[Fred]

Giuliani, Romney Shifts Fail to Assuage Gun Owners

Giuliani, during his four years as mayor, advocated waiting periods for gun purchases, and in a 1995 interview with talk-show host Charlie Rose called the NRA ``extremists.'' In June 2000, he filed a lawsuit against two dozen major gun manufacturers and distributors, alleging they deliberately manufactured many more firearms than could be needed for hunting and law enforcement. In announcing the suit, Giuliani, 63, linked reducing gun availability to lower crime rates. ``The more guns you take out of society, the more you're going to reduce murder,'' he said.

When Romney, 60, ran against Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1994, he supported two gun-control measures, and as governor supported Massachusetts's gun laws and increased fees for owners. He also signed a 2004 measure instituting a permanent ban on assault weapons in the state.

[aligncare]

Okay, let’s stipulate gun control is a bad thing. And we all agree that Giuliani is the worst offender in pushing for controls ... then how do you explain murders in NYC going from 2000 a year to less than 700 a year under the Giuliani administration? That’s 1300 people alive each year that would have been killed prior to Giuliani’s strict enforcement of NYC’s gun laws that took more guns off the streets.

The researcher and author, John Lott, wrote that more guns equals less crime. In the example of NYC, it seems the opposite is true: as more guns were removed from the streets, the less overall crime and murder there was.

What explains the apparent paradox?