Rise in justifiable homicides linked to weak gun control laws

guardian.co.uk ^ | 5 April, 2012 | Harry J Enten, Gabriel Dance and Karen McVeigh

[marktwain]

Rising numbers of civilian justifiable homicides across the US are closely linked to states with both weak gun controls and stand-your-ground laws, according to a Guardian analysis of FBI and other data, which show a 25% increase in such killings since the controversial self-defence laws started being introduced around 2005.

Stand-your-ground (SYG) measures, which have attracted increasing scrutiny since the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin by a neighbourhood watch volunteer in Florida, allow citizens to use deadly force when they believe their life is in danger, without requiring them to retreat or try to escape the threat first.

Florida was the first state to introduce an SYG law in 2005 and similar measures have now been adopted in some form by more than 20 states. Many were passed in 2006.

The Trayvon Martin case has led to calls for the SYG laws to be reviewed or repealed.

But the Guardian analysis shows that these measures alone cannot be statistically linked with the rise in justifiable homicides. However, in states with both SYG laws and the weakest gun controls – as defined by the Brady Campaign against gun violence – we found a statistical correlation with an increase in justifiable homicides.

Across the US, such killings have risen sharply over the last five years, according to the data provided by the FBI and the Florida department of law enforcement. Between 2001 and 2005, there were 1,225 homicides classed as justifable, compared to 1,528 in the period 2006-2010. By contrast, violent crime overall has been falling.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

It took 3 geniuses to write this?

Harry is trying hard to get laid with either Gabriel or Karen. Leftists have the same proclivities as Bonobo Chimps.

[papertyger]

The more thugs we shoot the less thugs there will be. I don’t see a problem!

You don't see anything wrong with not being able to shoot the apologists?

[snowsislander]

So, the idiots at the Guardian would prefer that the criminals do the killing, instead of normal Americans defending themselves and their families.

That's a bizarre and wrongheaded argument to make on the Guardian's part.

To me, the only tragedy is that so many normal citizens have had to defend themselves and their families from feral criminals who do not fear breaking into a man's home or mugging citizens on the streets.

It is evident that the idiots at the Guardian would rather see Americans burdened with the same tragic situation as in Britain, where home invasions and street robberies are common, and the criminals rarely punished.

If these criminals would stop being violent predators, they would stop dying.

[JAKraig]

Thanks, I was beginning to feel lonely. The first reports mentioned Zimmerman’s gun (semiautomatic) as recovered by the police, having a full magazine and an empty shell case in the chamber. The only way I could see that happening is Martin grabbing the gun with his left hand over the slide while he tried to wrestle the gun from Zimmerman. If Zimmerman had his finger in the trigger guard and Martin yanked the gun back towards his chest, it is probable that he in fact shot himself in the chest. The gun fired while he was holding the slide in place which prevented the empty from being ejected and a live round from being loaded into the chamber.

It would be very interesting to see if Martin had nitrate residue on his left palm and forearm. . . .
________________________________________________________

While I wonder about the powder residue and agree with your probable assessment, the powder residue does not prove anything accept that what Zimmeran said COULD have happened. Martin could have just as well been trying to keep Zimmerman from shooting him and the evidence results would be the same.

[US Navy Vet]

And WE bailed THIS DUMBASS Inbred “Country”s’ ASS out twice in the 20th Century/ We should have let the Kaiser and/or the Nazis have this POS “Country” then NUKED ALL OF THEM!

[longtermmemmory]

IOW before laws were corrected, innocent people were being charged. This is why stand your ground laws have prohibitions against an arrest.

The artible fails to mention how this has neutered the tort lawyers who sued on these. Remember this has also helped with our home liability insurances.

[mo]

Sheesh...you’d think the Feds would have enough common sense to not want their tax paying citizens slaughtered and the parasites living on the dole in jail?!!!!!

Or is it that the Dems see potential voters dying?

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Martin could have just as well been trying to keep Zimmerman from shooting him and the evidence results would be the same.

Perhaps, however I would think that if Martin was trying to block the pistol he would have pushed it sideways to deflect the point of aim. Of course then the gun would have cycled and the spent shell casing ejected. He would have done better to push back on the slide, taking it out of battery, as that would keep the gun from firing. In which case the shell in the chamber would still be live as no shot occurred. Odds are that he had his hand gripping the slide (which kept it from cycling properly) and was trying to pull it out of Zimmerman's hand. Bad idea! Given that either man could have fired the gun we will never know for certain, even Zimmerman can't know for sure.

I like the irony of him shooting himself, it makes a strong point about gang bangers (being relatively low wattage...).

Regards,
GtG

[TurboZamboni]

Debunking the stand your ground myth
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2867480/posts

good thing the “Guardian” isn’t guarding our Constitution.

[Tubac414]

I know we talked about this - but took me a while to get what the words were saying. OK we have states where you can get firearms easily and crime is down - and they say that is a bad thing - what a screwed mess.