An Unbiased Analysis of Gun Crime vs. Gun Control?

lyapunov asks: "I have been trying to become more learned on the issues surrounding gun control and crime. I have had quite a time searching the internet for references about these issues. Practically everything that I have found has been written for, or is a study funded by, one of the groups that hold extreme viewpoints on the subject, e.g. the NRA or the Brady Foundation. The same holds true for references that I have found in our library. I was wondering if any of the members of the slashdot community have come across articles that are objective in dealing with these subjects, and I would also ask what ideas the members of this community have about this issue and what FACTS they can offer to support their ideas."

"Just so everyone knows where I stand, and why I am asking this, I offer the following. I enjoy guns and regularly compete in shooting matches and hunt occasionally. I am a member of the NRA, not for political reasons, but due to the fact that most competitions are closed to non-members (which I do think is screwed up). Having said this I am undecided on what a logical path for the future is. I do believe that an unarmed nation is a bad idea, but as Michael Moore pointed out in 'Bowling for Columbine' Canada has a much higher per capita gun ownership rate compared to the US and has nowhere near the amount of violent crime that the US has. All of the statistics that I have seen about countries that have altogether outlawed guns have been manipulated by those extreme groups. As such I find it hard to believe anything that either side presents.

Thanks, I look forward to reading all of your comments and the references that you provide."

Comments

Re: Canada, gun ownership, culture

[CommieLib]

Canada certainly has much more of a monolithic culture than does America. I think much of what America terms as "problems" are simply the costs of having a truly heterogenous society. Every such society has these culture clashes, and that is the source of the violence. The guns are simply the implementation.

Columnist Michael Medved makes the claim that if you isolate the gun crime among people like Canadians (i.e., whites), the numbers even out quite a bit. Without delving into the quagmire of why that might be, if it is indeed true, and I can't confirm or refute it quickly, it sort of makes the whole Canada vs. U.S. argument go up in smoke.

My personal resolution to the argument is simple the question: if you do not allow citizens to own firearms, how shall they protect themselves from criminals? Your answer cannot be "the cops". That's not what they are for. It's easy to sit in front of a computer in suburban America with a BMW in the garage and wonder why in the world anyone would need a handgun to protect themselves. Talk to my sister in law, who was attacked and beaten by her boyfriend, and you might get a different point of view.

Question for you

[ShieldWolf]

2 people died because of a guy in a car shooting people as they drove by.

You think this justifies you carrying a gun.

A few questions:

You having a gun would have helped if you were in one of those cars how?

Do you play the lottery? Do you have any idea how small the odds are that someone will try to kill you with a gun?

Do you know how LARGE the odds are that the guy shooting those people stole his gun from someone just like you who has it legally?

--

I live in a city where ~60 people were murdered last year with a population of over 3 million (isn't it sad that we already know I'm not American). I have NEVER considered owning one. Most people who lvie here feel as I do according to polls. True, I come from a country that doesn't have a history of being scared all the time (Indians, Blacks and Terrorists oh-my), but we have very rational gun laws. It's called Canada, you should move up here with your family - you will be a lot more happy and free. Not free in the right to carry a gun sense, but free in the sense that you don't feel the need to.