Guns offer false security

USA Today ^ | 6/10/2003 | Kimberly Shearer Palmer

[Atlas Sneezed]

The facts (from guncite.com):

Florida State University criminologist, Gary Kleck, analyzed data from the Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey (1992-1998). Describing his findings on defensive gun use, in Armed: New Perspectives on Gun Control, New York:Prometheus Books (2001), Kleck writes:

"In general, self-protection measures of all types are effective, in the sense of reducing the risk of property loss in robberies and confrontational burglaries, compared to doing nothing or cooperating with the offender. The most effective form of self-protection is use of a gun. For robbery the self-protection meaures with the lowest loss rates were among victims attacking the offender with a gun, and victims threatenting the offender with a gun. For confrontational burglarly, attacking with a gun had the second lowest loss rate of sixteen self-protection measures, bested only by another mode of armed self-protection, threatening the offender with a nongun weapon." (p. 291)

"[W]hile defensive gun use is generally safe, it does not appear to be uniquely safe among self-protection methods as data from earlier NCVS data suggested. Nevertheless, there does not appear to be any increase in injury risk due to defensive gun use that counterbalances its greater effectiveness in avoiding property loss." (p. 292)

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdgeff.html

[Just another Joe]

So much inanity, so little time.

So well said about this article.

[HGD-Editor]

Is there anything more ignorant -- and more ignorant of their ignorance -- than a recently-graduated student?

Yeah, a recently-graduated student with a blog.

Kind of like the old saying that the most dangerous creature in the Universe is a butter-bar with a book of matches.

---Gwen

[Petruchio]

Kimberly Shearer Palmer is a graduate student at the University of Chicago

There is your answer! She lives in Chicago. She don't need a gun, She has Mayor Daley to rape errrr, save her!

[SauronOfMordor]

Kind of like the old saying that the most dangerous creature in the Universe is a butter-bar with a book of matches.

I always thought it was a butter-bar with a map...

[Abe Froman]

No doubt, police are the most trigger-happy members of our society. Nobody is quicker to reach for their gun than they.

[G Larry]

Who can argue with such a study at UC Davis?
</sarcasm>

[Constitutional Patriot]

"Guns can be taken away, and women can be killed by their own guns."

The author neglected to mention that the gun can also be discharged at the attacker, resulting in the attacker's incapacitation and/or death.

(aim, pull trigger)

[hattend]

We shot at the target silhouettes' heart and lungs before aiming for its head. In real life, our instructor explained, our attackers might wear bulletproof vests.

Funny, my instructor always said go for center of mass. Even with a vest, you'll knock the attacker on his ass with 8 shots to the torso. Then you "take flight" or put the 9th bullet in the head as he lays on the ground...your choice.

[hattend]

Yeah,right. Your average street thug will be wearing a bulletproff vest! I can't believe an instructor would teach this to a class.

That was my first thought...I think her "class" was in front of a TV drinking some Merlot watching Robocop.

[1L]

Even if an attacker is wearing a vest

That's why the proper technique is two shots to the chest and one to the head. Practice on the range raising the weapon from about a 45 degree angle to firing position. Use body outline targets and start out REAL SLOW - about a shot every two or three seconds. Focus on accuracy and not speed, and after about 6 months of shooting every other weekend or so at the range, this technique will be second nature, accurate, and fast.

[Mr. Mojo]

I don't care if this woman was a grandmaster in every martial art known to mankind, if your average dude who knows how to fight wanted to take her out, he'd be able to do so with relative ease. Martial arts are great for getting in shape and instilling confidence and discipline, but it sounds to me like this author is merely exchanging one false sense of security (a firearm) for a less effective one (martial arts proficiency). Neither can assure one's safety, but at least proficiency with a firearm gives one the best possible chance to defend oneself. My advice to her: gain expertise in both disciples.

[Mr. Mojo]

disciples = disciplines

[calvin sun]

ping

[archy]

Yeah,right. Your average street thug will be wearing a bulletproff vest! I can't believe an instructor would teach this to a class.

It's very common during gang-versus-gang shootouts, and during at least four armed robberies of which I'm aware. There's a god chance it'll be less common in the summertime, moreso in winter, but it was hardly unknown when I left Indiana 5 years back, nor is it all that unusual here in Memphis now.

And, of course, if you happen to be up against an off-duty cop pulling a stickup, as has also happened several times hereabouts lately, there's an excellent chance that they'll be wearing their taxpayer-purchased ballistic vest as usual.

-archy-/-

[rdb3]

Yeah,right. Your average street thug will be wearing a bulletproff vest! I can't believe an instructor would teach this to a class.

Actually, the instructor is not far off base. There is a lot of truth in his/her statement. You would be surprised.

[archy]

In reality, according to a new study by the University of California at Davis, women who own handguns are more than twice as likely to be murdered with a firearm by their partners than those who do not. While this may be partly explained by the fact that women who fear an attack are more apt to buy a gun, the study shows guns often fail to help women protect themselves.

Women who have been murdered are not in a particular ly good position to accurately report the circumstances of the attacks upon them. But it would certainly be interesting to hear the comments from beyond the grave of those who died unarmed and helpless, like sheep at the slaughterhouse.

baaaaa, baaaaaaa... please, don't kill me...baaaaaaa

[Vic3O3]

Well said! The reason I think more women are harmed by their 'own' firearms is that they do not take the threat of violence seriously enough to train properly for it, AND to carry/have immediately available said firearm! The lil' .38 snubbie is tucked away empty in the nightstand drawer, safe from the kiddies...

Now I have nothing against a self-defense course for non-gun defense, and other non-lethal levels of escalation, but I'd much rather bring my Kimber to a fist/knife fight than to forget it!

[Rubber_Nose]

So what she's saying is that women should not be allowed to be military or police officers because they are prone to give their weapons to the bad guys? The gals over at NOW are going to be p!ssed.

However, if you don't have the fortitude to use your weapon when required, then only carry a chocolate gun. You may have to eat it.

Note, chocolate gun in shoulder rig on warm day may be very messy.

[Vic3O3]

Just to clarify my comments--"Well said" was in reference to Rogue Island's initial comment on the thread.