Now We’re Getting Somewhere (San Fran gun ban)

NRO ^ | November 09, 2005 | John R. Lott Jr.

[neverdem]

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November 09, 2005,

10:53 a.m.

Now We’re Getting Somewhere

A silver lining in a gun ban.

By John R. Lott Jr.

Who wrote the following?

"[I]t is possible that once residents gave up their handguns, San Francisco would be seen as an easy hunting ground for criminals who have no intention of giving up their own pistols."

Is it the NRA claiming that gun laws disarm law-abiding citizens and not criminals? No. Amazingly enough it was the San Francisco Chronicle, one of the more liberal newspapers in the U.S., in an editorial arguing against Proposition H, the initiative that passed on Tuesday to ban handguns in the city.

Yet, despite this reasonableness, the initiative passed with a safe margin, 58 percent of the vote. Perhaps that isn't very surprising in a city where a proposition banning military recruiters at public high schools and colleges got even more support and almost 80 percent voted against parental notification for minors getting abortions.

Ultimately, though, the vote didn't mean much of anything. As San Francisco's Mayor, Gavin Newsom, a strong supporter of gun control, said, the ban "clearly will be thrown out [in court]... It's really just a public opinion poll at the end of the day." State law prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting such a ban, and an even weaker law requiring handgun registration that was enacted by the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1982 was thrown out by the California state supreme court.

The silver lining was how forcefully many organizations such as the police came out against the gun ban. Besides discussing the increases in murder occurring in Washington, D.C. after it instituted a handgun ban, the officers stated: "When we disarm honest, law-abiding citizens, we contribute to empowering criminals and endangering society-at-large." They directly acknowledged how important it was for people to be able to defend themselves with a handgun when the police couldn't be there.

It would be nice if San Francisco could avoid the increases in violent crime rates experienced by Washington, D.C. and Chicago after their handgun bans.

But Bill O'Reilly probably said it best recently on the Fox News Channel when he noted: "Once I saw what happened in Hurricane Katrina, I said every American household should have a firearm. If there's a tremendous earthquake in San Francisco and looting, you don't want your family protected? You don't want a firearm in your house? You're living in the world of Oz."

It is one thing for a group such as the Pink Pistols, a gay-rights group that advocates people being able to defend themselves, to make these claims, but it's a broader group talking about the importance of people being able to defend themselves and their loved ones these days. The fact that so many people discuss and debate how a gun ban can lead to more crime itself reflects how much the debate has been changing.

— John R. Lott Jr., a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is the author of More Guns, Less Crime and The Bias Against Guns.

	http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/lott200511091053.asp

[CTOCS]

CA has a provision in state law that trumps the locals. IL does not. DC does not.

[GOP_1900AD]

When we moved out of our rental home in the Sunset District 10 years ago we were replaced by a lesbian couple. That neighborhood was, in the day, a bastion of the Irish working folk. Although still mostly Dem it was mostly Reagan Dem with GOP mixed in well. Today, it is a mix of Chinese, gays who could not afford Noe Valley, and "Sex and the City" crowd (e.g. decadent, nihilist professional chronic singles) overflow.

[RetiredArmy]

Okay, my bad. I just knew Mr. Lott has written re gun crime and taking away guns being safe as liberal mumbojumbo.

[GOP_1900AD]

Just like he did trying to be a bootlicker (or, *something* licker!) of the "Castro boys" with his illegal gay marriage fiasco.

[GBA]

"John Lott is not newly converted. You should read his other works re guns."

I was talking about BOR and I really just don't like Bill O'Reilly. I'm glad he finally gets it, but why does it take a Katrina event for him or anyone else to see something so obvious as our right to own guns? Such a conversion strikes me as being very fickle and I can easily see him switching to an anti-gun stance when some other event happens.

[trashcanbred]

This part of the story is more interesting:
"Opponents, who include local law enforcement unions and gun owners, say a ban on handguns would lead to a rise in crime because criminals would know people are not armed and able to defend themselves.

"Those who are committing violence on the street don't use legally obtained guns anyway," said Larry Barsetti, a retired San Francisco police lieutenant. "

[S.O.L.]

Let the San Francisco riots begin! Maybe those left will vote differently next time.

Also, I wonder if any president would have the guts to not send in the US military to help after the big one on the basis that they don't want the military to even be able to exercise their first amendment rights and recruit volunteers.

[Bon mots]

Great. Now only police will have guns, we all know that they know best how to use them.

Especially lady cops

[Iron Matron]

He seems to be losing his mind over the oil industry turning a profit as well.

LOL! I almost busted a gut laughing last night when he had Wayne Rogers and Ben Stein on..poor Mr. Rogers looked like he wanted to hang himself and Ben Stein kept trying to get a word in edgewise..sir..sir..sir..all the while Bill Blathered and bloviated about another thing he knows nothing about..

What a fool Bill O'Reilly is..does he research anything?

[bill1952]

let all the armed thugs gravitate thereto for the safe pursuit of their chosen career paths.

Why not? All the bums do.

[BRITinUSA]

I was talking about BOR and I really just don't like Bill O'Reilly. I'm glad he finally gets it, but why does it take a Katrina event for him or anyone else to see something so obvious as our right to own guns? Such a conversion strikes me as being very fickle and I can easily see him switching to an anti-gun stance when some other event happens.

Many people have no direct experience with the positive effects of gun ownership. O'Reilly is obviously one of those; He has at least had the courage to admit his prior position was wrong.

A smart person learns from his mistakes, a really smart person learns from other peoples mistakes.

[MarineBrat]

>>Especially lady cops

Wow, what a screwup! :) Did she hit the suspect or the guy handcuffing him?

[mountainlyons]

Australia's government confiscated guns and home invasion went up over 40%. Florida issued 120,000 concealed carry permits and carjacking went way down. Who will the liberals blame when crime skyrockets and many are killed. Law abiding people will follow the law and criminals and gang members will still kill!

[GBA]

True. But when he switches back to his previous position, he will be able to cite your words as proof of his growth. Time will tell, I guess, but I still don't like him.

[bill1952]

Al Franken and Bill O'Reilly are mirror images of each other: pompous windbags with acutely excessive senses of self-importance

That is untrue and unfair.

Al Franken is an uneducated, third rate, stand up comedian. And he acts like one

While you may not agree with Mr. Orielly, he is a very well educated professor, who also happens to have a very conservative bent. - and that is quite rare, even if we do not always agree with him

I know I don't, and a few times he outright ticked me off, but I never lost sight of the fact that he is extremely intelligent, unlike Franken, who is a rather stupid buffoon

[bill1952]

I'm one of those Florida residents, and a little while ago they were saying that our castle doctrine (expansion) would lead to outright mayhem on the streets, as we all shot it out any time that we were pissed.

Uh, no. - But we are safer.

[George Smiley]

None of the descriptive language I used made any reference whatsoever to the intelligence or lack thereof on the part of either Mr. Franken or Mr. O'Reilly.

That having been said, I stand by my comments.

[Bon mots]

I don't know. I think I read that the cow hit the suspect in the arm. Bet that left a mark.

[45Auto]

The SF PD was opposed because they are not exempt from the requirements of this stupid law, i.e., they are not permitted to keep a gun in their homes or when off duty. Retired cops are also required to give up their home defense guns. The biggest part of this law is that it requires that people not keep guns in their homes - a confiscation is possible - should the morons on the SF Board of Stupidvisors so deem.

[SFC Chromey]

The story was in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was also posted on SFGate.com yesterday or the day before.