General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: American Journal of Medicine: Higher gun ownership equals higher gun violence [View all]GreenStormCloud
(12,072 posts)A small portion of the population is causing the vast majority of the problems. It is well known by criminologist that murderers rarely commit murder as their first serious crime. Therefore, a focus on known violent criminals would go further in reducing murder than would an effort spread over the general population. I believe that most gun crimes are committed by people who are already known to have criminal records. Yet the anti-gun studies refuse to acknowledge the effect of the criminal class.
The best predictor of future actions is past actions. If I have lived 67 years with a completely clean police record, then it is extremely unlikely that I am suddenly going to have a fit of murderous rage. It rarely happens that way. Ozzie and Harriet (Old 1950's TV couple - Loving, functional, family that didn't have angry arguments.) don't get mad and kill each other. Domestic violence murders are almost always already well known to the police.
Suicide rates I am not concerned with. It is a risk that I choose to accept and I don't need the gov't to be my nanny. If an illness should make me desire to die a bit early to avoid pain, taking my guns away won't change anything. I will breathe pure nitrogen to make my exit. Quick, cheap, painless, non-messy. (Empty bowel and bladder first.)
Both of the studies in question lump all gun owners together in a common pool, when in reality we are two strongly different groups.