Britain Needs Guns - Gun Myths Page 1

Gun Myths Page 1

What is "concealed carry" and what effect does it have on crime rates?

"Concealed carry" allows US citizens to obtain a permit from local law enforcement authorities to carry loaded handguns in public, provided they are hidden from view.

Concealed carry legislation started being passed throughout the US in 1987, the first state to have such a law being Florida. As the number of US states that allow concealed carry has increased and the number of permit holders has continued to grow, the US violent crime rate has declined.

Rapes declined by 29 percent between 1992 and 2007. Robberies declined by 44 percent between 1991 and 2007, and the burglary rate dropped by 42 percent during the same period.

The most interesting fact is that the US murder rate declined by a rate of 42 percent between 1991 and 2007.

If the murder rate in 2008 has been the same as it was in 1991, then 29,800 people would have been murdered in the US between Jan 1st and Dec 31st 2008.

Instead, the number of murder victims was 16,200 and the murder rate is the lowest it's been for more than 20 years. This means that concealed carry helped to save the lives of thousands of people in 2008 alone.

This is clear proof that allowing people to be armed does not increase crime rates, and may actually help to reduce crime.

If that really is the case, then what reason is there is oppose the relaxation of gun laws ?

(Source - Federal Bureau Of Investigation - 1989 - 2008 Crime Statistics )

(Source - Interview with Author John R Lott Jr ) (PDF File)

If the good guys have guns, then the criminals will have them as well.

You only need watch the news to see that gun control does not disarm criminals, it simply leaves law-abiding people (who quite rightly fear going to prison) unable to protect themselves.

Put simply, guns are available in the UK to anyone who has the money to buy one. In July 2010, British criminal Raoul Thomas Moat was released from prison. Within 48 hours of his release he had acquired an illegal gun, which he used to kill one person and seriously injure 2 others. He later used the weapon to commit suicide.

Over the past few years the number of criminals carrying and using guns has increased dramatically, with violent shootings now happening on a daily basis and often involving innocent victims such as children.

If you're concerned about criminals being able to get handguns easily if they were legalised, you should be aware that with over 4 million illegal guns on Britain's streets, the problem of easy criminal access to guns is already here.

The important question now is - how do we protect ourselves from these people ?

(Source - Daily Mail - March 2008 and January 2009) (PDF File)

(Source - 2nd Amendment Foundation - December 2009) (PDF File)

(Source - Independent - September 2005) (PDF File)

People will use guns to resolve their disputes.

The 'concealed carry' system in the US has proven to be a remarkable success, with very few permit holders being convicted of any type of crime involving the use of handguns. I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case here. All the warnings and talk of people "blowing each other away" over trivial incidents such as road rage have proven to be completely unfounded.

Disputes between law-abiding people very rarely end in any kind of violence because the overwhelming majority of people prefer to avoid confrontation where possible.

What's far more likely to happen is that people will become more polite, so as to avoid an angry confrontation with another armed citizen.

This forms the basis of the saying that "An Armed Society Is A Polite Society".

There is more to this argument that you realise. If you talk to gun control supporters, at some point you'll meet someone who believes that he, personally, is not morally or emotionally equipped to behave sensibly whilst armed. Because this same person believes that he's the most rational, sensible and well-adjusted person in the country, he's convinced himself that everyone else is a morally and emotionally retarded idiot who cannot be trusted with a gun.

For that reason, he believes that people should not be able to own guns.

(Source - Florida Division Of Licensing)

(Source - Texas Dept Of Public Safety - 2002 to 2007 Conviction Rates)

Passing tougher gun laws is the best way to deal with armed criminals.

No amount of legislation will stop criminals arming themselves with illegal weapons and using them to kill and injure innocent, law-abiding people. The reason for this is because criminals don't obey laws, that's what makes them criminals in the first place.

How can we possibly use laws to protect us from people that don't obey laws?

Britain's draconian gun laws don't offer you security, they offer you a FALSE sense of security, which is something completely different. As you can see from watching the news, these laws do nothing to disarm criminals or stop them from acquiring guns illegally. When the law banning handguns was passed, it was used in such a way that you were basically led to believe that you are being kept safe.

The reality is that if you were attacked in the street or in your own home, you would now be completely defenceless against rapists or muggers that get around bans by simply ignoring them (like they do with other laws) and carrying weapons anyway.

Remember, someone who's willing to risk life imprisonment for murder isn't going to be deterred by a few years in prison for carrying a certain type of weapon.

Widespread gun ownership leads to higher crime and murder rates.

The 2 US states with the most relaxed gun laws (Vermont and New Hampshire) also have the lowest levels of violent crime. Vermont has around 630,000 residents and has virtually no gun laws. It's also consistently ranked one of the safest places to live in America.

The state of Arizona (with a population of 6.5 million residents) has recently introduced legislation that will allow any US citizen over the age of 21 to carry a concealed handgun in public with no permit, background checks or training.

Another interesting country is Switzerland. Between 25 and 30 percent of Swiss citizens own firearms, including handguns and semi-automatic rifles. Violent crime is very low in Switzerland, much lower then here in the UK.

In fact, relaxing gun laws in the US has helped reduce the violent crime rate as opposed to increasing it.

The crime rates of different countries are more complex than the simple availability of firearms. America's social problems, such as mass illegal immigration and the narcotics trade all contribute to the murder rate.

In any part of the world, you will find that armed violence is not linked to the number of legally held guns owned by decent law-abiding taxpayers that obey no smoking laws and pay traffic tickets. It's linked to the number of illegal guns owned by criminals, who don't obey gun laws no matter how strict they are.

(Source - Vermont Violent Crime 2008 - FBI Statistics )

(Source - Vermont Gun Laws - National Rifle Association ) (PDF File)

Banning gun ownership leads to lower crime and murder rates.

Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and Phoenix in Arizona both have populations of around 1.5 million residents. Juarez has very strict gun laws, whilst Phoenix has far more relaxed gun laws. It may surprise you to learn that the murder rate in Juarez is much higher than that of Phoenix, with Juarez suffering a much higher level of gun violence despite it's tough stance on firearms ownership.

In fact, the city has such a huge gun violence problem that army help has been requested in a desperate attempt to restore order because the police simply cannot cope.

The annual murder rate in that city has reached 133 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than 23 times the average US murder rate of 5.6, and that's with strict gun control laws.

Criminals in Juarez can kill safe in the knowledge that their victims have no way of defending themselves. That's why crime is higher in Mexico; disarmed citizens make a criminal's job easier. You may also be unaware that Jamaica has far more gun violence and a higher homicide rate than America, despite much stricter gun laws.

How many supporters of gun control have told you all this ?

(Source - Telegraph Newspaper - October 2009) (PDF File)

(Source - A Practical Guide To Mexico Gun Laws For Americans) (PDF File)

(Source - BBC News - September 2009)


Home My Goals My Personal Thoughts Gun Myths Page 1 Gun Myths Page 2 Guns And Tyranny Obtaining A Shotgun America's Gun Deaths Multiple Victim Shootings Pro Gun Websites Gun Control Videos Gun Control Quotes Unarmed Britain Reports And Articles How You Can Help Contact Me	Gun Myths Page 1 What is "concealed carry" and what effect does it have on crime rates? "Concealed carry" allows US citizens to obtain a permit from local law enforcement authorities to carry loaded handguns in public, provided they are hidden from view. Concealed carry legislation started being passed throughout the US in 1987, the first state to have such a law being Florida. As the number of US states that allow concealed carry has increased and the number of permit holders has continued to grow, the US violent crime rate has declined. Rapes declined by 29 percent between 1992 and 2007. Robberies declined by 44 percent between 1991 and 2007, and the burglary rate dropped by 42 percent during the same period. The most interesting fact is that the US murder rate declined by a rate of 42 percent between 1991 and 2007. If the murder rate in 2008 has been the same as it was in 1991, then 29,800 people would have been murdered in the US between Jan 1st and Dec 31st 2008. Instead, the number of murder victims was 16,200 and the murder rate is the lowest it's been for more than 20 years. This means that concealed carry helped to save the lives of thousands of people in 2008 alone. This is clear proof that allowing people to be armed does not increase crime rates, and may actually help to reduce crime. If that really is the case, then what reason is there is oppose the relaxation of gun laws ? (Source - Federal Bureau Of Investigation - 1989 - 2008 Crime Statistics ) (Source - Interview with Author John R Lott Jr ) (PDF File) If the good guys have guns, then the criminals will have them as well. You only need watch the news to see that gun control does not disarm criminals, it simply leaves law-abiding people (who quite rightly fear going to prison) unable to protect themselves. Put simply, guns are available in the UK to anyone who has the money to buy one. In July 2010, British criminal Raoul Thomas Moat was released from prison. Within 48 hours of his release he had acquired an illegal gun, which he used to kill one person and seriously injure 2 others. He later used the weapon to commit suicide. Over the past few years the number of criminals carrying and using guns has increased dramatically, with violent shootings now happening on a daily basis and often involving innocent victims such as children. If you're concerned about criminals being able to get handguns easily if they were legalised, you should be aware that with over 4 million illegal guns on Britain's streets, the problem of easy criminal access to guns is already here. The important question now is - how do we protect ourselves from these people ? (Source - Daily Mail - March 2008 and January 2009) (PDF File) (Source - 2nd Amendment Foundation - December 2009) (PDF File) (Source - Independent - September 2005) (PDF File) People will use guns to resolve their disputes. The 'concealed carry' system in the US has proven to be a remarkable success, with very few permit holders being convicted of any type of crime involving the use of handguns. I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case here. All the warnings and talk of people "blowing each other away" over trivial incidents such as road rage have proven to be completely unfounded. Disputes between law-abiding people very rarely end in any kind of violence because the overwhelming majority of people prefer to avoid confrontation where possible. What's far more likely to happen is that people will become more polite, so as to avoid an angry confrontation with another armed citizen. This forms the basis of the saying that "An Armed Society Is A Polite Society". There is more to this argument that you realise. If you talk to gun control supporters, at some point you'll meet someone who believes that he, personally, is not morally or emotionally equipped to behave sensibly whilst armed. Because this same person believes that he's the most rational, sensible and well-adjusted person in the country, he's convinced himself that everyone else is a morally and emotionally retarded idiot who cannot be trusted with a gun. For that reason, he believes that people should not be able to own guns. (Source - Florida Division Of Licensing) (Source - Texas Dept Of Public Safety - 2002 to 2007 Conviction Rates) Passing tougher gun laws is the best way to deal with armed criminals. No amount of legislation will stop criminals arming themselves with illegal weapons and using them to kill and injure innocent, law-abiding people. The reason for this is because criminals don't obey laws, that's what makes them criminals in the first place. How can we possibly use laws to protect us from people that don't obey laws? Britain's draconian gun laws don't offer you security, they offer you a FALSE sense of security, which is something completely different. As you can see from watching the news, these laws do nothing to disarm criminals or stop them from acquiring guns illegally. When the law banning handguns was passed, it was used in such a way that you were basically led to believe that you are being kept safe. The reality is that if you were attacked in the street or in your own home, you would now be completely defenceless against rapists or muggers that get around bans by simply ignoring them (like they do with other laws) and carrying weapons anyway. Remember, someone who's willing to risk life imprisonment for murder isn't going to be deterred by a few years in prison for carrying a certain type of weapon. Widespread gun ownership leads to higher crime and murder rates. The 2 US states with the most relaxed gun laws (Vermont and New Hampshire) also have the lowest levels of violent crime. Vermont has around 630,000 residents and has virtually no gun laws. It's also consistently ranked one of the safest places to live in America. The state of Arizona (with a population of 6.5 million residents) has recently introduced legislation that will allow any US citizen over the age of 21 to carry a concealed handgun in public with no permit, background checks or training. Another interesting country is Switzerland. Between 25 and 30 percent of Swiss citizens own firearms, including handguns and semi-automatic rifles. Violent crime is very low in Switzerland, much lower then here in the UK. In fact, relaxing gun laws in the US has helped reduce the violent crime rate as opposed to increasing it. The crime rates of different countries are more complex than the simple availability of firearms. America's social problems, such as mass illegal immigration and the narcotics trade all contribute to the murder rate. In any part of the world, you will find that armed violence is not linked to the number of legally held guns owned by decent law-abiding taxpayers that obey no smoking laws and pay traffic tickets. It's linked to the number of illegal guns owned by criminals, who don't obey gun laws no matter how strict they are. (Source - Vermont Violent Crime 2008 - FBI Statistics ) (Source - Vermont Gun Laws - National Rifle Association ) (PDF File) Banning gun ownership leads to lower crime and murder rates. Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and Phoenix in Arizona both have populations of around 1.5 million residents. Juarez has very strict gun laws, whilst Phoenix has far more relaxed gun laws. It may surprise you to learn that the murder rate in Juarez is much higher than that of Phoenix, with Juarez suffering a much higher level of gun violence despite it's tough stance on firearms ownership. In fact, the city has such a huge gun violence problem that army help has been requested in a desperate attempt to restore order because the police simply cannot cope. The annual murder rate in that city has reached 133 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than 23 times the average US murder rate of 5.6, and that's with strict gun control laws. Criminals in Juarez can kill safe in the knowledge that their victims have no way of defending themselves. That's why crime is higher in Mexico; disarmed citizens make a criminal's job easier. You may also be unaware that Jamaica has far more gun violence and a higher homicide rate than America, despite much stricter gun laws. How many supporters of gun control have told you all this ? (Source - Telegraph Newspaper - October 2009) (PDF File) (Source - A Practical Guide To Mexico Gun Laws For Americans) (PDF File) (Source - BBC News - September 2009)
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