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Is Modern Medicine the Reason for the Falling Murder Rate?
Ammoland ^ | 12 January, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 01/12/2016 6:29:56 AM PST by marktwain

Murder Rate v Murders per Violent Crime Courtesy Dean Weingarten

One of the most interesting facts in the debate about guns and crime in the United states over the last 20+ years is that the murder rate has fallen in half while the number of guns per capita has increased from .89 in 1993 to 1.18 in 2014, an increase of 33 percent.  One of the thesis that is put forward for the decrease in murder rates is better medical technology.  Clearly, there have been significant improvements in the availability of emergency transport, access to emergency personnel through the ubiquity of cell phones and emergency providers, and better surgical and diagnostic techniques for emergency trauma, such as gunshot wounds.  A commenter at freerepublic.com sums up the argument in a post, claiming that the reduction in murder rates is due to better medical care. From Paal Gulli at freerepublic:

It's a stupid argument because a "murder" necessarily means someone dies. So any "murder" rate necessarily is greatly influenced by the availability and quality of emergency medical care. Statistically, over the same period as represented in the graph, the survival rate for GSW victims in America has increased faster than the number of murders has decreased, indicating that while more people are being shot, fewer enough are dying that the murder rate is in decline. Hardly brag-worthy.

Point of fact, it's an inherently deceptive statistic. The use of disinformation and outright lies is the other side's stock in trade. We need to avoid using those same tools, else we're no better than they are.

I am interested in the argument, because it has some surface plausibility.  Clearly, emergency care and availability have improved.  But does that mean the murder rate is "greatly influenced" 

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; fbi; murderrate; violentcrime
The drop in murder rates mostly occur before any decrease in firearms lethality; The lethality decreases show up in WISQARS data, but it is spotty, based on small samples, and is available after 2001, which is *after* the big drop in murder rates.
1 posted on 01/12/2016 6:29:56 AM PST by marktwain
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To: Paal Gulli

Ping

You are quoted.


2 posted on 01/12/2016 6:31:32 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Its not rocket science; there are less young males in the population now then there were during the baby boom. Less young males = less violent crime.


3 posted on 01/12/2016 6:36:59 AM PST by Mechanicos (Nothing's so small it can't be blown out of proportion.)
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To: marktwain

I think the dropping murder rate has to do with the increasing connectivity in our society.

For whatever we are heading for, it seems it is becoming ever more difficult to get away with killing someone.


4 posted on 01/12/2016 6:37:03 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network
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To: marktwain
Clearly, emergency care and availability have improved.

In which ways?

One way that comes to mind is the advent of cell phones and GPS.

Victims didn't have to fumble for a phone hanging on a phone or a wall and emergency personnel were able to track victims' locations using GPS.

Those aren't medical advances, though.

5 posted on 01/12/2016 6:38:52 AM PST by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: marktwain

What are the attempted murder rates? Are we just saving more half dead people?


6 posted on 01/12/2016 6:39:21 AM PST by Battle Axe (Repent: for the coming of the Lord is soon.)
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To: marktwain

Medical tech has vastly improved, but during that same time frame there has also been a lot of improvement in the lethality of defensive ammo.


7 posted on 01/12/2016 6:40:08 AM PST by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: marktwain

Lott showed us, and again it is seen in these statistics; More guns, less crime.


8 posted on 01/12/2016 6:42:35 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (Ready for Teddy, Cruz that is.)
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To: marktwain

AND better parenting!

ha..................................


9 posted on 01/12/2016 6:56:38 AM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: marktwain

No.

An armed populace has made it more risky for criminals to ply their trade.

Most murders occur in gun free zones.


10 posted on 01/12/2016 6:59:21 AM PST by G Larry (ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS impose SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL Immigrants.)
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To: marktwain
Also the more you incarcerate for the longest period of time, and the more killers and child rapist/killers you execute has a detrimental effect on murder rates.

The head of the Tennessee Parole Board point blankly told me he could control the Recidivism rate by who he chose to release.

Ashley Nichole 'Nikki' Read (8yrs old, 67 lbs) March 16, 1990

david keen

Nikki was beaten, RAPED, strangled with her own shoelaces, wrapped in a green blanket, which was then tied, by David Keen, he dumped her body into the river off the old Auction Street Boat Dock in Memphis, TN. She drowned to death. Nikki was alive as Keen RAPED her. DNA proved he did it and he eventually confessed to the crime. 2 juries, up held the Death Sentence. All State and Federals Appeals are done. Yet he still sits on Tennessee Death Row because Tennessee's RINO governor won't sign the Death Warrant for this Child Rapist/Killer.

Nearly 26 years of waiting for justice for Nikki.

TN Governor Bill Haslam
(615) 741-2001
Bill.Haslam@tn.gov

Nikki

11 posted on 01/12/2016 7:29:03 AM PST by GailA (any politician that won't keep his word to Veterans/Military won't keep them to You!)
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To: marktwain

The rate of non-fatal shootings has also declined, and the shape of the rate of non-fatal shootings curve matches pretty closely to the rate of homicides curve. See www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fv9311.pdf, Fig. 2, which has the data going back to 1993.


12 posted on 01/12/2016 8:08:51 AM PST by Toliph
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To: marktwain

News Station Puts Concealed Carry Permit Holders to the Test in Realistic ‘Good Guys’ vs. ‘Bad Guys’ Scenarios
Jan. 12, 2016 9:39am Kaitlyn Schallhorn

Active shooter situations are usually quick and surprising — so just how prepared are concealed carry holders?

WFAA-TV decided to find out. Building off the National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre’s famous statement that “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” the news station decided to put a group of “good guys” to the test and enlisted the help of Shawn Clary, a SWAT team member and tactical instructor with 22 years experience as a “bad guy.”

The good guys had myriad levels of experience. Matthew Beeman, 41, had just six hours of training; Brian Martin, 30, had 10 hours of training; Mary Bannan, 67, had 25 hours of training; and Royce Hardin, 68, had 50 hours of training.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/01/12/news-station-puts-concealed-carry-permit-holders-to-the-test-in-realistic-good-guys-vs-bad-guys-scenarios/


13 posted on 01/12/2016 8:18:03 AM PST by KeyLargo
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To: marktwain

Other reasons:

UNDERCHARGING on criminal acts...samples:
A..2 kids on the railroad tracks in Mena, Ark. when Clinton was Governor were found with bullet holes in the BACK of their heads. Official Cause of death: Suicide ...

B. Vince Foster found in Fort Marcy Park—claimed to be another suicide...but the scene was waaaay too staged & the seat of the car he ‘supposedly’ drove there was way forward. NOT correct for a man who was well over 6 feet tall.

More guns with better training in the hands of citizens who are NOT criminals

CAMERAS everywhere...harder to hide


14 posted on 01/12/2016 9:26:48 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: GailA

California has over 700 people on Death Row. They have not executed anyone on over 30 years.

At over $100,000 per prisoner on Death Row- see how much that calculates to!!!


15 posted on 01/12/2016 9:29:37 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: marktwain
I believe that it is true that the number of combat deaths has decreased because of better medical care of the troops (medevac helicopters, better first aid training, blood transfusions, antibiotics, etc.) That is, the rate of deaths per combat injury has declined.

Whether that would hold true for victims of criminals is questionable. I'd like to see better evidence, although the hypothesis is on unreasonable on its face.

16 posted on 01/12/2016 10:42:09 AM PST by JoeFromSidney (,)
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To: marktwain

I’m partial to the video game and cheap walmart air conditioning units theory.


17 posted on 01/12/2016 1:10:52 PM PST by Valpal1 (If the police can t solve a problem with violence, they ll find a way to fix it with brute force)
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To: ridesthemiles

We need to adopt the Texas model.

This old canard they don’t have the drugs is just that. If a Veterinarian can put down a horse, those same drugs can be used to put down a killer. Even an OD of the meds they put you to sleep for surgery will do that.

Personally I think a ROPE in from of the Court House would work better.


18 posted on 01/12/2016 1:42:26 PM PST by GailA (any politician that won't keep his word to Veterans/Military won't keep them to You!)
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