tracks and reduce the body counts.
Reality: “Mass
killers are often described by surviving witnesses as being relaxed and calm
during their rampages, owing to their level of planning. In contrast, the rest
of us are taken by surprise and respond frantically. A sudden and wild shootout
involving the assailant and citizens armed with concealed weapons would
potentially catch countless innocent victims in the crossfire.”
Myth: We
just need to enforce existing gun laws as well as increase the threat of the
death penalty.
Reality: “Mass
killers typically expect to die, usually by their own hand or else by first
responders. Nothing in the way of prosecution or punishment would divert them
from their missions. They are ready to leave their miserable existence but want
some payback first.”
Myth: Owning a gun makes
you safer
Reality:
Reality:
“Numerous studies have found that gun ownership increases the risk of
both gun-related homicides and suicides.
• Guns in the home are particularly dangerous for victims of domestic
violence. The
presence of a gun in a home with a history of domestic violence
increases the risk that a woman will be killed by 500 percent.
• Guns intended for self-defence are commonly involved in fatal
accidents. Studies have shown that across states, higher levels of gun
ownership are linked to higher rates of unintentional firearm deaths
• Guns are used far more often in criminal homicides than in justifiable
acts of self-defence. In 2014, for every self-defence gun homicide in the
United States, guns were used in 34 criminal homicides”
Myth: The only thing that
stops a bad buy with a gun is a good guy with a gun
Reality: “Armed
citizens rarely successfully intervene to stop an active shooter
• An FBI study of 160 active-shooting incidents from 2000 to 2013 found
that only one was stopped by an individual with a valid firearms permit. In
contrast, 21 incidents were stopped by unarmed citizens
• Armed citizens can worsen the outcome of a mass shooting. During the
2011 shooting in Tucson, Arizona, an armed bystander misidentified the
perpetrator and almost shot the wrong person
• Expansive concealed carry permitting laws are linked to an increase in
violent crime. A 2017 study by researchers at Stanford University found that,
10 years after enacting these laws, states experienced a 13 percent to 15
percent rise in violent crimes
• Using a gun for defence during a robbery has no significant benefits.
A 2015 analysis by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
of the National Crime Victimization Survey found that the likelihood of
sustaining an injury during a robbery was nearly identical between people who
attempted to defend themselves with a gun and those who took no defensive
action
• A gun is more likely to be stolen than used to stop a crime. According
to a CAP analysis of the National Crime Victimization Survey, guns are nearly
twice as likely to be stolen than to be used for self-defence”
• “In an independent study commissioned by the National Gun Victims
Action Council, researchers put 77 participants with varying levels of firearms
training through three realistic self-defense scenarios. In the first, seven of
the participants shot an innocent bystander. Almost all of the participants in
the first and second scenarios who engaged the "bad guy" were killed.
And in the final scenario, 23% of the participants fired at a suspect who
didn't actually pose a threat”
https://dscumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/100417_GunLobbyMythFact-factsheet1.pdf http://www.gunvictimsaction.org/downloads22/FirearmsTrainings%20_StudyDocument_F_062115.pdf
Myth: Mass shooters
specifically target gun-free zones
Reality: A
small percentage of mass shootings occur in locations where guns are prohibitedhttps://dscumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/100417_GunLobbyMythFact-factsheet1.pdf
Myth: Gun laws do not work because criminals do not follow the law
Reality: “Gun laws are effective at reducing gun violence
• A 2016 CAP study found that the 10 states with
the weakest gun laws have an aggregate level of gun violence that is more than
three times higher than the 10 states with the strongest gun laws
• Research by Everytown for Gun Safety found that
states that require background checks for all handgun sales have significantly
lower rates of intimate partner gun homicides of women; law enforcement
officers killed with handguns; and gun-related suicides
• Two studies by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health demonstrated
the impact of permit-to-purchase laws that include
a background check requirement.
When Connecticut implemented this law, gun
homicides in the state fell 40 percent.
When Missouri repealed a similar law, gun homicides
in that state rose 25 percent”
https://dscumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/100417_GunLobbyMythFact-factsheet1.pdf
Myth: There are more guns
now than ever in the U.S, yet there is less gun-crime, proving that less guns
don’t mean less gun-crime
Reality:
The argument for gun control is to restrict guns
and ammunition accessibility and regulate who, where, and for what purpose they
can be used so guns are not used to kill people. Switzerland and Canada have
quite a lot of guns but their use is quite well regulated.
Furthermore, and more importantly, gun ownership has NOT been increasing, it
actually has been stable to decreasing. What has been increasing is the number
of guns per gun-owner:
“The Gallup Organization has been tracking gun
ownership in their surveys over this time period as well, but their trend
suggests no consistent decline. A Gallup survey in May 1972 found 43% reporting
having a gun in their home. The percentage subsequently fluctuated a great
deal, reaching a high of 51% in 1993 and a low of 34% in 1999 – but the
percentage saying they had a gun in their home last year was the same as it was
40 years earlier (43%).”
http://www.people-press.org/2013/03/12/section-3-gun-ownership-trends-and-demographics/#profile-guns
http://www.people-press.org/2013/03/12/section-3-gun-ownership-trends-and-demographics/#profile-guns
“The US population
continues to contain at least one firearm for every adult, and ownership is becoming increasingly
concentrated.
(…)
Almost half (48%) of all individual gun owners, corresponding to 13% of the US adult population, reported owning ⩾4 firearms. Household ownership followed a similar pattern, with 41% of firearm‐owning households reporting ownership of ⩾4 firearms (table 22).). The 20% of gun owners who owned the most guns possessed about 65% of the nation's guns”
(…)
Almost half (48%) of all individual gun owners, corresponding to 13% of the US adult population, reported owning ⩾4 firearms. Household ownership followed a similar pattern, with 41% of firearm‐owning households reporting ownership of ⩾4 firearms (table 22).). The 20% of gun owners who owned the most guns possessed about 65% of the nation's guns”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610545/
“Our review of the academic literature found that a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries. Case-control studies, ecological time-series and cross-sectional studies indicate that in homes, cities, states and regions in the U.S., where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide”
Hepburn, Lisa; Hemenway, David. Firearm availability and homicide: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal. 2004; 9:417-40
“Our review of the academic literature found that a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries. Case-control studies, ecological time-series and cross-sectional studies indicate that in homes, cities, states and regions in the U.S., where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide”
Hepburn, Lisa; Hemenway, David. Firearm availability and homicide: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal. 2004; 9:417-40
“We analyzed the relationship between homicide and
gun availability using data from 26 developed countries from the early
1990s. We found that across developed countries, where
guns are more available, there are more homicides. These results often hold even when the United
States is excluded.”
Hemenway,
David; Miller, Matthew. Firearm
availability and homicide rates across 26 high income countries. Journal of Trauma. 2000; 49:985-88
“Using survey data on rates of household gun
ownership, we examined the association between gun availability and homicide
across states, 2001-2003. We found that states with higher levels of
household gun ownership had higher rates of firearm homicide and overall
homicide. This relationship held for
both genders and all age groups, after accounting for rates of aggravated
assault, robbery, unemployment, urbanization, alcohol consumption, and resource
deprivation (e.g., poverty). There was
no association between gun prevalence and non-firearm homicide.”
Miller,
Matthew; Azrael, Deborah; Hemenway, David.
State-level homicide victimization rates in the U.S. in relation to
survey measures of household firearm ownership, 2001-2003. Social Science and Medicine. 2007; 64:656-64https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/
The bottom line is; limiting easy access to guns correlates strongly with reduced gun-related mortality in first-world nations.
Myth: "Largest
mass-shootings are Islamism-related"
Reality: Islamism is a whole different problem with other solutions. This is akin to make the statement that because there are wars, trying to fight crime is irrelevant.
It is silly argument…Reality: Islamism is a whole different problem with other solutions. This is akin to make the statement that because there are wars, trying to fight crime is irrelevant.
Myth: "
Chicago is more violent than Houston, yet has stricter gun laws"
Reality: “In the US gun laws
are not uniform between or even within states. Chicago has tight gun laws, but
the rest of Illinois does not and neither does Indiana. It was found that many
of Chicago’s guns come from surrounding areas in the state or Indiana. Firearms
travel from areas with loose gun laws to those with tight laws. Weak national
regulations undermine attempts at gun control everywhere. The number of illegal
firearms in circulation is a testament to the inadequacy of national gun laws.
Most gun violence occurs with such weapons. There are also other factors that
determine gun violence, but the guns themselves cannot be excused”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/walker-bragman/gun-myths_b_2585941.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/chicago-gun-trace-report-2017-454016983.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/walker-bragman/gun-myths_b_2585941.html
Myth: "The
second amendment is there to protect us from tyranny"
Reality: The amendment to the U.S. constitution were written at the U.S’ beginnings, with fragile institutions that the founding fathers believed needed protection by a “well regulated militia”. First, that militia needs to be “well-regulated”, which is all but the case today. Second, a militia in these days could reasonably defend the nation against a tyrannical leader due to more or less symmetrical powers; weapons were unsophisticated and the militia’s numbers could reasonably make-up for the difference. Today however, any U.S militia would be no match for the firepower of a tyrannical U.S government. Unless the proponents of the 2nd amendment want to claim that they need tanks, fighter-jets, rockets, etc… Do they?
Third and more importantly, what protects the U.S from tyranny is not guns, it is the strength of its democratic institutions that provide checks-and-balances. If the gun-lobby truly wanted to insure protection from their own government, they should vote to elect presidents that are adding more of these checks, instead of removing them…
Reality: The amendment to the U.S. constitution were written at the U.S’ beginnings, with fragile institutions that the founding fathers believed needed protection by a “well regulated militia”. First, that militia needs to be “well-regulated”, which is all but the case today. Second, a militia in these days could reasonably defend the nation against a tyrannical leader due to more or less symmetrical powers; weapons were unsophisticated and the militia’s numbers could reasonably make-up for the difference. Today however, any U.S militia would be no match for the firepower of a tyrannical U.S government. Unless the proponents of the 2nd amendment want to claim that they need tanks, fighter-jets, rockets, etc… Do they?
Third and more importantly, what protects the U.S from tyranny is not guns, it is the strength of its democratic institutions that provide checks-and-balances. If the gun-lobby truly wanted to insure protection from their own government, they should vote to elect presidents that are adding more of these checks, instead of removing them…
The gun lobby's spinsters
John Lott
"John Lott is a right-wing author who has made claims about the benefits of guns using fabricated evidence. To support his points on the Internet, he adopts various pseudonyms (known as sock puppets) who write in supporting John Lott and giving his books good reviews.
Lott is Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, where he 'studies crime, antitrust, education, gun control, campaign finance, and voting and legislative behavior'."https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Lott
"His book More Guns, Less Crime claims that on 98% of the occasions in which citizens use guns defensively, the mere production of a weapon causes the criminal to desist. These data were allegedly based on some 2000 interviews conducted by Lott himself. But when pushed for the survey data, Lott gave a hauntingly familiar explanation: His hard drive had been destroyed in a computer crash. Apparently the dogs in this controversy eat everyone's homework.
Wait. It gets even funnier. As the debate over gun laws spilled over from the scholarly journals to the Internet, Lott was defended passionately by a persistent ally named Mary Rosh. She attacked Lott's academic critics, including John Donohue of Stanford Law School, claiming in one posting that Lott had been the “best professor I ever had.” Alas for Lott and his case, Mary Rosh now turns out to be—John Lott!"
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/300/5618/393
Even some of the right-wing pro-guns seems to believe that Lott is a fraud:
"Lott claims to have lost all of his data due to a computer crash. He financed the survey himself and kept no financial records. He has forgotten the names of the students who allegedly helped with the survey and who supposedly dialed thousands of survey respondents long-distance from their own dorm rooms using survey software Lott can’t identify or produce.
Assuming the survey data was lost in a computer crash, it is still remarkable that Lott could not produce a single, contemporaneous scrap of paper proving the survey’s existence, such as the research protocol or survey instrument."http://www.wnd.com/2003/02/17110/
https://thinkprogress.org/debunking-john-lott-5456e83cf326/
https://www.armedwithreason.com/shooting-down-the-gun-lobbys-favorite-academic-a-lott-of-lies/
Crime Prevention Research Center
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2015/12/8/9870240/gun-ownership-deaths-homicides
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gun-violence-statistics-maps-charts
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/
http://www.gunpolicy.org/http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/gun-control-laws-research/424956/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/upshot/compare-these-gun-death-rates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/06/555861898/gun-violence-how-the-u-s-compares-to-other-countries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gun-violence-statistics-maps-charts
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/
http://www.gunpolicy.org/http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/gun-control-laws-research/424956/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/upshot/compare-these-gun-death-rates-the-us-is-in-a-different-world.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/06/555861898/gun-violence-how-the-u-s-compares-to-other-countries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States
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