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More Guns, Less Crime? The Case for Arming Yourself
NY Times ^ | January 12, 2011 | John R. Lott Jr.

Posted on 01/15/2011 12:59:56 PM PST by neverdem

One can only hope that Saturday’s horrible attack in Tucson encourages more citizens to carry concealed handguns. Fortunately, one shopper in the Walgreen’s near Representative Giffords’ event was Joseph Zamudio. When he heard the shots he ran toward them because his legally carried 9 mm semiautomatic offered him protection. Joe helped tackle the killer before more harm occurred. Too bad someone like him wasn’t even closer to the crime.

Limiting guns' clip size won’t lower crime. If only criminals get higher clips, they have an advantage. But Joe showed that law-abiding citizens with concealed handguns can exercise excellent judgment in when is the right time to use their guns. When it made more sense for him to tackle the attacker, he did that rather than use his gun. Everything from public school shootings to church shootings has been stopped by citizens with concealed handguns.

The police are important -- the single most important factor for reducing crime. But the police realize that they virtually always arrive on the crime scene after the crime has been committed.

Just as you can deter criminals with higher arrest or conviction rates, letting victims defend themselves also deters criminals. With concealed handguns, criminals don't know whether victim can defend themselves until they attack. More people legally carrying a concealed handgun means that someone can get to the crime scene faster.

As in other states, those legally carrying concealed handguns have been extremely responsible. There were 99,370 active permits in Arizona as of Dec. 1, 2007. During 2007, 33 permits were revoked for any reason — a 0.03% rate — cases that did not involve using the gun to harm others. Gun control groups claim that permit holders are dangerous, but they count defensive gun uses as bad killings.

With the "sunset" of the Assault...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: banglist

1 posted on 01/15/2011 12:59:58 PM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

I’d rather carry a gun ... a cop is TOO HEAVY!!


2 posted on 01/15/2011 1:02:05 PM PST by gwilhelm56 (NY... Can't afford to Live Here... Can't Afford to LEAVE!!)
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To: neverdem

If you live in Arizona, especially in southern Arizona, you better arm youself. The Mexican Nationals have turned that place down there into the Old West.


3 posted on 01/15/2011 1:02:22 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer ("New laws are always a "good idea" until the first time you have to enforce them." - Unknown)
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To: neverdem
Limiting guns' clip size

Et tu John Fund?

4 posted on 01/15/2011 1:10:38 PM PST by Dedbone
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To: Dedbone

If large-capacity magazines are outlawed, only outlaws will have large-capacity magazines.


5 posted on 01/15/2011 1:30:34 PM PST by Hawthorn
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To: neverdem

“Clip” capacity is practically irrelevant except that the larger “clip” is a bit harder to conceal. It takes only 2-3 seconds for a prepared person to eject an empty and put in a full on—about the time for one aimed shot.


6 posted on 01/15/2011 1:59:29 PM PST by naturman
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To: gwilhelm56

Plus my gun is a lot more reliable than most cops that I’ve met over the years.


7 posted on 01/15/2011 2:05:48 PM PST by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: Farmer Dean

My daughter uses clips in her hair. They hold hundreds of strands of hair. Would that make them high capacity clips?


8 posted on 01/15/2011 4:06:40 PM PST by DirtyPigpen
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To: neverdem
Pulling a gun to shoot takes seconds

Pulling your phone and call the cops takes minutes

What would you choose?

9 posted on 01/15/2011 4:08:16 PM PST by greatdefender (If You Want Peace.....Prepare For War)
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To: neverdem

I find it amusing liberals want to ban Glocks. Do they want to deprive cops of them? Its shows little they really know about guns!


10 posted on 01/15/2011 4:27:54 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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