Gun Control- Explain the Logic!
As with all acts of violence and mass murder, we should not be surprised that the political finger pointing has commenced.
Hillary came out this morning bantering for gun control. As a law abiding gun owner, I have never understood the logic of taking guns away from law abiding citizens.
In my opinion, none of these recent tragic events would have been prevented by more prohibitive gun laws. The people that perform these evil acts are not governed by laws.
So someone please explain to me why I am wrong in this logic? I am very willing to listen and be persuaded.
I undersfand your side. I own a gun as well, but if less guns are out there less crazy people get them. Tighter gun laws wont help because youn legally buy a gun from another person craigslist, letgo, ect. without any checks or waits. Society in general just isnt responsible enough. Look at the stats in the UK and Austrailia. Less guns around = less shootings. Unfortunately its that simple, and i am a gun owner.
I appreciate where you're coming from and don't mean to sound aggressive but I encourage you to consider the following:
Please study these stats from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/gun-homicides-ownership/table/
Although the gun homicides in places like UK or Australia or Canada may be lower per capita there are still plenty of countries where the rates are much higher than the USA, despite much lower access to guns. Even in places like the Canada where there's less shooting it's still not proportionate to the rate of ownership (about 1/3 ownership as in the USA but 6X less gun homicides). Something else is going on. Maybe the checks and balances like you mention are not strong enough in the USA. Maybe a culture thing. But certainly not strictly rates of ownership.
Looking at the USA
There is about 88 guns per 100 people and a total of about 3.2 homicides per 100K people by gun.
Let's take Jamaica.
There is about 8.1 guns per 100 people and a total of about 39.4 homicides by gun.
So, While there is 10.9 times more guns per 100 people in the USA there is a whopping 12.3 time more gun homicides in Jamaica per 100,000 people. I would say the USA is alot safer than Jamaica, wouldn't you?
Conclusion = Gun ownership rates do not (at least alone) determine homicides due to guns.
I picked Jamaica because many people vacation there and would call it a relatively safe place. But have a look at Honduras if you really want to be alarmed.
Cheers friend.
Actually, you're wrong. Gun control has helped gun-related homicides, but has done nothing to prevent homicides (that is, gun control has not prevented any homicides). Perpetrators are simply switching weapons, according to statistical data. Data for violent crimes up to, but not including, homicide, reflects the same lack of effect.
^ UK's raw homicides and homicide rates (that is, counts gun homicides as simply part of total homicides).
^ Australia's homicides and suicide rates.
I see your point about the homicide rates remaining stable regardless of method. I agree that sounds reasonable from the data you show.
But in effect I think you just reinforced my point. That homicide rates stay the same even when you ban or grossly restrict access to firearms. So it's not necessarily the access to guns that motivate someone to kill, it's something else. That's at least what I read into it.
But also what about the WAPO data which clearly shows places, like Jamaica, that have a MUCH lower guns per capita rate of 8.1 per 100 people but a staggeringly higher homicide by gun rate of 39 per 100,000 people? How should one interpret this stat? There clearly is less access to guns but yet more homicides by guns? I'm not a statistician so it's possible I'm misunderstanding the stats.
By the way I don't at all believe that there shouldn't be any background checks or controls. I firmly believe in them actually. Training is important too. I believe there needs to be a correct balance. We just can't eliminate them outright though because it will never work.
Also I just read about the news in Las Vegas a minute ago and really don't want to seem insensitive about that. I had no idea when I first commented here. Perhaps we should save the debating for another day. Horrible news. I can't imagine what would compel someone to do such a thing. It's awful.
@freeinthought I was backing you up. I was responding to @brittuff ! So you and I are on the same page!
I kinda realized that after I clicked POST but thought I'd just leave it be. Thanks though and sorry for the crossed wires.
I'm with you. There's more to it than simply saying less guns means less crime.
I encourge people to look at stats from the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/gun-homicides-ownership/table/
You'll quickly see that many counties have disproportionately less homicides by gun than the USA.
Even my own country, Canada which has only 1/3 guns per capita than American, has less than 6 times fewer gun homicides. Germany, France, Iceland etc. all have about the same guns per capita as Canada and have even fewer gun homicide. Iceland has ZERO!
We can't just look at the total number of guns in a country but rather the guns per capita. So how is that despite have 1/3 guns in Canada there is 6 times less homicides by gun?
Some countries like Jamaica, Honduras and Panama have much higher gun homicides than the USA despite having way lower gun ownership rates. How can that be if less guns = less deaths?
So whether you look at other countries with lower gun ownership or those with higher homicide by gun rates the notion of fewer guns = fewer deaths is totally dis-proven.
Cheers!
I just read about the news in Las Vegas a minute ago and really don't want to seem insensitive about that. I had no idea when I first commented here. Horrible news. I can't imagine what would compel someone to do such a thing. It's awful.
I remember what happened in Nice, France, last year. One Islamic madman just drove into a crowd with a truck, killing some 80 people. So if they can't find guns, mad killers will always find something else to kill with. They want to make guns illegal, then what's next? Trucks? Cars? Knives? Forks?
Literally, yes. Britain is banning pointy things.
I am of a similar mind as you, but I have not always been. I think the reasoning I would have used is that limiting access to firearms and restricting features will mean that fewer people will get them (duh) and then will be less able to take those weapons and use them for evil purposes. What dissuaded me from that logic is that for one, it is based heavily in the idea that other people cannot be trusted, but we trust the government and police to protect our best interests and eliminate the need for guns. I have changed my mind on that in the last year or so due to all the partisan BS and double standards of politics. The other reason that this logic is flawed is as you stated. If I have the intention to harm as many people as possible, it is not that hard to acquire the means either illegally outright or by constructing what I want. Restricting the ability to do something only restricts those who are willing to accept those restrictions. Realistically speaking, owning a preban machine gun is stupidly expensive and making a new one is illegal, but you can make an auto AK from a $300 parts kit and a receiver flat for like 20% of the price. If you want to slaughter people to begin with, you most likely do not act in accordance with the law to begin with.
I dont own a gun, but I agree with you.
It's a very simple concept really - fewer guns to go around, more difficult it is for nuts to get their hands on them and use them.
Congratulations @joelfriedman68! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCongratulations @joelfriedman68! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOP