NRA response to "Killing Made Easy"

[azdesertrhino]

Handgun Risks: Another Perspective

Tuesday, January 31, 2006; Page A16

The Jan. 16 editorial "Killing Made Easy" advocated a national ban on handguns and said such a ban had been proposed a decade ago. It then asked, "So what's new today?"

Here's the answer: Since 1993 the U.S. handgun murder rate has decreased 48 percent, even as the number of privately owned handguns in America has increased by more than 20 million. Today, murder rates are at a 39-year low and the rate for total violent crime is at a 30-year low.

Handguns are statistically the most effective means of self-defense against a criminal attack, and handguns are used for self-defense approximately three times more often than they are used in victimizations. It's arrogant and elitist to advocate depriving Americans of the right to decide how to best protect themselves and their families.

CHRIS W. COX


Executive Director


National Rifle Association


Institute for Legislative Action


Fairfax

[jeepsonly]

Statistics can say whatever you want them to say. That goes for both sides.

In my mind the issue is the people, not the guns. Crime is already illegal.

[treeofliberty]

Yea...Have you read Freakonomics? You should. It has a very interesting and contorversial analysis of decline in crime. Might surprise you, it has NOTHING to do with guns at all.

The premise of the "Killing Made Easy" artical is that gun availability promotes murder. The NRA response, based on government statistics, shows that the crime rate has gone down as gun availability has gone up. Say what you want about statistics or "Freakonomics", this fact alone refutes the article's main premise.

[TRobertsRN]

Yea...Have you read Freakonomics? You should. It has a very interesting and contorversial analysis of decline in crime. Might surprise you, it has NOTHING to do with guns at all.


What does it say is responsible for reduction in crime?

[AZG23]

Im curious as well...:)

[AZG23]

Ethnic cleansing by abortion huh..?? wow...not even sure what to say.

[Sautin]

So this is what the author is quoting for the decrease in crime rate.
http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortionstats.html

[Sautin]

Sorry, I meant to say comparing.

[My1stJeep]

So can we expect the liberal candidate for President in the next election to have a slogan something like this:

Abort your child and lower crime!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry could not resist.... :D

[TRobertsRN]

He is not 'quoting' but statistically showing a relation between crime and abortion.

Statistical relationship is not the same as cause and effect. George Carlin said long ago the statistacally mothers breast milk leads to herion addiction according to statictics.

You could just as easily say there is a statistical relationship between global warming, rising oil prices, national debt, or number of TV channels and reduction in crime rates. This does not mean there is any cause and effect relationship what so ever.

[AZG23]

GRILL, GRILL, GRILL in two thousand twilve, twilve twilve..:)

[UNSTUCK]

Don't get to caught up in statistics.....97.28% of all statistics are made up.

[azdesertrhino]

Don't get to caught up in statistics.....97.28% of all statistics are made up.


ROFLMAO!! ;)

[Barker]

Amazing. I guess I would tend to believe the availability of legal abortion would in the long term reduce crime. Makes sense that poor, less well cared for children have greater chances of becoming criminals. This is probably just one factor though.

With so much stuff going on - I guess this reduction in crime can't be attributed to any one cause. The increase in gun ownership may have no effect at all, or an effect that is masked by other factors.

[TRobertsRN]

Don't get to caught up in statistics.....97.28% of all statistics are made up.

I would guess 100% of statistics that don't support the point of view of the person paying for the survey aren't published. My sister the engineer (military helecoptors) says statistics are like people. If you torture them they will lie.:D

[TRobertsRN]

Your right AND your wrong...

I used the word 'relation' because you are RIGHT, 100%.

However, some might argue that because the data is temporal, i.e. events in this case happen over the course of time, you are a 'bit' more free to make a causal claim.

Remember, you have to strike the cue ball BEFORE it can imapct the 8 ball.

How do we determine the more likely causal factor for reduced crime? What makes increased gun owner ship less likely than abortion rates, increased TV channels, global warming, or any other increasing statistic over time. Maybe increased gun owner ship has decreased crime in the same way abortion has. More guns available equals more criminal on criminal violence and death. Who in turn don't reproduce more criminals. In my own experience I believe education is the way to decrease violent crime.

Pardon me while I "make up" a few stats:D :D

While in the deep sea diving business I worked with a number of murder's and rapist. Former felons were about half of the work force the rest mostly military. Per them in prision about 90% of the men couldn't read. Recidavism (returning to prision after release was better than 85%. Except for one program. This is consider the best deep sea diving school in the world. I went to the third best as I couldn't get into this one. This school is at Chino Prision in California and run by two Navy Seals. Requirement for entry, convicted felon egilble for parol, GED, ,regular drug testing, pass physical. These guys go through hell, are paired rival gang members together with their life dependant on each other. Any fights are resolved in "the pit", loser gets his *** kicked by the Seal that wins the coin toss. Reciviavism rate for graduates is almost zero. They go into a business where regualr drug testing is part of the job and make some serious money.