If you can give me a few statistics to make me believe that England has a higher homicide rate than DC then I will change my views accordingly. But having lived in London for some time, I am pretty sure that you will not find any such information.
You're correct, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Keep in mind:
o England's murder rate started out much lower than America's, and the gap has been narrowing since the implementation of strict gun control in England.
"America's traditionally high and England and Wales's traditionally low murder rates are remorselessly converging. In 1981, the US rate was nine times higher than the English. By 1995, it was six times. Last year, it was down to 3.5. Given that US statistics, unlike the British ones, include manslaughter and other lesser charges, the real rate is much closer."
o America has a higher murder rate even if all firearm murders are excluded, so factors other than gun availability are obviously at work.
o Washington DC is a particularly good example to compare, considering it has the strictest gun control in the US (stricter than Britain in some ways) yet consistantly ranks worst or close to it in national murder statistics. DC's murder rate tripled after the enactment of strict gun control laws.
Slashdot Mirror
You're correct, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Keep in mind:
o England's murder rate started out much lower than America's, and the gap has been narrowing since the implementation of strict gun control in England.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;?xm
o America has a higher murder rate even if all firearm murders are excluded, so factors other than gun availability are obviously at work.
o Washington DC is a particularly good example to compare, considering it has the strictest gun control in the US (stricter than Britain in some ways) yet consistantly ranks worst or close to it in national murder statistics. DC's murder rate tripled after the enactment of strict gun control laws.