Doug Ross @ Journal

Gun ban utopia sees an increase in violent crime

I couldn't help but insert some snide remarks on this interesting news (my comments in bold) from a newspaper in California.

In a pattern that's repeated itself in Canada and Australia, violent crime has continued to go up in Great Britain despite a complete ban on handguns, most rifles and many shotguns. The broad ban that went into effect in 1997 was trumpeted by the British government as a cure for violent crime. The cure has proven to be much worse than the disease. Crime rates in England have skyrocketed since the ban was enacted... the violent crime rate has risen 69 percent since 1996, with robbery rising 45 percent and murders rising 54 percent. This is even more alarming when you consider that from 1993 to 1997 armed robberies had fallen by 50 percent. Recent information released by the British Home Office shows that trend is continuing. Reports released in October 2004 indicate that during the second quarter of 2004, violent crime rose 11 percent; violence against persons rose 14 percent. The British experience is further proof that gun bans don't reduce crime and, in fact, may increase it. The gun ban creates ready victims for criminals, denying law-abiding people the opportunity to defend themselves. Is it really that difficult for the Toby Hoovers of the world to understand? Criminals, by definition, don't obey laws. Therefore, laws designed to restrict access to firearms will remove them only from the hands of the law-abiding. It's not exactly neurosurgery. In contrast, the number of privately owned guns in the United States rises by about 5 million a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The number of guns owned by Americans is at an all-time high, fast approaching 300 million. That's only one for every man, woman and child in the country. We must do better... and we can do better! Meanwhile the FBI reports that in 2003 the nation's violent crime rate declined for the 12th straight year to a 27-year low. The FBI's figures are based on crimes reported to police. By comparison, the U.S. Department of Justice reported in September that, according to its annual national crime victim survey, violent crime reached a 30-year low in 2003. Let's see if I've got this straight: crime keeps dropping in the relaxed environs of the United States while in restrictive countries like the U.K. and Australia, violent crime (especially  gun crime) is exploding. I wonder if any lessons can be gleaned from these statistics? Let me ruminate on that for a while. Talk amongst yourselves: topic - did the fall of Rome really end the 'Age of Enlightenment'? Right-to-Carry states fared better than the rest of the country in 2003. On the whole, their total violent crime, murder and robbery rates were 6 percent, 2 percent and 23 percent lower respectively than the states and the District of Columbia where carrying a firearm for protection against criminals is prohibited or severely restricted. You mean the brilliant Eric Fingerhut was wrong when he said, "the presence of a gun is actually likely to escalate violence"? And the omniscient Toby Hoover completely flubbed her prediction that, "we will have more shootings, more accidents"? My whole world is crumbling! How could those <spoonerism> two shining wits </spoonerism> possibly be wrong? On average in Right-to-Carry states the total violent crime, murder, robbery and aggravated assault rates were lower by 27 percent, 32 percent, 45 percent and 20 percent respectively. Maybe it's just a coincidence!! As usual, most of the states with the lowest violent crime rates are those with the least gun control, including those in the Rocky Mountain region, and Maine, New Hampshire and Ver-mont in the Northeast. The District of Columbia and Maryland, which have gun bans and other severe restrictions on gun purchase and ownership, retained their regrettable distinctions as having the highest murder and robbery rates. Makes you want to just go out and buy yet another handgun, doesn't it?

Lake County Record: 'Gun ban' utopia sees an increase in violent crime