Brady Grades the States

NRA ^ | 1/14/04

[CGTRWK]

What is it that sets Maryland apart with an A from a New Jersey or a Massachussetts that get an A-?

It isn't the gun laws, because as bad as they are here, in NJ and Mass they are even worse. Maryland has no magazine bans, no FID cards, no fingerprinting, no particular hassle for non "assault" long guns - yet. Our only real stinker is the vague "integrated mechanical safety device" law for handguns post 2002, which greatly limits selection for enthusiasts but has no practical effect beyond that.

So I think the Brady people are just giving us bonus points for victimization rates, which are what they really want to see. Their ultimate goal is the police state. Terrorization of the citizenry by violent criminals will, they hope, lead us to welcome that ordered police state with open arms. Laws against self defense aren't the goal, they're only the means to that end.

If human nature were somehow reversed and the availability of guns had an amplifying effect on violent crime rates, the Brady people's motto would be "A Lorcin for every Low Life."

[4CJ]

Maybe we can make improvements and shoot for an F or even and F+.

Why settle for that? How 'bout we try for F-?

[vetvetdoug]

Try a home invasion in Maryland and then try one in Mississippi. Let's see who fares better. Mississippi is #3 in the real world.

[Lancey Howard]

So.... For those of us based in reality and sanity, you can flip the chart upside-down to get the true grade? Meaning Pennsylvania's D+ translates to, what, a B-? Well, I guess that's not bad, but I know anybody (non-criminal) can get a concealed carry permit here easy as pie - - you don't need to take any classes or state any reason (other than personal defense) and you don't even need to own a gun (although I recommend it). I think Pennsylvania deserves better than a stinking B-.

[PLMerite]

Wow, I live in the "A" state of Maryland and we have the second highest (FL) violent crime and a murder rate second only to Louisiana.

Of course, for an "A" state I've also got enough guns and ammo to start a small war. Which I will do if they mess with me.

[PLMerite]

"Try a home invasion in Maryland and then try one in Mississippi."

Anybody tries an invasion of *my* Maryland home probably won't leave on their feet.

[CGTRWK]

But still, it seems that there's no correlation whatsoever...

Average violent crime rate of the 8 F-ranked states is 339.6.

Average violent crime rate of the 8 highest ranked states, 6 As and the two highest Bs, is 489.0

Looks like a pretty solid correlation to me.

I'm guessing that DC's stats were included with Maryland, right?

Nope. DC's in a league of it's own. I don't know about 2003 but in 2002 they had a violent crime rate of 1737.

Needless to say, the Brady bunch would give them an A+++.

[Tribune7]

Yes, yes, yes. D+ for Pa.

But we got a lot of work to do to get that to a good, solid F.

[Tribune7]

For some reason they also failed to include D.C. which has just about the strictist gun laws in the country.

[epow]

. Needless to say, the Brady bunch would give them an A+++.

No doubt.

D.C. is the model for what the Brady's have in mind for the entire country if they ever get the "right" people in charge of congress and the White house again. If the Clinton Democrats had not lost control of congress in '94 the Brady's plans for a virtually gun-free U.S. would now be a lot closer to reality than it is today. I know the GOP in general leaves a lot to be desired in regard to 2nd amendment issues, but the Newster's '94 takeover of congress at least ended Clinton's and the Brady's wet dream of disarming most American gun owners during his next six years in office.

Now if Tom Delay and this congress can keep the AWB from being renewed this year I may have to speak a bit more kindly of Republican pols than I have in the recent past. But if they don't stop it and GW signs a renewed AWB into law, that would indicate to me once and for all that the GOP betrayal and abandonment of it's conservative base is now settled GOP policy, and is probably irreversible.

[FLAMING DEATH]

Never thought of it that way. Good point.

Most of the "evidence" that I cite for the benefits of gun ownership comes from my own neighborhood.

Virtually everyone in my neck of the woods is a multiple gun owner, including myself. Even my guns carry guns.

As a result, I never feel the need to lock my doors at night. I can (and sometimes do)leave my keys in the car if I want. Burglaries, shootings, murders and the like are virtually unheard of.

And, everyone is polite as hell.

[FutureMarine]

I pray that I will see a day when California has an F...