Posted on 08/04/2002 12:30:27 PM PDT by PA Engineer
ISRA: Gun Control Makes Cities Dangerous Places to Live To: City and State Desk Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle Association, 815-635-3198; http://www.isra.org/
CHICAGO, June 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
Crime statistics released Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggest strongly that tough gun control laws do little to curb violent crime.
According to the latest FBI Uniform Crime Reports, the U.S. murder rate jumped 3.1 percent while forcible rapes inched up 0.2 percent. Overall, the U.S. crime rate climbed 2 percent.
Interestingly enough, cities having strict gun control laws saw their respective crime rates jump well in excess of the national average. For example:
-- In Boston, where the state legislature recently imposed the most oppressive gun laws in the nation, the murder rate went up a whopping 67 percent in 2001. Likewise, the rate of forcible rapes went up 11 percent.
-- Buffalo, NY, also saw a 67 percent increase in its murder rate and a 30 percent increase in its forcible rape rate in 2001. New York politicians routinely boast about having some of the toughest state gun control laws in the country.
-- Chicago not only outpaced the national average by posting a 5 percent increase in its murder rate, but the city remains the odds-on favorite to capture the title of "Nation's Murder Capitol." In Chicago, it's illegal for citizens to own defensive handguns. The city's mayor, Richie Daley, is currently on a personal crusade to ban civilian firearm ownership nationwide.
-- While liberal Coloradoans were busy penning legislation to clamp down on law-abiding citizens attending gun shows, Denver saw a 40 percent increase in its murder rate.
-- Hartford, Conn., suffered a 47 percent increase in its murder rate and a 21 percent increase in its rape rate for 2001. The Connecticut state legislature is busy competing with Massachusetts for the title of being the least-friendly state to law-abiding gun owners.
-- St. Louis, Mo., prides itself as being responsible for the defeat of a recent statewide referendum that would have allowed law-abiding citizens to carry defensive firearms. For 2001, St. Louis saw a 19 percent increase in its murder rate and a 7 percent jump in rapes.
On the flip side, the gun control movement has long criticized Florida for having "lax" gun control laws -- including concealed carry. But, unlike cities in the "gun control belt," Miami's murder and rape rates remained stable for 2001.
"The gun control movement continues to claim that banning civilian firearm ownership is the key to eliminating violent crime," commented ISRA president Richard Pearson. "These latest FBI figures refute that claim. In places where law-abiding gun owners are severely restricted, murders and rapes went way up. In places where law-abiding citizens are allowed to defend themselves, murders and rapes remained relatively stable."
"The bottom line is that gun control makes raping, robbing and murdering much easier," continued Pearson. "Therefore, people who oppose concealed carry are, for all practical purposes, accessories to the assault, rape, and murder of defenseless citizens. People who propose raising FOID card fees are essentially setting poor people up for slaughter. People who advocate firearm "waiting periods" are leaving battered women defenseless against abusive males. And anyone claiming that gun control makes our streets safer is either greatly misinformed, or just a liar."
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The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful, and responsible firearms ownership. For nearly a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois gun owners.
http://www.usnewswire.com -0- /U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
06/25 07:24
Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire
The criminals that enjoy their monopoly on gun ownership.
FUNCTION Strengthen_Government_Control()
Citizen_Safety--
Criminal_Adavantage++
More_Demand_For_Government_Control++
Gun_Control++
END FUNCTION
Ping for BOBWADE
You can bet the murder rate is actually worse than what they publish. A Cook County Deputy Sheriff told me that a homicide has to meet several ridiculous criteria before Chicago will list it officially as a murder.
No, the above statement in italics is completely untrue. We know if ordinary people carried guns their would be blood running in the streets. People would kill eachother over parking spaces and small disagreements. Don't listen to the right wing lies about guns. The police will protect you. Dial 9-1-1 and the police will be there in 20 seconds or less.
We know if we outlaw all civilian firearm ownership in the U.S.A. we would see a dramatic decrease in crime. All the criminals would turn their guns in and we would have people frolicking in the streets throwing flowers to their neighbors. (gag)
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