Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Wow, Wow, Wow.....No Gun Zones, Gun Registration, Background Checks and now Micro-stamping again! [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)but he might well find that it doesn't apply in this case as it appears he started the confrontation.
The media is pushing the idea that "Stand Your Ground" laws give a person a license to kill. If you believe everything that you hear on TV or read in the newspapers, you are a fool. As you mentioned, there's one such fool in Texas who was just convicted of murder.
Texas man convicted in stand-your-ground case
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-14/texas-stand-your-ground/55592380/1
You asked why a person needs a semi-auto weapon and I would suggest the decision on which to own is merely a personal preference. I own both revolvers and semi-auto pistols. I carry a revolver for self defense because I trust its reliability more than a semi-auto. I use my semi-auto handguns more for target shooting.
You feel that:
WHen people get pissed off now a days the guns come out. Nobody fights anymore. They go straight for their iron. Its pathetic.
I will point out that over 800,000 people in Florida have Concealed Weapons Permits and firearms are extremely common in this state. Admittedly we do have gun violence in the Sun Shine State but in reality many areas and cities in this nation with far stricter gun laws have as high or a higher rate of violent crimes caused by firearms.
If you visit the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) homepage you will notice a graphic that says the level of crime in Florida is at a 41 year low. http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/home.aspx
FBI Releases 2011 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report
San Diego, Oceanside, and Escondido Experience Decreases in Violent Crime Rates
FBI San Diego June 13, 2012
According to the FBIs Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report released Monday, June 11, 2012, the nation experienced a 4.0 percent decrease in the number of violent crimes and a 0.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes in 2011 when compared to data from 2010. The report is based on information the FBI gathered from 14,009 law enforcement agencies that submitted six to 12 comparable months of data for both 2010 and 2011.
Violent Crime
In 2011, all four of the violent crime offense categoriesmurder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assaultdeclined nationwide when compared with data from 2010. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined 1.9 percent, while forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault each declined 4.0 percent.
Violent crime declined in all city groups. Cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 saw the largest decrease (5.2 percent) in violent crime. Violent crime decreased 6.6 percent in metropolitan counties and 4.7 percent in nonmetropolitan counties.
http://www.fbi.gov/sandiego/press-releases/2012/fbi-releases-2011-preliminary-annual-uniform-crime-report
Crime nationwide has been falling for years.
Crime in the United States
Crime statistics for the United States are published annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Uniform Crime Reports which represents crimes reported to the police. The Bureau of Justice Statistics conducts the annual National Crime Victimization Survey which captures crimes not reported to the police.
In 2009 America's crime rate was roughly the same as in 1968, with the homicide rate being at its lowest level since 1964. Overall, the national crime rate was 3466 crimes per 100,000 residents, down from 3680 crimes per 100,000 residents forty years earlier in 1969 (-9.4%).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States
I am not suggesting that civilian firearm ownership caused this drop in crime as there are far too many factors in the equation. But since 1968, the number of firearms in civilian hands has increased dramatically and during this same period of time, semi-auto firearms became popular.
More guns may not equal less crime, but more guns does not cause more crime.