You know what I would do if I could turn back time approximately 16 months? I’d buy stock in a gun shop. I mean, there are other things I’d do, but the whole gun-shop-stock-thing would be a slam dunk little investment, in my opinion.
Since Obama became President, gun sales have soared. Actually, they’ve soared for the past 15 months, and ammo sales have been record-breaking.
Like I said, being a gun shop owner wouldn’t suck right about now. I have my eye on these really cute Louboutin peep toes, but I digress.
According to the FBI and NRA, 2009 was a poster-child year for showing that the more people buy guns and ammo, the less crime there is.
“The number of murders in the first half of 2009 decreased 10 percent compared to the first half of 2008. If the trend holds for the remainder of 2009, it will be the single greatest one-year decrease in the number of murders since at least 1960, the earliest year for which national data are available through the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Also, the per capita murder rate for 2009 will be 51 percent lower than the all-time high recorded in 1991, and it will be the lowest rate since 1963—a 46-year low. Final figures for 2009 will be released by the FBI next year.”
And here’s the correlation:
For the better part of the last 15 months, firearms, ammunition, and “large” ammunition magazines have been sold in what appear to be record quantities. And, the firearms that were most commonly purchased in 2009 are those that gun control supporters most want to be banned—AR-15s, similar semi-automatic rifles, and handguns designed for defense.
So, the whole “less guns equals less crime” thing isn’t really panning out here based on the data. It seems as though if I have a stockpile of guns in my house and some ammo to go with it, it may not keep a pack of wild coyotes from attacking me on my property, but people sure are less likely to screw with me and my family.
Huh. Mind boggling, isn’t it?
My husband wrote a paper on this in his Socialism class, much to the dismay of his liberal professor. He cited Switzerland as a prime example of how a well armed citizen militia can deter crime. Switzerland has a compulsory gun law where every military aged male citizen must have a government issued gun with rounds in their home. They have mandatory gun safety classes. The guns and ammo must be stored in locked container. Because of these government mandates Switzerland enjoys a very low crime rate. We could all take a lesson from this rule book in the USA. Japan did not invade the mainland of the US in WWII because they where detered by the fact that every American household had a gun and knew how to use it. I bet Muslim extremist would think twice about attacking our airports and military bases if everyone had a concealed weapon permit!!!
The gun shop my husband and I frequent have this image — poster sized — on the wall, and I know why. Since Obama’s inception, my husband and I have purchased three guns (two handguns and one surplus WWII Russian rifle) and are stocking up on ammo any time we manage to get our hands on it. Wal-Mart has limited the amount of ammo you can buy at one time due to the excessive sales. The hunting dept. guys at Bass Pro tell us that our ammo is never in because just as soon as their shipment comes in, so do the customers — sometimes buying $1,000 or more worth of ammo in one trip. We cannot afford that, so we buy a box or two when we see it (usually at mom-and-pop, small town gun shops because they’re often cheaper and usually have a small quantity in stock). If I had to guess, I’d wager that we’ve spent $2,500 on guns, ammo, and other gun supplies since January 20, 2009.
Kit — My husband and I have conceal-carry permits also. He works nights in a crime-ridden area, so he always has his gun on him. I teach in a public school, so mine stays at home. Of course, I’ve had two assualt threats and one death threat since November, so I really wish I could carry my weapon to work. My favorite quote is from Superintendent David Thweatt of the Harrold Independent School District in Harrold, Texas. He said, “When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that’s when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can’t defend themselves? That’s like saying ’sic ‘em’ to a dog.”
I couldn’t agree with you more Rachel. It was Clinton who banned guns being carried on our military bases. I do not understand this at all. Fort Hood would have never happened. Not unless his sole purpose would have been assisted suicide! My husband came home from Iraq to a country he didn’t even recognize as his own anymore. He fought and bled to have these freedoms and our household will go down swinging before we let anyone take our guns There is an equal and opposite reaction to every action. We live in “Alice in Wonderland USA” now where up is down and wrong is right. I still cannot even believe this is my America!
This is a very interesting post about correlation. When you can show that more guns CAUSE less violence, I’ll be even more interested. Until then, last I checked, no one is trying to take your damn guns away. In fact, Obama signed into law the ability to carry guns into national parks. That’s right — he EXTENDED the right to bear arms. Meanwhile, you people that are spending thousands of dollars on ammunition are creating a higher demand, thereby driving the price up.
Oh, and Rachel, the fact that a public school teacher wishes she were able to carry a gun to work literally terrifies me. My mother taught in the Behavior Disorder room of a public school for years, and even though she had chairs thrown at her, threats levied against her, and on more than one occasion needed to be driven home by a friend via a roundabout route, never once did she pine for a gun. I’ve said before that I have no problem with citizens being able to carry guns, a right that is clearly given in the constitution, but school teachers wanting their students to know they can shoot them if necessary? Wow.
Incidentally, the homicide by firearm rate per 100,000 citizens is consistently lower in England, where citizens are not allowed to carry guns, than in Switzerland. Here is a decent link (look under the subsection Gun Deaths – International Comparisons): http://www.gun-control-network.org/GF01.htm
That data is from 2006, but is sourced from a book that looks like it has an anti-gun bias. These numbers are from 2000: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence but come from a (perhaps) more reliable source. As the article states, such international comparisons are difficult.
Seems to me, though, that people with guns shoot each other with them. Go figure.
Meagan, This recent report by the FBI once again proved the correlation between more guns and less violence. Additionally every single state as they began to pass laws allowing concealed carry had drops in the top 5 violent crimes in each of the states. Look it up. Criminals are indeed stupid but even they don’t want to take the chance at possibly getting shot. They want the easy targets.
Also, you speak as if a teacher had a gun they would shoot the kids to keep them in line. Are you serious? Fact is, a teacher should be able to carry a gun to protect themselves the same as any other citizen and to protect their kids against those who want to kidnap and murder them. But the government wants the potential criminals to know they will meet no resistance at the schools. Maybe the criminals where you come from follow the rules but where I live, they prey on the individuals that are prevented from defending themselves. You see, law abiding citizens don’t carry the guns just so they can shoot people. They don’t walk into drug stores and think, “I have a gun so I’ll rob the place” There is a school, I think I’ll go shoot a few kids. Who the hell thinks this is what happens? What is it that makes you think the outlaw won’t carry a gun if it’s outlawed?
And, Obama had no choice but to sign in the legislation to allow the guns in the parks because congress already had enough support to override any veto. He is however Anti-gun.
You bring up England. The country that’s losing all of their rights since the government disarmed them. (Gee, didn’t see that coming) But have you seen the violence over there with knives and other weapons? Pretty soon England will ban knives. But finally, you say it seems to you that people with guns shoot other people with them. Let me clear up one little point you left out. CRIMINALS , not people, with guns shoot other people. Law abiding people with guns do not, except to defend themselves, others or their property. The only people that fear a law abiding person with a gun are criminals and the government. Please keep in mind that whatever happens, the criminal will ALWAYS break the law. I prefer to be at least armed as equal as him to protect myself.
I would like to state that I do carry pepper spray (illegally) in my purse at work. I have for several years — never sprayed a kid. I own a gun. I have for several years — never shot anyone. And, while I appreciate your mother’s service, Megan, I am not your mother and I doubt she worked in my school. I teach in a low-income, inner-city school in one of the biggest cities in the country. I am also the Dean of Students — meaning I discipline — and am a pretty hard teacher to boot. I’m pretty well hated all around. Do teenagers who think they don’t owe anyone anything and who are unaware of and/or don’t care about consequences scare me? Uh, hell, yes. If you don’t believe me, I can introduce you to a few of my students. Would you like to meet the drugged out teenage mother of three, the dope dealer, the known gang leader (of Crypts or Bloods — take your pick, I’m in the middle of both), the kid who would do anything for a fix, or the kid who actually kinda cares, but carries a knife out of fear? While movies like “Dangerous Minds,” “The Principal,” or “Lean on Me” may exaggerate a bit, they are based in reality. These kids are in our public schools. These kids will kill you if they think they need to. So, back to my original point, yes, I want to carry my gun to work. My interests are in protecting myself and my unborn child; however, I also have over 1,000 kids in my care (and of course not all of them are dangerous).
Megan
Here are some facts for you. As a Senator in Illinois Obama supported a 500% increase in taxes on bullets and ammunition.This kind of legislation is what is driving up ammunition prices. I do not consider this very supportive of those of us who responsiby own guns. Taxing the hell out of any product is impeding our freedom as citizens.
You wanted examples guns show less violence..I can do better than that I can cite many examples throughout history where no guns created more violence and in most cases genocide.
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defens themselves, were rounded up ans exterminated
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others wererounded up and exterminated.
China established gun controlin 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Rwanda and Dafur round out my examples, I do not have totals for either of them. However Dafur is ongoing and a current political event due to gun control.
So to recap, defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th century because of gun control: over 56 million
Gun owners were forced in Australia to surrender their firearms in 2007 and the first year results are in: Australia wide homicides are up 3.2 percent, assaults are up 8.6 percent and armed robberies are up 44%. In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300%.Note that while law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not. While studies over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety was decreased, after such a monumental effort and expense was undertaken to rid Australian society of guns.The Australian experience and other historical facts prove guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property. So Megan, the next time you hear anyone talking in favor of gun control, please remember this breif history lesson and facts. I am not just some right wing gun toting wack job. I am a responsible citizen who is also well educated and history does and will repeat itself. I do not want to see the United States of America on this list .
Megan, I sort of agree with you on the causal/correlation thing. Correlations are easy to identify, but causes are INCREDIBLY hard to prove. Laurel (as an economic thinker) will back me up on this. There are too many variables to make a blanket statement.
However, there is some compelling evidence to support the correlation.
Also, have you been in a school lately? I don’t want EVERY teacher to have a gun. I’m not sure I even want one, but I LOVE the idea of our Marine Corps Junior ROTC Instructor having one. And several of the other people on campus who are well instructed on how to use them. ONE cop with ONE 9mm is not enough as far as I’m concerned.
Major — The district that allows teachers to carry weapons (Harrold School District in Texas that I mentioned earlier) doesn’t just let every Mr. Tom, Dick, or Harry carry a gun. Teachers can only carry a weapon if they have a permit, they must take a gun safety course and a crisis management course, and they must use special ammo that is made to reduce the chance of ricochet if fired in the close quarters of the building.
Yes MD I do back you up. You cannot account for every variable because of all of the variables with human nature. It is simply impossible. However you can show a trend, as Kit did quite well.
I will also add a couple of points to that. One of things that has kept this country free is gun ownership, and I don’t mean free from our own government, but free from despots. An armed population is dangerous and simply uncontrollable, think terrorism magnified by 100.
Also the crime rate in England has sky rocketed since gun control was implemented, including gun related crime. These stats are easily available from multiple sources all over the web. Interestingly enough in the last few years gun laws have loosened up in a few states, such as Florida, and the crime rate dropped.
Laws are for the lawful!!! Don’t ever forget that.
I find it ironic that Megan comes to this site loaded for bear, pun intended, just to disagree because God forbid she might find something to agree with. Megan knew full well what Rachel meant, and the context, but she rather not get caught agreeing with what she perceives as the enemy.
GREAT POSTS EVERYONE!
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Why the Gun IS Civilization
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force.
If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or compelling me to do your bidding under threat of force.
Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception.
Reason or force, that’s it. In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some. When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force.
You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.
The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year-old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year-old gang banger, and a single gay guy on equal footing with carload of drunken guys with baseball bats.
The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender. There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations.
These are the people who think that we’d be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for an armed mugger to do his job.
That, of course, is only true if the mugger’s potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat – it has no validity when most of a mugger’s potential marks are armed.
People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that’s the exact opposite of a civilized society.
A mugger – even an armed one – can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly. Then there’s the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would “only” result in injury.
This argument is fallacious in several ways.
Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.
People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don’t constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip, at worst.
The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker.
If both are armed, the field is level. The gun is the only weapon that’s as lethal in the hands of octogenarians it is in the hands of a weight lifter.
It simply wouldn’t work as well as force equalizer if it weren’t both lethal and easily employable. When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I’m looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone.
The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded.
I don’t carry it because I’m afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn’t limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation…and that’s why carrying a gun is a civilized act.
“Without gun confiscation, the streets would not be safe for the SS.” Adolph Schicklegruber, itinerant painter and political aggitator, cum NAZI dictator.
“When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I’m looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone.” – GREAT line.
LOVE.