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'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime
Million Mom March (united with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence) ^ | 12/23/2004 | Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort

Posted on 12/28/2004 3:23:29 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime
Press Release
Contact:
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort
P.O. Box 170393
Milwaukee, WI 53217
Phone: 414-351-9283

'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime According to a New Report From the National Academy of Sciences: Statement by Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort

Gun Lobby Shoots Blanks on False Claims That Wisconsin Families Will Be Safer If Residents Are Allowed to Carry Hidden and Loaded Handguns in Public Places

MILWAUKEE -- A new report released from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), "Firearms and Violence," found "no credible evidence" that carrying concealed weapons laws decrease crime. The gun lobby has long claimed that carrying hidden and loaded handguns on the streets and in public will make families and communities safer, despite overwhelming opposition from Wisconsin law enforcement officials and Wisconsin voters. However, the new National Academy of Sciences report casts doubt on the research underlying the claims that carrying concealed weapons laws reduces crime.

Although the NAS said more data is needed to assess CCW laws, the finding that there is "no credible evidence" that concealed weapons laws reduce crime concurs with similar findings from researchers across the country. The NAS report also found no "increase" in crime as a result of CCW laws, although previously researchers at Stanford and Yale law schools did find marginal increases in crime.

"One would hope this report from the National Academy of Sciences would signal the end of the relentless agenda by the gun lobby to permit carrying concealed weapons in Wisconsin," said Jeri Bonavia, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort. "Many of the most esteemed researchers and professors in this country could find no positive benefit in passing carrying concealed weapons legislation. Common sense would dictate that since Wisconsin has such a low crime rate, and CCW is soundly opposed by law enforcement officials and the public, lawmakers should focus on issues that really matter to families such as strengthening our schools and providing jobs."

The report, which examined a host of gun violence prevention measures including CCW laws, called for a comprehensive national effort to collect accurate data on gun ownership and gun violence incidents in order to evaluate the effectiveness of gun violence prevention measures. The National Academy of Sciences said researchers need accurate data on the number of guns manufactured and distributed, access to crime gun trace data, and more information on patterns of gun ownership and types of weapons owned in order to adequately assess policies to reduce and prevent gun violence. Gun violence prevention organizations have long supported efforts to collect more data to implement a national public health approach to reducing gun violence, but the gun lobby in America has systematically blocked those efforts that could lead to a reduction in crime and gun violence.



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; ccw; concealedcarry; crime; junkscience; millionnagsmarch; mmm; nas; pc; pressrelease; wisconsin
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This is certainly contradictory to other things I've heard about the effects of Concealed Carry on crime. Anyone know the political leanings of the National Academy of Sciences? The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort?
1 posted on 12/28/2004 3:23:30 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Car jackings have dropped to near-zero levels in states with concealed carry laws.


2 posted on 12/28/2004 3:24:30 PM PST by samtheman
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To: abner; Abundy; AGreatPer; alisasny; AnnaSASsyFR; Angelwood; aristeides; Askel5; basil; bayliving; ..

Does this press release jibe with ANYTHING you've heard about concealed carry?


3 posted on 12/28/2004 3:25:35 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let Fox sort 'em out!)
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To: samtheman

Sounds good to me.


4 posted on 12/28/2004 3:25:57 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let Fox sort 'em out!)
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To: samtheman

So did rape in a Florida town that worked with women to familiarize them with firearms.


5 posted on 12/28/2004 3:26:52 PM PST by meatloaf
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To: samtheman
Car jackings have dropped to near-zero levels in states with concealed carry laws.

I wish. Carjackings are a real, and growing problem in Texas.

My response to the article would be a simple, who cares? My handgun increases my odds of surviving an assault. Whether or not it lowers the overall crime rate is irrelevant.

6 posted on 12/28/2004 3:27:03 PM PST by Melas
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The NAS report also found no "increase" in crime as a result of CCW laws

In a rare moment of candor, the MMM admits the truth.

7 posted on 12/28/2004 3:27:38 PM PST by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: Melas

Precisely


8 posted on 12/28/2004 3:28:37 PM PST by traderrob6
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

This may or may not be true; I don't know and don't particularly care. The interesting thing is, look who's on the defensive now! Used to be, we had to defend conceal carry saying that it won't increase crime (shootouts at stoplights and all that). Now, we are on the offense. The million mommies are on the defensive! I love it.

Bottom line: policy arguments come and go. The fact is that a law abiding citizen has an inalienable right to self defense, including the right to carry. That should be enough for most people.


9 posted on 12/28/2004 3:29:40 PM PST by ConservativeDude
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks



I agree with that. How are criminals supposed to know you have a gun when it's concealed? Start carrying your gun on your belt right out in front, that will decrease crime.


10 posted on 12/28/2004 3:30:19 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell (Support our troops.........)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The thrust of the story is wrong. It should at least state that blood in the streets didn't come about (as decried) when citizens were allowed to excersize their constitutional right.


11 posted on 12/28/2004 3:30:20 PM PST by umgud
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
'No Credible Evidence' That Carrying Concealed Weapons Laws Decrease Crime >>>

So what, it still is a constitutional right. Not everyone attends church every Sunday, or life saintly lives, shall we get abolish the freedom of religion?
12 posted on 12/28/2004 3:30:28 PM PST by Coleus (Let us pray for the 60,000 + victims of the tsunami and their families.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

To me, the most interesting part of these revelations that concealed carry laws don't cut down on the crime rate is that these same fellows were recently claiming that blood would be running in the streets if they allow citizens to carry concealed firearms.

So it seems they now believe that concealed carry does no harm.


13 posted on 12/28/2004 3:30:47 PM PST by SWake ("Estrada was savaged by liars and abandoned by cowards." Mark Davis, WBAP, 09/09/2003)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Notice that the gun-grabbers are now on the defensive. It used to be taken for granted (at least by them) that guns CAUSED crime. Now they're forced to argue that guns don't necessarily PREVENT crime.

This is a sea change in tactics, and it basically means we've got them on the ropes. Time to close in for the knockout.

By the way, John Lott's study IS credible evidence.

14 posted on 12/28/2004 3:31:29 PM PST by IronJack
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Scientifically, I'm sure there's no credible evidence. "Correlation does not imply causality," but in this case, you can make a pretty dang good assumption.


15 posted on 12/28/2004 3:33:28 PM PST by Future Snake Eater ("Stupid grandma leaver-outers!"--Tom Servo)
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To: coloradan
In a rare moment of candor, the MMM admits the truth.

Well said!

16 posted on 12/28/2004 3:33:34 PM PST by RJL
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To: IronJack

Yes, I read quite a bit of John Lott's works a few years ago.

If I recall, he did scientific studies that showed that concealed weapons jurisdictions did indeed have lower crime rates.


17 posted on 12/28/2004 3:34:32 PM PST by Dont_Tread_On_Me_888 (John Kerry--three fake Purple Hearts. George Bush--one real heart of gold.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

"Sciences said researchers need accurate data on the number of guns manufactured and distributed, access to crime gun trace data, and more information on patterns of gun ownership and types of weapons owned in order to adequately assess policies to reduce and prevent gun violence."

They need to talk to Professor Lott-he has this information. According to the FBI, violent crime is down. Tying cause and effect is where the politics tend to take over.


18 posted on 12/28/2004 3:34:36 PM PST by Spok
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
So many things affect crime rates that it would be just about impossible to say conclusively that concealed weapons laws have a positive or negative effect.

I strongly believe that the presence of guns reduces crime but if the rate drops with the increase in guns being carried, who can say for sure if some other reason caused it.

There are quite a few studies which show a very large number of crimes are averted by citizens with guns and almost none make the police reports, Thus they will not factor in a lot of studies.

19 posted on 12/28/2004 3:34:55 PM PST by yarddog
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To: IronJack


Concealed Guns don't deter crime, (unless your in Switzerland and you know that everyone has a gun)

Carry your gun out front and see who tries to mug you.

A law abiding gun owner will fire a gun in self defense.

Self Defense as in Defending oneself from a crime. The crime is still taking place, so of course guns don't prevent crime. What kind of a scientific study is this anyway?


20 posted on 12/28/2004 3:35:10 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell (Support our troops.........)
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