Posted on 02/19/2010 12:26:19 AM PST by neverdem
In the weeks following the election of Barack Obama, gun and ammo sales across the nation surged. Interviews with the proprietors of gun shops and their customers revealed a concern that the new president would severely regulate firearms and ammo ownership.
A year later, it’s obvious that the worst fears of gun owners weren’t realized. Despite Obama’s troubling comments about bitter small-town residents who “cling to guns or religion” during his campaign, the president has not taken actions that could reasonably be construed as anti-gun.
When it comes to the emotions stirred by the Second Amendment, however, the paranoia of some conservatives is not a one-way street — although national media invariably contrive to portray it in those terms.
Meanwhile, liberal paranoia about gun ownership goes essentially unexamined.
According to liberals, the huge increase in gun purchases that came as a consequence of Obama’s election were certain to result in a commensurate spike in gun violence. Despite these repeated predictions, the frenzy of gun violence that was supposed to erupt never occurred. In fact, gun violence has decreased.
Indeed, the liberal mantra that more guns equals more crime has run headlong into some inconvenient facts.
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2009, violent crime is down significantly this past year across the board in everything from car thefts — which have declined almost 20 percent — to homicides, which have dropped 10 percent. Coupled with the worst recession in a generation — which liberals also said would create more crime — the fall in violence is all the more stunning.
Some anti-gun groups have argued that firearms, like alcohol and drugs, are inherently dangerous and should be regulated as a health threat. But if the decline in violent crime this past year is any indication, it would seem that more guns equals less — not more — crime.
Anxious gun owners who compulsively stockpiled ammunition last year in the belief that President Obama would send out ATF agents to confiscate everyone’s firearms were obviously off the mark.
Gun control advocates who insist that the apocalypse is just around the corner because gun ownership rates continue to rise are no less paranoid.
As we have previously observed in this space, it’s increasingly obvious that guns aren’t the main cause of violence in society any more than windows are the reason that people sometimes jump out of them.
Nor is the problem a lack of gun laws. In almost every example of public gun violence the media has reported on in the last couple of decades, the shooter or shooters were usually in violation of several gun laws before they opened fire.
In the final analysis, it is society’s toleration of violence in all its forms that needs to be addressed. Neither arming ourselves to the teeth as individuals nor collectively retreating behind a wall of laws will move society positively in the direction we all seek, but have yet to find.
Whenever I hear that "society" needs to do this or that, the red flags go up. Too often, it means a call for fedgov action.
Neither arming ourselves to the teeth as individuals nor collectively retreating behind a wall of laws will move society positively in the direction we all seek, but have yet to find.
Nonsense. Arming ourselves to the teeth as individuals, as the author himself suggests, means less crime.
Considering the number of news stories I have seen recently about home invasion robberies and the robbers being shot and killed I would guess the crooks are getting the message that is a good way to die.
I am reminded of that town in Georgia that mandated that every home must have a gun and what happened to the break in statistics there... kinda went to Zero
Of course more guns equal less crime. This chart proves it:
http://www.sfu.ca/~mauser/papers/LondonTower2003/Fig2ViolCrime-EW.xls.pdf
Watch crime spike after weapons ban in England.
Kennesaw, Ga. You are supposed to be armed, but you don’t have to. If you are on the outskirts of Atlanta you should be.
There was a brief spell maybe a couple of months ago when ammo started reappearing at my local wallyworld. Lately, the shelf is nearly empty again.....
That apocalyptic corner can be turned instantly if The One feels lucky enough to issue an executive order that Eric Holder probably already has in his hot little briefcase.
Meanwhile, my "hoarded" ammo is maintaining its value, which is more than I can say for the American dollar, which is also at The One's whim.
Check out the crime rate in all the large US cities that prohibit/limit the possession of guns. Chicongo, LA, New York, Philadelphia etc.
The idiot mayors cannot see past their noses.
No more guns will do the trick.
“In fact, gun violence has decreased. “
This is amazing as generally crime and thus violence increases as desperation increases.
Of course economic desperation has been increasing the longer the economy remains down and unemployment high.
There was a brief spell maybe a couple of months ago when ammo started reappearing at my local wallyworld. Lately, the shelf is nearly empty again.....
~~~
Same in Louisiana,Matt,,,
BassPro and local shops still can’t keep ammo in stock,,,
I went to the Gun Show here and it was a zoo,,,
Folks were grabbin’ everything in sight,,,
By noon the first day some vendors were sold out and gone,,,
I had to knock down ol’ladies just to get a few boxes of
Magtech Guardian Gold 38+p’s in 38 sp.,,,LOL,,,;0)
A year later, it’s obvious that the worst fears of gun owners weren’t realized. Despite Obama’s troubling comments about bitter small-town residents who “cling to guns or religion” during his campaign, the president has not taken actions that could reasonably be construed as anti-gun.
So what this shlup is saying is that we were somehow wrong???
hehehe, what a fool...
How we reacted was completely correct, and IT DID keep the monkey off our back because they did see and understand that it would be a very bad idea to press forward in their concerted effort to relieve us of our means to be free men...And women...
And just for semantical effect, I may just open up a gun range, so that on January 20th, 2013 at 12:01pm EST, I can begin benefitting from the celebration...Till then, the many stashes will remain just that, stashes...
But anything can happen between now and then...I’m sure we’ll be just fine in any case...
John Lott knew this to be true!
Didn't we already cover this?
How long until His Obamminess tried to claim credit for the drop in violent crime?
A Climategate Over Climategate? Climategate Investigators Are Global Warming Buddies!
Bill O'Reilly Supports Gun Confiscation In Any Emergency
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Facts never stopped liberals.
It's a win/win situation.
You win once because other thugs get the message that breaking in for whatever nefarious purpose is likely to be fatal, so they'll think twice about doing it.
Plus, when you consider the number of repeat offenders, you're preventing them from doing it again. It's not like every crime or break in is done by a different individual.
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