More Guns in Citizens' Hands Can Worsen Crime, Study Says

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 1/23/03 | Aparna Kumar

[Gothmog]

WASHINGTON -- State laws that allow private citizens to carry concealed weapons do not reduce crime and may even increase it, according to a study released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution.

The findings, by Stanford University law professor John Donohue, contradict an influential study by economist John R. Lott Jr., a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who in 1997 concluded that by adopting such laws, states can substantially curb violent crime.

[Centurion2000]

The findings, by Stanford University law professor John Donohue

Never trust a lawyer.

[dirtboy]

For his part, Donohue said that right-to-carry laws may deter violent crimes, such as murder or robbery, in some situations, while encouraging them in others.

For example, he said, an attacker may wrest control of a handgun away from a victim, who may be less experienced in handling firearms, and use it against the victim.

Also, otherwise law-abiding citizens may become "emboldened to do bad things, some of them violent" in the heat of the moment, Donohue said.

Yeah, it's supposed to be a scientific study, but all Donohue can engage in is hypotheticals. I expected as much. We'll have to meander over to Brookings and dissect the logic, or lack thereof, in this study.

[dirtboy]

The findings, by Stanford University law professor John Donohue, contradict an influential study by economist John R. Lott Jr,

Let me see. One is trained in the professional use of statistics, and the other is trained in the professional use of bullsh**. Which results should I believe to be scientific? This is a toughie...

[Support Free Republic]

Free Republic Rocks, Big Time!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

[jimt]

The guy has obviously studied England and Switzerland.

NOT !

[IGOTMINE]

"Brookings Institute". No more need be said.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

This finding seems like a logical absurdity.

[dirtboy]

As an FYI, Donohue was one of the authors of a study that tied the legalization of abortion in 1973 to the drop in the crime rate in the 1990s.

[dirtboy]

This is so much fun. In the LA Times article, Donohue first claims this:

According to his research, 13 states that enacted right-to-carry laws after 1992 experienced steep increases in murder and other violent crime rates, compared with states without such laws.

But then, he offers this rebuttal to Lott:

A comparison of crime trends in adjacent counties in two states -- one with a right-to-carry law and one without -- demonstrates "a drop in crime rates in the areas with the law and an increase in those without the law," Lott said.

But Donohue argues that such comparisons are generally skewed, since the states that have adopted such laws tend to be rural and relatively isolated from the types of violent crime -- such as offenses related to crack cocaine -- that disproportionately affect more urbanized states, many of which have not enacted similar laws.

So after claiming that violence and murder rates went up in states that enacted CCW laws, he then has to explain away the fact that such rates dropped relative to neighboring states. He just contradicted himself, which IMO indicates he used highly subjective filters on the data to come to his conclusions.

[A2J]

Poppycock!

[elbucko]

but all Donohue can engage in is hypotheticals.

I read the article to, and was amazed at the amount of speculation presented as fact. This is typical of the LAT, esp. on the 2nd. Amendment.

[South40]

The findings, by Stanford University law professor John Donohue

Never trust a lawyer.

Never trust a Donahue!

[Gothmog]

Yeah, I noticed the 'exactness' of his data, ha ha ha. Yeah, well, maybe the gun would misfire and blow up and cause other guns around it to blow up and this would create a chain reaction that kills everyone in the entire gun carrting state!

[ZULU]

The entire premise of this "study" flies in the face of all facts observed in EVERY jurisdiction where the citizens have been disarmed.

Beyond that, the Founding Fathers CORRECTLY viewed an armed citizenry as just another chack and balance in the system they created to prevent autocracy - a condition the liberal left would dearly love to achieve in America.

[goodnesswins]

What's with the location shown on this piece: "Washington".....is that The State, or DC....just wondering.

[gnarledmaw]

"...an attacker may wrest control of a handgun away from a victim..."

If its so damned easy to do, why dont the victims just wrest the weapon back? Shouldnt we just make it a law that all criminals HAVE to carry firearms and then when they do something stupid we can just "wrest control" of it from them...

[MrB]

"...an attacker may wrest control of a handgun away from a victim..."

Why would the victim let the perp get that close before emptying it into him?

[Fiddlstix]

More Guns in Citizens' Hands Can Worsen Crime, Study Says

[Semper Paratus]

Hows crime doing in Australia and Great Britain since they've taken guns out of citizens' hands.

It's skyrocketed.