Posted on 02/16/2008 6:55:11 PM PST by em2vn
The world abounds in instruments with which people can kill each other. Is the widespread availability of one of these instruments, firearms, a crucial determinant of the incidence of murder? Or do patterns of murder and/or violent crime reflect basic socio-economic and/or cultural factors to which the mere availability of one particular form of weaponry is irrelevant?
This article examines a broad range of international data that bear on two distinct but interrelated questions: first, whether widespread firearm access is an important contributing factor in murder and/or suicide, and second, whether the introduction of laws that restrict general access to firearms has been successful in reducing violent crime, homicide or suicide. Our conclusion from the available data is that suicide, murder and violent crime rates are determined by basic social, economic and/or cultural factors with the availability of any particular one of the worlds myriad deadly instrument being irrelevant
(Excerpt) Read more at law.bepress.com ...
Uh....What was the murder and suicide rate before there were firearms?
Knives and swords throughout most of human history were tools of men, and not all men but aristocracy and soldiers. Women used poisons and daggers. An oppressive government can ban long swords, for example, but a poison is neither detectable (prior to use) nor attributable to a specific person. A poison can kill within seconds or within months, and in latter case it may well masquerade as some strange illness.
Another poster mentioned that whoever has a murderous intent only needs to think long and hard, and a way will be found. Our ancestors killed each other very successfully before firearms became available to a common man. There are always substitute weapons, anything from a date rape drug to a lead pipe to an overdose of an illegal drug to even a bottle of Molotov’s Cocktail. Many a king were killed with nothing more than a pillow. Should we ban pillows now?
A rational man should not worry about a theoretical possibility of being killed by a psycho. First, it’s rare, and secondly you can’t do anything about it, especially if you are not armed. But if you can fight back it definitely improves the chances.
Anybody that honestly believes this is an absolute moron.
I don’t know about you, but mine are perfectly in order.
Oh wait, you’re not talking about that...
LOL
“-—you broke the liberal code, now you will have to be terminated—”
guess it is about time to go—at 85+, five years WW2 service time,8 kids and 34 grands and greats,I have served my time-—won’t be able to stand much more of this liberal, leftie age in any event-—cheers
Hang in there ol’ timer, the best is yet to come.
Wow. Imagine that.
hear hear
Oddly, his last name is Mauser.
an incredible piece of work
Not thinking anymore. They have banned production katanas and other swords unless you get certain exceptions for nihonto (real japanese made blades) and other things like a registered martial artist.
England is lost. I expect Prince Charles and William are probably secret muslims.
We need to take the power and control BACK from our politicians.
(Yeah, like thats going to happen! /s )
I have yet to see a genocide or systematic mass murder where the population as a whole has widespread access to firearms.
No.
Me too, me too!
Me too, me too!
What’s wrong with what?
“Anybody that honestly believes this is an absolute moron.”, your words.
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