[max_power29]

Urban Delinquency and Substance Abuse
From the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the U.S. Department of Justice comes this study focusing on crime, gang activity, and drug use among youths in cities. Of particular interest is page 18. The study showed that those youths who owned illegal guns are involved in street crime at a whopping 71% rate. By contrast, the government researchers admit that youths owning legal guns have a crime rate lower than those who own no guns at all! The link between the socialization of the family and instruction by fathers to legal gun ownership and low crime rates is mentioned. The thugs, of course, are getting their socialization "on the street." This is an Acrobat pdf file.
http://www.gunowners.org/sourcetb.htm

[max_power29]

http://www.gunowners.org/sourcetb.htm

Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms
A federal grant from the Clinton Justice Department went to two anti-gun scholars to fund this research project. Result: findings which support the work on defensive uses of firearms done by Dr. Gary Kleck of FSU. Kleck's research has been unfairly vilified in the media, but now even anti-gun researchers are admitting to more than a million defensive uses per year. The above link is to a text version; the 20-page report is also available as an Adobe Acrobat file.

[max_power29]

Crime, Deterrence, and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns
This is the famous 1996 Lott and Mustard multi-year study which proves the link between concealed carry and the lowering of the crime rate. Several download options available.

[max_power29]

Crime and Justice in the United States and England and Wales
This Clinton Department of Justice study looks at crime in the U.S. vs. the U.K. from 1981-1996. Gun control in England is nearly total, with yet another major ban passing in 1997. England's attempts to control its society-wide crime problem with ever-more restrictive gun control have proven to be a dismal failure.

[max_power29]

Uniform Crime Reports
The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. Most files available as .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) only.
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Shall Issue: The New Wave of Concealed Handgun Permit Laws
One of the oldest studies, from October of 1994, relying heavily upon early Florida and Washington data.
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Florida Concealed Weapons Statistical Report
From the Florida Department of State, updated monthly.

http://www.gunowners.org/sourcetb.htm

[Aaron]

Ok... you guys have inspired me... I gonna go buy an AR-15 Bushmaster today in honor of this thread.

And I'm gonna name it Dolly.



(kidding about the name... naming inanimate objects is just creepy...)

Cloud9... you're not helping.

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('IslandCrow', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', '
')Guns are like condoms...

[jato]

With 15 years of law enforcement under my belt, I have only seen 2 accidental shootings:

1. A young man who was drunk accidentally shot himself in the thigh with a 9mm. I have seen way more carnage caused by drunken people behind the wheel of automobiles who "accidentally" hurt themselves or others.

2. A young man shot himself in the head accidentally with a Browning 9mm. According to the witness (or was that the suspect, hhhhmmmm!?!) the "victim" tried to unload the gun and it "went off". Of course the "victim" was not familiar with his firearm because it was not his firearm! It was a stolen firearm.

Understand I live in a "conservative Republican" area and there are many guns in my community.

I have been to calls where firearms were used in crimes. I have been to calls where firearms were used to prevent crimes.

I have become increasingly pro-gun throughout the years. Maybe because I know that law enforcement doesn’t protect anyone. How can we protect with one officer on patrol for every 10,000 people (the standard ratio where I live). Our job, in reality, is to resolve the aftermath of crimes. Even then, we arrest the bad guys and they are let out a short time later to re-offend. If more responsible citizens carried guns, my life would be easier.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jato', 'H')ow can we protect with one officer on patrol for every 10,000 people (the standard ratio where I live). Our job, in reality, is to resolve the aftermath of crimes. Even then, we arrest the bad guys and they are let out a short time later to re-offend.

[jato]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')ou are clearly aware of what is the problem, then. Not really to do with guns, but with the fact that the law, as things stand, is unenforceable where you live.

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jato', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')ou are clearly aware of what is the problem, then. Not really to do with guns, but with the fact that the law, as things stand, is unenforceable where you live.

[Dreamtwister]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jato', 'M')aybe because I know that law enforcement doesn’t protect anyone. How can we protect with one officer on patrol for every 10,000 people (the standard ratio where I live). Our job, in reality, is to resolve the aftermath of crimes. Even then, we arrest the bad guys and they are let out a short time later to re-offend. If more responsible citizens carried guns, my life would be easier.

[venky]

I think there is no point to this thread. The Americans cant concieve why people would want to restrict gun ownership. The rest of us will continue to think they are completely nuts. This thread will basically just confirm opinions on both sides. And 25000 people will die from Gun violence in the US every year. And 40000 will die in car accidents....................

The chance of anyone on this thread being involved in either is moderately low.............

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('venky', ' ')And 25000 people will die from Gun violence in the US every year. And 40000 will die in car accidents....................

The chance of anyone on this thread being involved in either is moderately low.............

[venky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')ut at least get your facts straight, and don't go quoting bullshit statistics when you know damn well they're false.

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('venky', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')ut at least get your facts straight, and don't go quoting bullshit statistics when you know damn well they're false.

[holmes]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('max_power29', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('holmes', 'I') was raised with a gun in my hand. and the tools that never have touched one or even have REAL LIFE experiences want to grab them. usually CITIOTS are the ones bringing gun grab policies. Worthless fetus like humanoids that are trapped in their urban hell holes. Dont spread your virus. already are with sprawl and incessent demands. Stay in your boundariesand step off. Ban yourself why dont u. Your the danger not the gun. and only the honest gun owners are the ones who get shafteed. The crooks not. But then again the loathers idolize felons and the weak and worhtless. twisted to say the least. screaming against the government yet creating more government gestapos. the mental illness runs deep. scary wack jobs.

[ECM]

When I was in in college I did a term paper on gun control. I still believe that gun control should be enforced, but only for the most excessive weapons.

Fully automatic weapons are not used for home defense. At least not in full auto mode. Those should remain banned. High calibur weapons are not needed for defense and should be banned also.

The more I see the Federal government strengthen and piss on the Constitution the greater sense of urgency I get that all United States citizens of reasonable age and mental state should be armed. A population without weapons is at the mercy of an aggressor internal or external. The government should fear the people.

After having someone try and enter my apartment twice, while I was in it, I decided to finally get some combat knives. I have yet to get a gun but am seriously considering it.

United States Homicide Statistics

[rogerhb]

I recommend that it be mandatory for all Americans to carry loaded firearms at all times with no safety catches.

That should keep everyone happy.

[Loki]

Fine with me. None of my handguns have manual safeties anyway.

ECM, care to define a "high calibur weapon" and to explain why the Second Amendment doesn't cover them?