Despite headlines we’re safer than ever….

But what do the experts cite as the reason?

“shifts in the crack cocaine market, which drove many 1990s-era murders; an increase in the number of offenders behind bars; the country’s aging population; and more sophisticated policing for the declines”

Pretty much the kitchen sink and everything but the increase in firearm ownership and carry permits. Just saying…

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/justice/random-killings/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

***

PAGunBlog.com also mentioned that the CDC’s report on guns for President Obama is done. Don’t expect the President to mention it much though. The result basically is that there was a ration of of 1:1.6+ ration of gun crimes vs guns used in self-defense.

I am pretty sure to quote ol’ Ben Kenobi “These are not the statistics the President was looking for.”

http://www.pagunblog.com/2013/08/22/the-science-is-in/

The Media Spin Affect

56% believe gun related crime is higher today than 20 years ago. Only 12% believe it’s lower.

In truth, the rate is nearly 50% lower in 2010 than 1993. And firearm related violent crime was 75% lower in 2011 than 1993.

I am pretty sure we can thank the mainstream left media for that discrepancy.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/08/us/study-gun-homicide/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Finally some numbers….

CNN has an article that acutally uses some real numbers instead of editorialized hyperbole. Are we REALLY winning by THIS much?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/09/politics/btn-guns-in-america/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

***

• 26% of Americans favor a handgun ban (record low). This compares to 60% in 1959, the first year Gallup conducted the poll. This is a staggering change when you think about it.
   
• 47% of American households that own guns. The gun control sea gulls (noisiest common bird I know), often chirp about how there may be xxx million firearms in America, but that most of those are owned by just a handful of nutjobs with like 20 guns.  This pretty much shatters that myth, 47% is a staggering number of households.  Perhaps this is why the U.S.owns 50% of the world’s gun (per this article).  Granted, said article claims gun ownership dropped from 50% in 1973 to 32% in 2010.  Well, it looks like per Gallup it’s back to being  a lot closer to that 50%. 

  But you know what, I don’t think it stops there…

  I believe a large portion of that 1973 50% were the ones who had a hand-me-down rifle, maybe did a little hunting. But mostly just kept a rifle or shotgun in a closet. I think what we’re seeing now is a much more active gun owner. One who is learning how to use arms for defense. A gun owner who is much more diverse in rac, gender, and age.  

• 310 million – estimate of civilian firearms in America. That means we can just about arm the entire populace if need be.
   
• $75 or less – retail price of low-caliber handgun? Really? Where? I don’t even think you can get a Hi-Point for much under $300.  Where are these $75 handguns….and why don’t I EVER see them at my gun shops?
   
• 49% feel that protecting gun ownership is important. I’d be curious to know how that compared to 1979.
   
• 58% felt that mass shootings were really isolated inicidents carried out by troubled individuals.  I find this intriguing. Essentially, a majority disassociate such incidents from gun ownership.

 

In the News (Blogosphere)

The past several weeks have been quite busy for me. From having a newborn son, to being out-of-state for a week, to a returning home and having family down for my daughter’s two year birthday.  And many other events that just consumed a lot of my time. All of which resulted in me being a bit behind on events in the news.

While I have been posting intermittently through the past few weeks I’ve only managed to post about 1/2 of what I intended to. So here’s a few items to make up for things:

***

Pin & Weld – Snowflakes In Hell discusses that fact that the “pin and weld” option for short rifle barrels does not appear in the new ATF handbook.  For those not familiar with the pin and weld technique. Short barrelled rifles and shotguns are regulated by the BATFE. One option that had been considered acceptable in the past was to take a short barrel and  pin and weld onto it a flash suppressor.  The resulting combined length no longer being considered to fall under short barrel regulation.  If this is being changed, it poses the risk of making thousands of rifle owners “felons” awaiting conviction.

—

CCWs vs LEOs – Security cameras prove once again that permit holders are safer than police officers. Two permit holders get into a fender bender. No big deal. Minor damage. All is well…until the father of the man who rear ended the car in front of him gets involved.  He goes into the Lukoil store where the passengers of the front car were.  He comes in, grabs the girl (Ms. Lawless) and puts a gun in her face. (By the way, did I mention the dad is a Philly cop.) Originally, the officer claimed that Lawless assaulted her.  And she would be have probably have been convicted of that charge if not for this security video showing a thug wearing a badge.

—

Interesting Reads:

• Why do you want my gun?
• CCW Violation: My experience and trial in a court of law.

—

How free is your state?
(Seen this one before, may have even posted it – but it’s always fun to revisit!)

—

CNN talks about the ammo shortage
(I know, this one’s already made it’s rounds through a lot of the blogosphere. I actually saw it when it was on CNN’s homepage and meant to post it then. Sorry)

—

Do more guns equal more death?

Some interesting insights can be drawn from this chart.

• U.S. population is increasing.
• U.S. firearm ownership is increasing (faster than the population rate in fact)
• Deaths / Population is decreasing, in fact, deaths per handgun are also dropping.
  (Thus defeating the “More guns equal more death!”)
• States that allow legal personal carry of firearms either as “shall issue” or “free carry” has greatly increased.

Some additional causations can be implied. There is a fair drop that at first glance seems to begin when the Brady Act and AWB went into effect.  But look closely – the drop actually began before the Act went into effect. And there is absolutely zero difference when the AWB was passed.

Walls of the City (creator of the chart) hypothesizes that the drop may correspond inversely to the increase in right to carry.

I’ll wager another hypothesis, because I remember that era.  In the late 80’s and early 90’s gang crime was intense.  In the early 90’s there was a nationwide crackdown on gangs. The crackdown involved numerous large and medium cities, state and Federal law enforcement agencies.  Many of those arrested in those crackdowns faced 10 yr, and 20 yr sentences.  The first batch to be released would be the early 2000’s.  Right around when we see an increase in deaths.  However, we are still seeing a decrease in deaths per capita.

H/T  Walls of the City

Trying to understand liberal thinking…

A question for liberals…

Why is choosing what to do with one’s own body, right when a liberal is referring to abortion but wrong when referring to suicide?
[Which actually is scientifically proven NOT to be a part of one’s body, but in fact contains a DNA code distinct from both the mother and father.]

When it comes to the gun issue, choosing what to do with one’s own body is wrong within the liberal paradigm. They always include in their anti-gun statistics suicide deaths using a firearm. Often lumping these figures in with violent acts done by criminals in order to inflate their numbers. I do not understand the duality of the view here. In one case the Left claims the right to whatever they please with their body, even to kill. And in the other case the Left exclaims the evil of doing so?

***

I want to state clearly that I am adamantly against suicide. I lost a beloved uncle to suicide. The means was a rifle. I do not blame the rifle. I blame my uncle for making the wrong decision. If I were to point to an external influence than I would not point to the 22 caliber bullet. If any external factors in his death were to be blamed it would have to be the drugs he had become addicted to. Suicide is a plague, but it is not caused by firearms – it is caused by the depravity and emptiness within the soul.

I also want to exclaim, that if you are struggling with giving in to suicide. Please don’t. Seek help! Realize the hole it rips in the fabrics of other’s lives. And even if you think there is absolutely no one that would care. You are only seeing within the moment. No one knows their future – not even you. I have seen lives change amazingly within just a year’s time. I’ve seen people who are lonely, lost, hurt, find love, happiness, and wonder. I myself have experienced both ends of the spectrum. Had I given up during some of those very down years I would not be in the place that I am today. I have a wonderful wife. I have a beautiful darling daughter. I’ve experienced the amazing wonder of having my infant daughter sleep atop my chest – it’s one of those moments in which the world seems to make sense. And had I given up and succumbed to the self pity and chosen the selfish way out…I’d have missed all of the beauty which has since entered my life.