Gun Control works

[SecularMotion]

The Brady Law
On November 30, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the “Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act”, also known as the “Brady Bill,” into law. The enactment of the Brady law (effective February 28, 1994) changed this “lie-and-buy” system to a “background check-then-buy” system by requiring that every sale of a gun by a licensed dealer be referred to law enforcement for a background check.

The Brady law requires that individuals seeking to buy a gun at a licensed dealer pass a background check. Because guns are especially lethal weapons, it makes sense that before someone can own one, he or she meet the legal requirements for ownership. This simple step protects everyone — gun owners and non-gun owners alike — from the danger of high-risk people gaining access to lethal weapons.

http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/backgroundchecks/bradylaw

After the Brady Law was passed

After peaking in 1993, the number of gun crimes reported to police declined and then stabilized at levels last seen in 1988.

[GreenStormCloud]

1. The NRA supported the NICS system legislation.

If that was all that was involved with gun control there would be no argument. But gun controllers want much more than the NICS, so we fight them.

[ileus]

2. good economic times work.

[geckosfeet]

3. Apparently the law had an impact in interstate trafficing as well.

My particular bugaboo - interstate traffic.


Summary: Traffic Stop: How the Brady Act Disrupts Interstate Gun Trafficking

The analysis shows that after implementation of the Brady law, the percentage of crime guns contributed by weak gun law states to strong gun law states was substantially reduced.

For example, Ohio’s share of guns ending up in crime in New York was reduced by 79 percent after the Brady law took effect. Ohio didn’t require a background check prior to the Brady law. After Ohio dealers started being required to do a background check, all of a sudden, Ohio’s share of New York crime guns dropped precipitously.

The same change was found for other states to which Ohio contributed crime guns. This suggests that criminals trafficking guns to New York from Ohio suddenly lost an easy way to supply their need for guns. The results were consistent with other pairs of “weak state/strong states.”

//

This study shows that the Brady law likely contributed to meaningful changes in gun trafficking patterns. It also shows that gun laws requiring accountability for legal gun sellers (not even all of them- the Brady law covers an estimated 60 percent of the market) can change trafficking patterns in the illegal market for guns. This provides clear logic that we should extend Brady criminal background checks to the other 40 percent of gun sales, including those at gun shows, to make it even harder for dangerous people to get guns.

Douglas Weils' 1997 report as pdf. Regardless of which side of the regulation fence you are on this is interesting data.

pdf: Traffic Stop: How the Brady Act Disrupts Interstate Gun Trafficking

the percentage of recovered crime guns that were traced to dealers in the four Brady states was greater for guns purchased before the Act took effect when compared to guns purchased after the Act took effect. In other words, implementation of the Brady Act disrupted established flow of guns across state lines, resulting in Brady states becoming less important as source states for gun traffickers.

[RegieRocker]

4. 2006

Is higher than 1973? Fail

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. yes. how does one account for that.

[SecularMotion]

7. Here's the breakdown

Crimes committed with firearms, 1973-2007

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/tables/guncrimetab.cfm

[gejohnston]

8. it is going by raw numbers and not the rate

population increase.

[slackmaster]

5. The Brady Law is good but has some holes in it

States aren't all doing a good job of reporting events such as mental incompetence adjudications and involuntary commitments. The Brady background check database is at odds with medical privacy issues.

[gejohnston]

9. the overall murder rate rose from 1965's 5.1 per 100,000

to 1975's 9.6, does that mean the Gun Control Act of 1968 was a failure?

[X_Digger]

22. You won't get an honest answer..

The idea is to see a trend you like, attach significance to something you like that happened near then, and claim causality.

Logic, who knew it was that hard.

[spin]

10. SOME gun control is effective. The NICS background check is. The AWB wasn't. ...

It would make good sense to improve the NICS background check while it would make no sense to reinstate the AWB.

[Clames]

11. Can't tell that to the OP though.

Some think that because one law works to some degree then more laws will work equally as well or better.

[SecularMotion]

12. You're still here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=289093&sub=trans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=283527&sub=trans

[Clames]

13. Yeah, because that isn't me.

Extremely obvious

I'll note that you haven't said anything about SharesUnited/Loudly. Maybe obvious just isn't enough for you?

[trouble.smith]

14. right, three strikes and your out laws and mandatory minimum sentencing had nothing to do with it

it was getting all those assault weapons off the streets that did it. never mind that assault weapon ownership increased dramatically after the AWB passed. ROFLMAO at you and your utterly fucking ridiculous argument.

[Eleanors38]

15. And I lost 25 lbs. during that time. Post hoc ergo proptor hoc...

[pipoman]

16. It doesn't even come close to working as well

as it could.

Filling out the 4473 dishonestly is a crime. Attempting to but a firearm as a felon, and other circumstances is a crime. Denial by NICS for a transfer generally implies a dishonest response on the 4473, at least. It means a prohibited person is actively attempting to buy a firearm. Yet with all this information, less than 5% of denials are even investigated. They are not forwarded to local law enforcement or investigated by any federal agency.

[krispos42]

17. Freakonomics examined this event.

And found that the Brady check was a minor component. Legalizing abortion in 1973 was found to be a much larger component.

[SecularMotion]

18. No

Freakonomics looked at violent crime rates from 1985-1997. It was a different time period and different set of data.

http://www.freakonomics.com/2005/05/15/abortion-and-crime-who-should-you-believe/

[GreenStormCloud]

19. Look at your own chart.

Carefully count the years. 1985 is the start of the peak, and 1997 is the end of the decline. Since then the chart has been roughly level. Freakonomics (I have a copy and of Freakonomics II), in that chapter, is about the rapid climb turning around.

Personally, I think the spread of shall-issue concealed carry had much to do with the downswing of violent crime. Thugs don't want to get shot.

[krispos42]

20. And 1993 falls in the period of 1985 to 1997.

The Brady law has been in effect since 1994. And after dropping sharply from 1991 to about 1999, the level has stayed fairly flat.

The Brady bill was increased in effectiveness in the late 90's as the checks became more computerized and instant. Crime rate, however, stayed flat.

[X_Digger]

21. My what a lovely post hoc ergo propter hoc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc

[Atypical Liberal]

23. There is no doubt that background checks help screen out criminals.

Even the NRA supported NICS.

Now all we need is to get background checks for private sales without compromising anonymous firearm ownership.