Truth about guns concealed

Posted by stargeezer 11 years, 3 months ago to Government
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Those in favor of ever more expansive and restrictive gun control measures have emotion on their side. But with each tragic incident that takes place in yet another “gun-free zone,” it becomes more apparent that gun restrictions aren’t working as proponents would like.

The majority of the national media are all in on the bans and limitations already in place or being proposed, and that overwhelming narrative tends to crush anybody who points out the benefits of gun rights policies such as concealed carry. The mainstream media almost never report on research that challenges the approved narrative, which explains why a comprehensive study by Quinnipiac University economist Mark Gius has hardly seen the light of day since being released Nov. 26. As reported by http://Reason.com on Dec. 23, Mr. Gius’ study — titled “An examination of the effects of concealed weapons laws and assault weapons bans on state-level murder rates” — covered a period of 29 years and compiled data from all 50 states. It was published in the journal Applied Economics Letters.

“The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of state-level assault weapons bans and concealed weapons laws on state-level murder rates. Using data for the period 1980 to 2009 and controlling for state and year fixed effects, the results of the present study suggest that states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murder rates than other states.”
And what about so-called assault weapons?

“It was also found that assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level,” Mr. Gius noted.

Nobody is advocating to let just anybody carry a concealed weapon. Those who obtain concealed-carry permits — those who undergo extensive training and background checks — tend to be responsible, law-abiding people. Criminals don’t have those traits, and no amount of lawmaking will instill those traits in them. As Mr. Gius summarized, “These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level.”

The study results also highlight the advantages of concealed carry. Knowing that any person at any time could be carrying, to defend themselves or others, can act as a deterrent to those with bad intentions. Rolling back overly restrictive gun laws or, better yet, introducing legislation that supports concealed-carry rights, would do far more to protect citizens than creating more gun-free zones or expanding restrictions on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.


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  • Posted by $ 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Really? For the past thirty years according to the FBI we have seem a marked reduction in violent crime, particularly in states that have concealed carry laws.

    When we lived in ElPaso TX, it had a very high murder rate, on the order of 360-400 per year in a city of 700k. Mostly driven by drive-by shootings. A few months after TX approved concealed carry there was a incident where a car full of gang bangers opened fire in downtown EP. Two licensed concealed carry holders in the target zone returned fire killing one of the gang bangers and wounding another. Following that event EP became a very peaceful city again and the murder rate dropped like a stone in water.

    Now, I don't claim to be a high dollar reporter, but that is what that city saw as the result of CC. Those cowards don't like it when their victims shoot back.
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    Posted by Boborobdos 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Actually generally across the country they make zero difference except to impede the individual's ownership of such firearms.

    If one looks at the zip codes it can be noted that with few exceptions (generally crimes of passion) few firearms murders occur across America.

    We need to figure out what's going wrong where the violence is occurring and what to do about it.

    General laws ain't gonna fix nothing.
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    Posted by Boborobdos 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Objectivists should not advocate banning specific weapons.

    However, it would be proper to address the violence and offer suggestions what might be done to reduce it.

    Any constructive ideas?

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  • Posted by $ 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hi Jim, nice to meet you.

    I'm not too sure where you see any objectivist is advocating laws that prohibit owning, or buying, or selling assualts weapons and other weapons of war to civilians? It seems to me that the article reads quite the opposite. I know I personally do not. I think any law abiding person should be able to buy whatever they can afford. The more the merrier.

    As for the police chiefs finding that concealed carry cities are much safer, that's well documented. In fact, last night I was reading that the Chief of police in Detroit - yes Detroit is now advocating for increased gun ownership and concealed carry.
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    Posted by Boborobdos 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It's the responsibility of those who carry to within the law make absolutely sure the perp is not able to move onto the next victim.
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  • Posted by Boborobdos 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Actually, although accused of being a liberal, I'm driven by data and studies of those like Kleck.

    "In 1993, Kleck won the Michael J. Hindelang Award from the American Society of Criminology for his book Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America (Aldine de Gruyter, 1991).[23] He has testified before Congress and state legislatures on gun control proposals. His research was cited in the Supreme Court's landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision, which struck down the D.C. handgun ban and held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms.[24]"

    From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Kleck
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  • Posted by guidvce 11 years, 3 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Calm down, Hiraghm. No one is calling anyone a "nobody". In a country actually following the Constitution, "anybody" could own a gun and not have any training at all, or license, or whatever.
    In our dreams, the entire Constitution would be the "law of the land" for everyone including the clowns in D.C. In our dreams.
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  • Posted by richrobinson 11 years, 3 months ago
    Good article Star. The left has already decided to ignore all the facts so I guess it will do little good. Shameful.
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  • Posted by jimslag 11 years, 3 months ago
    A lot of the current problem is by people with mental instabilities. Lanza, Holmes, Harris, Khlebold (?) all had problems that they felt were related to their shootings and they acted on them. Even the latest incident in Centennial, CO, the shooter had issues and felt he needed to act on them, a mental instability. The only reason these things happen in gun free zones is that they feel they will have less opposition to their actions. When they are confronted or caught, they usually kill themselves or give up, they don't want to fight, they want to feel superior to their victims. Holmes in Aurora didn't pick the nearest theater to his apartment or the biggest, he chose the one that was gun free because he wanted to feel superior and have no opposition.
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  • Posted by JBW 11 years, 3 months ago
    I don't know where the Economist got his numbers but a number of senior Police Chiefs are finding that where people are free to carry guns the murder rate is falling at an accelerating rate!

    My question is how can an Objectivist advocate laws that prohibit owning, or buying, or selling assualts weapons and other weapons of war to civilians? Is such a law not inconsistant with our demand for freedom from laws?

    Jim Wright
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  • Posted by $ Your_Name_Goes_Here 11 years, 3 months ago
    The writer inadvertently stumbles into the truth that liberals are driven by emotion rather than data.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 11 years, 3 months ago
    If gun free zones worked as intended, then there would be no sandy hook, no columbine, no gun violence in these gun free zones. Where responsible non criminal adults are allowed to posess firearms, there are, strangely enough, less death due to an armed criminal. Of course, when you demand your citizenry, indeed, yourself, to be victims, the thought of defending ones self is reprehensable. So you must legislate zones where people can be victimized, by allowing the criminals a free pass to commit crimes without fear of retribution or being defended against... by keeping legally responsible peoplefrom defending themseves with firearms. They should change the names of them fro Gun Free Zones to Free Pass zones... except that would be honest, something the rotters abhorr...
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 11 years, 3 months ago
    "Nobody is advocating to let just anybody carry a concealed weapon."

    Thanks for calling me "nobody".
    Thanks on behalf of the Founding Fathers for calling them "nobody".

    I guess "Nobody" is the only one who actually READS the Constitution.
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  • Posted by $ 11 years, 3 months ago
    Common sense from a reporter AND from some government types interviewed actually giving the truth. Amazing!
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