Hype and reality

The Washington Times ^ | October 28, 2005 | John R. Lott Jr.

[neverdem]

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The Washington Timeswww.washingtontimes.com

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Hype and reality

By John R. Lott Jr.
Published October 28, 2005

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Gun-control advocates seemed so certain. When the federal assault-weapons ban expired on Sept. 13, 2004, gun crimes would surge dramatically. Sarah Brady, a leading gun-control advocate, warned it would "arm our kids with Uzis and AK-47s" and "fill" our streets with the weapons. Sen. Charles Schumer ratcheted up the rhetoric, labeling the banned guns "the weapons of choice for terrorists."

    Not only would murder rise, but especially firearm murders. Murder and robbery rates should have gone up faster than other violent-crime rates since they are the crimes in which guns are most frequently used. Only states with their own assault-weapon bans would escape some of the coming bloodshed.

    Well, what happened? On Oct. 18, the FBI released the final data for 2004. It shows clearly that in the months after the law sunset, crime went down. During 2004 the murder rate nationwide fell by 3 percent, the first drop since 2000, with firearm deaths dropping by 4.4 percent.

    The new data show the monthly crime rate for the United States as a whole during 2004, and the monthly murder rate plummeted 14 percent from August through December. By contrast, during the same months in 2003 the murder rate fell only 1 percent.

    Curiously, the seven states that have their own assault-weapons bans saw a smaller drop in murders last year than the 43 states without such laws. States with bans averaged a 2 percent decline in murders. States without bans saw murder rates fall by more than 3.4 percent. Indeed, that, too, suggests that doing away with...

[neverdem]

Sen. Charles Schumer ratcheted up the rhetoric, labeling the banned guns "the weapons of choice for terrorists."

I hope that before I die I can at least hear an honest member of the press ask this dishonest POS before his constant mug in front of any camera, "Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?"

Lest anyone think think that Welch was right, and McCarthy was wrong, check out Venona.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Whenever I see Schumer on the tube, my mother's warning of years ago comes to mind, "stop making those awful faces, Eric, or your face will freeze like that."

[SouthTexas]

I hope that before I die I can at least hear an honest member of the press

Better take good care of yourself.

[Burf]

I would also like the follow up question "How can you preach the disarmament of the citizens when you hold a concealed carry permit?"
Typical Liberal.