Posted on 02/03/2004 5:07:09 AM PST by tberry
As televised on ABC's 20/20 - January 23, 2004 - Lies, Myths and Downright Stupidity,
By John Stossel
Myth No. 3 — Guns are Bad VIDEO
America is notorious for its culture of gun violence. Guns sometimes do cause terrible harm, and many kids are killed every year in gun accidents. But public service announcements and news stories make it seem as if the accidents kill thousands of kids every year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, fewer than 100 kids 15 and under are killed in gun accidents every year. Of course that's horrible, and I understand why demonstrators say we need more gun control.
But guess what? The Centers for Disease Control recently completed a review of studies of various types of gun control: background checks, waiting periods, bans on certain guns and ammunition. It could not document that these rules have reduced violent crime.
The government wants to say things like the Brady Gun Control Law are making a difference, but they aren't. Some maximum security felons I spoke to in New Jersey scoffed at measures like the Brady law. They said they'll have no trouble getting guns if they want them.
A Justice Department study confirmed what the prisoners said. But get this: the felons say that the thing they fear the most is not the police, not time in prison, but, you, another American who might be armed.
It's a reason many states are passing gun un-control. They're allowing citizens to carry guns with them; it's called concealed carry or right to carry. Some women say they're comforted by these laws.
Many people are horrified at the idea of concealed carry laws, and predict mayhem if all states adopt these laws.
But surprise, 36 states already have concealed carry laws, and not one reported an upsurge in gun crime.
In fact, in most of those states crime has gone down.
States with Concealed Carry laws that allow civilians to carry weapons have experienced a decrease in violent crime. Cities like Washington DC, LA, and New York City with the strictest gun control have not had the same result.
Any time you hear someone justifying gun control to reduce crime rates they either start the argument by saying "Well I feel ..." or they quote statistics directly from HCI or Sara Brady's website. Whenever I've tried to site actual statistics from the CDC or FBI they tune me out.
A well founded fear. As I am retired from the military and no longer work in law enforcement I feel no obligation to accept surrender or provide "due process" on a 1 to 1 basis with some scumbag who has threatened me, my family, or property. Since these encounters are, by nature, usually not witnessed by third parties the perp would have to look to Jesus for mercy as I would only offer powder burns and lead poisoning. I consider it my civic duty to keep the court system unclogged and the prisons free from over crowding.
Hmm, at one point yesterday on FNC I heard 'someone' say 44 states had CCW. Now I did think 44 was rather high, but I wonder which is correct?
BTW, here in the Peoples Republik of Illinois, we almost had CCW passed in 1999(?) when republicans controlled the state house. It only lost by a few votes and looked like it would pass in the next session. BUT when scum-bad and soon to be convicted felon George Ryan (RINO) became governor, he made a deal with the demoncRATS and killed the bill from then on as it was sent to that nether-world of government, 'committee' and tabled.
So now, thanks to Ryan's greed and criminality, the Daley Machine controls the state and not only is CCW impossible, Daley's proposed 'Assault Weapon Ban' bill almost passed (it's MORE restrictive than the Fed law and surpasses Cal's). It only failed because a few down-state dems said no-way and 'defected'.
And it doesn't help that the Chicago Tribune regularly runs front page articles exclaiming Chicago as "The Murder Capital of the United States"!!!!
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