John Stossel: Myths about guns are truly deadly

New Hampshire Sunday News ^ | October 23, 2005 | John Stossel

[Past Your Eyes]

GUNS are dangerous. But myths are dangerous, too. Myths about guns are very dangerous, because they lead to bad laws. And bad laws kill people.

"Don't tell me this bill will not make a difference," said President Clinton, who signed the Brady Bill into law.

Sorry. Even the federal government can't say it has made a difference. The Centers for Disease Control did an extensive review of various types of gun control: waiting periods, registration and licensing, and bans on certain firearms. It found that the idea that gun control laws have reduced violent crime is simply a myth.

[Past Your Eyes]

"tyranny thrives best where government need not fear the wrath of an armed people."

What a great quote!!

[Osage Orange]

Why? Because guns are used more than twice as often defensively as criminally. When armed men broke into Susan Gonzalez' house and shot her, she grabbed her husband's gun and started firing. "I figured if I could shoot one of them, even if we both died, someone would know who had been in my home." She killed one of the intruders.

Smart woman..................and she lived!!!

[Torie]

John Lott's research changed the gun debate dynamics profoundly. I observed it with my own eyes, as one sitting on the fence on this issue, and not caring much about it, frankly. His research tended to demonstate that an armed society is a more polite society, and the anti-gun movement essentially died. Facts matter. They really do, and do so far more than ideological or Constitutional nostrums.

[RedMonqey]

"Interestingly, federal law still says every able-bodied American man from 17 to 44 is a member of the United States militia."


The ability of the government to draft men into the army rests on the fact that they are part of the militia.

No Second Amendment. No militia. No Draft.

[stevem]

The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed — where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."

In addition to self defense against criminals, this just about says it all.

[Horatio Gates]

What if it were legal in America for adults to carry concealed weapons? I put that question to gun-control advocate Rev. Al Sharpton. His eyes opened wide, and he said, "We'd be living in a state of terror!"

In fact, it was a trick question...

What a DUmmy. My eight year old would have been able to handle that qustion. It shows clear ignorance and reveals a clear agenda that all power should rest with the government. Bite me, Al.

[PeteB570]

Good read.

I like all his stuff.

[appleharvey]

I live in PA where there are a lot of hunters and gun owners. The last time there was a serious attempt at a gun grab was by Sen. Joe Clark in the 60's. Fortunately the people in their wisdom rode his sorry leftist ass out of town on a rail.

[StarfireIV]

"Don't tell me this bill will not make a difference,"

The quote doesn't anger me as much as the smugness contained therein.

[al_again]

Stossel would've been the perfect replacement for Dan. Too bad that SeeBS will never see the light.

[Past Your Eyes]

Ain't that the truth. That sorry bent b@stard got away with it all his life and he's still getting away with it. Love your tag line as it definitely applies to Slick.

[tje]

bttt

[AFreeBird]

>>>"tyranny thrives best where government need not fear the wrath of an armed people."

What a great quote!!

It gets better.

"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed — where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."

[Stonewall Jackson]

Today is the 49th anniversary of the beginning of the Hungarian revolt against the Soviet Union. Unfortunately the Hungarian civilian population had been disarmed years earlier, and their heroic efforts at throwing off the yoke of communism were brutally crushed.

[epow]

Talking to prisoners about guns emphasizes a few key lessons. First, criminals don't obey the law. (That's why we call them "criminals."

That's exactly what I have been preaching to anyone who would listen for the last 45 years.

Gun laws are absolutely useless for stopping or reducing crime. If a criminal isn't concerned about breaking the laws against crimes such as armed robbery, rape, and murder, he sure isn't gonna be concerned about breaking a gun law. As Stossel goes on to say in effect, if there is money to be made by meeting a demand for a product there will be plenty of people ready and willing to meet that demand, law or no law.

If you don't believe it just take a look at the illegal drug problem. There are probably more laws on the books prohibiting the sale or possession of recreational drugs than any other one subject, but anyone anywhere in the US can buy all the illegal drugs he or she wants as long as they have the cash to pay for them.

[Reactionary]

"It found that the idea that gun control laws have reduced violent crime is simply a myth."

It is a myth. Not only in America, mind you, but worldwide.

That won't stop the Stalinists on the left from promoting the myth, however. They rather enjoy being ultra-brainy and completely wrong about most everything.

[Pessimist]

At what point does the anti gun lobby finally admit they think only criminals should have guns?

We've gone through state after state of concealed carry coupled w/ lower crime, and still no admission?

[america-rules]

"Interestingly, federal law still says every able-bodied American man from 17 to 44 is a member of the United States militia."

Not according to Judge Robert Bork !

[street_lawyer]

Where would you feel safer? Oklahoma or New Orleans?

[billhilly]

" ...the anti-gun movement essentially died."

The anti-gun movement grew quieter when it became clear that it was not a winning issue for democrats. It is far from dead, and efforts to resurrect it will continue as long as we live. Bad people will continue to do bad things, too.