Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Gun ownership up, crime down [View all]Pholus
(4,062 posts)It is hardly clear that "guns" alone are responsible for a decline in the homicide rate. Several times I have presented this list to people claiming your statistic and except for one guy who ended up agreeing with me none have taken up my challenge.
But you sound real smart and are so sure that guns alone seem to be the cause of this so here goes...
Here is a FAR MORE COMPLETE list of the factors which have been discussed and a list of the special interest groups that have taken credit for the decline in this very rate:
1) Guns, guns and more guns (uhhhh, you and the NRA guy)
2) Improved police work removing repeats from the streets (police chiefs)
3) An aging population (Demographers)
4) Evolution of the drug trade as the winners shook out (the DEA)
5) More cops in general (politicians)
6) Then you got Steven Levitt saying legalized abortion had its effects. It is about 15 years between legalized abortion and the drop in the rate.
7) Finally, the prison industrial complex. Their graph of incarceration rate vs. year looks JUST like the violent crime rate.
I await an epic post which convincingly proves that number 1 is the *only* cause of the decline. Be sure to cite statistics where relevant.
Gawd, propoganda makes me want to hurl. Especially when it comes from Fairfax VA by way of the Moonie Times.
You should be able to do better than that...