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I think you meant looking down the barrel of a gun. But in any case you're wrong. Look to the vast majority of European countries. Most are democratic.
Yes, we fought and broke away from that way of thinking. Then the new nation of free people that had just used the very weapons used against them, to defeat tyranny, created a Constitution. To even allow another government to exist.
And here we are today. With Government infringing all over it.
I appreciate the less drama, more critical thinking style evidenced in your reply. I think it's important to consider all possible, plausible factors.
Discouraging folks from looking into, researching, studying important issues doesn't make sense to me.
For the ignorant. It is the day the Brady Bill was finally signed by Bill Clinton, after a year of discussion, from the day he like Obama, took office.....
Mini-14's were flying off the shelf, prior to Clinton taking office.
More guns, less crime.
Before that date, gun ownership was on the decline. It has not stopped rising since.
For the ignorant. It is the day the Brady Bill was finally signed by Bill Clinton, after a year of discussion, from the day he like Obama, took office.....
Mini-14's were flying off the shelf, prior to Clinton taking office.
More guns, less crime.
This may be a factor as well. Although, personally, I don't see it as the only factor.
Quote:
One focus of interest is that gun ownership varies widely by region and locality. The National Academy of Sciences review of possible influences on crime trends said there is good evidence of a link between firearm ownership and firearm homicide at the local level; “the causal direction of this relationship remains in dispute, however, with some researchers maintaining that firearm violence elevates rates of gun ownership, but not the reverse.”
There is substantial variation within and across regions and localities in a number of other realms, which complicates any attempt to find a single cause for national trends. Among the variations of interest to researchers are policing techniques, punishment policies, culture, economics and residential segregation.
There are millions of guns in the hands of criminals.
None of whom even know you exist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagogeorge
Do you actually believe that I will be safer if I no longer would be able to legally protect my home and family?
Safer? Probably not. No less safe, however. There are many more effective (and legal) ways of protecting your home, its contents and your family than a gun.
I appreciate the less drama, more critical thinking style evidenced in your reply. I think it's important to consider all possible, plausible factors.
Discouraging folks from looking into, researching, studying important issues doesn't make sense to me.
i dont discourage anyone from looking into why gun crime rates have gone down, or up for that matter. what i object to is making these efforts political in nature. i also object to using government agencies that have no reason by their very nature dont have anything to do with firearms. the CDC for instance was created to investigate diseases, their causes and cures. thats it. so why have the CDC tackle guns? that would be like having the national highway traffic safety administration inspect meat and agricultural products, or the national transportation safety board do research into drug interactions and safety.
so, look into these things, but;
1: keep politics OUT of the process. the effort must be free to go where the evidence leads, not where someone with a political agenda tries to take it.
2: if you have the government investigate, then have the proper departments do the investigation.
For the ignorant. It is the day the Brady Bill was finally signed by Bill Clinton, after a year of discussion, from the day he like Obama, took office.....
Mini-14's were flying off the shelf, prior to Clinton taking office.
More guns, less crime.
Before that date, gun ownership was on the decline. It has not stopped rising since.
I don't know, after some years of decline, crime is on the rise again. More guns than ever now, but crime (and murder) rates are rising. Guns make the fearful feel better. In a country this racist it is a natural outgrowth of the race terror a majority of the population feels. No one buys a gun for self defense against software engineers. Thing is most people have a highly fantasized idea of what a rapist or mugger looks like. When they actually are assaulted they are unable to dispatch the miscreant with a firearm because he looks nothing like what they imagined. When he does.... the lead flies and it may not even matter that he was actually running for a bus and devoid of any hostile intent. The story will be that he was bent on rape, or worse, and since its a Red State that will be sufficient to put the matter to rest forever. In the meantime, between outside good guy vs. good guy interactions, that gun is a ticking bomb. It might be in a night table drawer, under a pillow, or hidden in the umbrella stand by the front door. No matter, it is more likely that it will lead to a loved ones tragic end than that it will put a rapist down like the dirty dog that he is. The NEED to kill petty theives, muggers, pickpockets or juvenile delinquents is uniquely American. At its heart the motivation is racial antipathy. Millions of Americans are dying because a minority of them harbor such intense race hatred that they insist on the right to possess Talismans imbued with deadly killing power. Future generations will shake their heads at the loss of so many over ridiculous fears with no basis.
Safer? Probably not. No less safe, however. There are many more effective (and legal) ways of protecting your home, its contents and your family than a gun.
i dont discourage anyone from looking into why gun crime rates have gone down, or up for that matter. what i object to is making these efforts political in nature. i also object to using government agencies that have no reason by their very nature dont have anything to do with firearms. the CDC for instance was created to investigate diseases, their causes and cures. thats it. so why have the CDC tackle guns? that would be like having the national highway traffic safety administration inspect meat and agricultural products, or the national transportation safety board do research into drug interactions and safety.
so, look into these things, but;
1: keep politics OUT of the process. the effort must be free to go where the evidence leads, not where someone with a political agenda tries to take it.
2: if you have the government investigate, then have the proper departments do the investigation.
Just wanted to clarify: I wasn't suggesting you were attempting to discourage anyone.
This is a pretty thorough analysis, I thought it was interesting:
Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not
by Steven D. Levitt Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 18, Number 1—Winter 2004—Pages 163–190
Quote:
The single most frequent explanation given is the innovative policing strategies put into place. The crime decline is also frequently attributed to increased imprisonment, changes in the market for crack cocaine, the aging of the population, tougher gun control laws, the strong economy and increases in the number of police.
Safer? Probably not. No less safe, however. There are many more effective (and legal) ways of protecting your home, its contents and your family than a gun.
I already have a monitored alarm system with signs near the doors and stickers placed on doors and windows. I have motion sensor lights covering the sides of the house that don't get any light from the street light. I have high quality locks and deadbolts on the doors. I never leave a window open.
If you ignore the warnings and get past the locked doors then you must mean business. My gun is my last defense. State law says that if you are in my house without my permission then you are a threat and I can use force that is potentially lethal to stop you. I will not be prosecuted nor can I be sued by the family of the person that unlawfully entered my house.
Just wanted to clarify: I wasn't suggesting you were attempting to discourage anyone.
This is a pretty thorough analysis, I thought it was interesting:
Understanding Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not
by Steven D. Levitt Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 18, Number 1—Winter 2004—Pages 163–190
Quote:
The single most frequent explanation given is the innovative policing strategies put into place. The crime decline is also frequently attributed to increased imprisonment, changes in the market for crack cocaine, the aging of the population, tougher gun control laws, the strong economy and increases in the number of police.
Edit: This research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
When do the police actually stop crime? Most of the time they take statements at the scene and find the criminal after the fact.
I've cued up the video to the part where convicted criminals say they don't fear the police but the uncertainty of robbing a stranger. But the entire video is very good. https://youtu.be/RR9RN_iSKtg?t=2m35s
Based on that, would a second patrol (there is only one a day right now) through my neighborhood stop someone from robbing my house or would the NRA license plate on my truck sitting in the driveway do a better job? Before you say "they will just rob you when you are not home", I work at home and some days my house looks like no one is there. I rarely answer the door if the bell rings. The only break-in of any house in my area has been during the afternoon when most people are away at work.
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