Cory Booker

[DanTex]

Why do so many pro-gun people criticize Cory Booker, the Democratic mayor of Newark whose anti-crime policies are widely acknowledged to have greatly reduced violent crime within his first few years of office?

Because Booker is a proponent of gun control, and to the pro-gun crowd, anything having to do with gun control is a failure ipso facto.

I bring up Cory Booker right now because crime in Newark has actually increased recently, and the "failure" of Cory Booker's "gun control policies" has become something of a pro-gun talking point. And it's true, as any pro-gun advocate can probably tell you, violent crime indeed is up in Newark. What they won't tell you, but what essentially every article on the recent surge of crime in Newark will, is that budget issues have recently forced layoffs in the police force. What's more, the police director has headed from Newark off to Chicago. And (clearly), police layoffs, combined with an economic downturn are major factors contributing to the increase in crime.

But, reality notwithstanding, the recent upsurge in Newark crime continues to be heralded as a failure of gun control, and -- very tellingly -- rarely do those making the point even acknowledge that the police layoffs occurred.



Beyond the immediate argument about police layoffs and crime, there is a point to be made about big city mayors, Cory Booker in particular, and their views on gun control and violent crime. It is very telling that large city mayors are almost universally proponents of gun control. The pro-gun crowd will naturally paint most such mayors as out of touch urban liberals, and dismiss their expertise on gun crime offhand. But there's a difference between having a lot of experience handling guns, and having a lot of experience dealing with gun violence at a municipal level.


It's not that Booker doesn't understand the statistical high-level side of the debate -- he's been described as "obsessed" with crime stats. It's just that, unlike most right-wingers who work at the think-tanks that churn out pro-gun "research", Booker supplements statistical knowledge with experience and street-level understanding. Sure, international comparisons show that gun availability is associated with greater homicide, but how exactly does that translate to useful gun policies, given political, economic, and social realities.

PS many will have seen this, but here's an enlightening discussion between Rachel Maddow and Cory Booker a while ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2o7DLwrOWo
Of course, both Maddow and Booker are dismissed as non-credible by the pro-gun side (but then again the pro-gun side also dismisses just about every other liberal politician or commentator on the issue). But, for people not fully on the "pro" side, I think you will find that Booker speaks clearly and soberly about the issue, and understands there are no easy solutions but that doesn't mean that there are no solutions.