[Luisabens]

Gun ban advocate admits gun bans "have failed utterly"

2/28/2007

It didn't make the newspapers or the network news here, but one of the loudest voices for England and Scotland's handgun ban has admitted it's been a dismal failure.

Ian Bell worked long and hard to make sure the ban passed a decade ago. But writing in Scotland's Sunday Herald, he says, "My idea didn't work... guns have become commonplace, so commonplace that every would-be terrorist worth his salt must be armed to the teeth. Bans have failed utterly."

What Bell says is true. Guns have become common, at least among the criminals in England. Gun crime has doubled since the ban took effect. But guns aren't common among the law-abiding. In fact, they've disappeared, leaving ordinary Britons helpless against criminals.

It's good that Ian Bell's admitted the ban's been a failure. But I notice he never called for an end to the ban.

Admitting failure's a good first step, but it does nothing if you don't take the next step of righting a wrong.

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[Mjypksun]

How come we're just learning that they don't work? Has there been any studies on this? Anything that points to places with gun bans and crimes are still committed using firearms?

[Weislenalkata]

How come we're just learning that they don't work? Has there been any studies on this? Anything that points to places with gun bans and crimes are still committed using firearms?

Washington DC. Well, the ban is on handguns, but that didn't stop one perp from robbing me at gunpoint.

The really funny part came when I got a note from a neighbor expressing sympathy over what I had just gone through. The note ended with some comment on how this shows we had to ban guns. LOL

I found out the hard way over 20 years ago that gun bans are a joke.

[Speareerfug]

How come we're just learning that they don't work? Has there been any studies on this? Anything that points to places with gun bans and crimes are still committed using firearms?

We're not.

Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns in 1976. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington D.C.'s homicide rate rose 200%, while the U.S. rate rose 12%. Much more at the site.

Just Facts Gun Control

[Shipsyspeepay]

See theyre Finaly Getting it! ITS THE CRIMINALS STUPID!!! Criminals dont buy guns at gun shops.They get em from Drug dealers from the black markets. If you wanna do something about crime EXPAND THE DEATH PENALTY Like China has.If We Had more executions in america ill bet criminals will think twice before pulling that trigger.

[Mjypksun]

Washington DC. Well, the ban is on handguns, but that didn't stop one perp from robbing me at gunpoint.

The really funny part came when I got a note from a neighbor expressing sympathy over what I had just gone through. The note ended with some comment on how this shows we had to ban guns. LOL

I found out the hard way over 20 years ago that gun bans are a joke.

Sorry to hear about that.

A friend of mine lived in D.C., he was shot to death. Good thing there's that ban.


Sorry, I left off the [sarcasm] tags in my first post

[LesLattis]

But guns aren't common among the law-abiding. In fact, they've disappeared, leaving ordinary Britons helpless against criminals.

I don't really care about gun control debates, but tell me this:

What makes a you less helpless against criminals if you have a gun?

It seems to me that if you are unarmed and a criminal has a gun, you lose your money and likely the criminal is not particularly interested in shooting you.

On the other hand if you are packing and the criminal also has a gun you are protecting your money but inviting an armed conflict that would not have otherwise occured. Unless you have Jesse James-like gun skills you can't be confident that you can "quick-draw" and put a bullet in the criminal's head before he shoots you. After all, the criminal has the element of surprise. You would argue that by having a gun, you are safer in this type of situation?

[sydramySweame]

Gun ban advocate concedes gun bans don't work Not in a capitalist society. Just like Prohibition.

[mypharmalife]

See theyre Finaly Getting it! ITS THE CRIMINALS STUPID!!! Criminals dont buy guns at gun shops.They get em from Drug dealers from the black markets. If you wanna do something about crime EXPAND THE DEATH PENALTY Like China has.If We Had more executions in america ill bet criminals will think twice before pulling that trigger.

Your right about the Executions as I would like to see around 3 a day till most of the scum have been erased!! Now on China, you forget that a lot of the assault rifles that GANGBANGERS use are shipped her by the CHICOMS! They worked out a deal with American Traitor Bill Clinton to bring them into the old Naval Yards at Oakland CA! Bill likes his Black constituents armed, and of course being a criminal asshole himself, he owed the RED Chinese favors for Election Money!

I own around 37 different types of Rifles, Shotguns & Handguns and have yet to use them illegally, and of course the rule is I will not give them up and neither will about over 1,000,000 of my friends who are Patriots!! I am sure that number even exceeds that among the law abiding citizens of America!

[DoctorIrokezov]

What makes a you less helpless against criminals if you have a gun? ... you are protecting your money but inviting an armed conflict that would not have otherwise occured. It depends on the situation. In the stereotypical 'all alone in a dark alley and the confident career criminal get the drop on you,' yes, you're completely correct. In a situation where there's a decent chance of a passerby, the thief has to worry about not only the victim being armed, but also anyone else nearby, so may just forego the crime. In a situation where the criminal is distracted and/or slow enough for you to get your gun (or there Is a passerby), they will more often flee than fight. In a situation where somebody runs amok like a school shooting or some such, the attacker may or may not be deterred, but would most likely be stopped sooner than if nobody else was armed.

[Luisabens]

The main advantage of people being able to carry, is that the criminal knows that his potential victims will mostly not carry anyway... but a few will. And a bystandater or two may have a gun, too. The criminal won't know which ones, so many will think twice before assaulting/raping/etc. In fact, many may take up other professions... which would be a win for all concerned.

Many gun-banners try to say things like, "There are more guns in the US than any other country, so why is the crime rate high?" ...without mentioning that nearly all of them are locked up, left with trigger locks, or otherwise rendered useless in an emergency. In fact, virtually ALL victims don't have guns when the criminal goes after them - a fact the criminals are well aware of.

If the criminals knew that someone in the crowd probably has a gun, he'll be a lot less likely to snatch the old lady's purse or drag the little kid off the sidewalk into his car. But the gun-banners have made sure he doesn't have to worry about that. When decrying our rising crime rates, they need to take a hard look in the mirror.

[Nurse_sero]

What Bell has said is that gun control laws in the UK have failed miserably. Why they have failed needs to be examined. Why there is an increased in violent offences where offenders have used firearms needs to be examined. But if you think any British politician will relax the current restrictions on firearms then you're smoking something quite aromatic. It won't happen. Hell they won't even arm the average general duties copper. And no point in comparing it to the US situation - apples and oranges. It neither bolsters nor harms the argument about gun control in the US.

[mypharmalife]

The formula for high crime=1 part Coward Clinton-2 Parts CHI COMS imports-several parts Black-Brown gangs and just plain Black brown Crime! The stats are there despite several comments that will be made from Edwards trial lawyer whimp wannabe's!!

[Nurse_sero]

The formula for high crime=1 part Coward Clinton-2 Parts CHI COMS imports-several parts Black-Brown gangs and just plain Black brown Crime! The stats are there despite several comments that will be made from Edwards trial lawyer whimp wannabe's!!

How do you explain Enron and other white collar crimes?

[DrCeshing]

Some Statistics from the USA

In 1999, there were 28,874 gun-related deaths in the United States - over 80 deaths every day. (Source: Hoyert DL, Arias E, Smith BL, Murphy SL, Kochanek, KD. Deaths: Final Data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2001;49 (8).)

Between 1993-1999, gun deaths in the United States have declined 27%. (SOURCE: WISQARS Provides Customized Reports of Injury-Related Data, WISQARS, National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, accessed March, 2002.)

In 1999, 58% of all gun deaths were suicides, and 38% were homicides. (SOURCE: Hoyert DL, Arias E, Smith BL, Murphy SL, Kochanek, KD. Deaths: Final Data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2001;49 (8).)

Of all suicides, 57% occurred by firearm (SOURCE: WISQARS Provides Customized Reports of Injury-Related Data, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), National Center for Injury Control and Prevention, accessed March, 2002.)

In 2000, 75,685 people (27/100,000) suffered non-fatal firearm gunshot injuries. (SOURCE: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports for the United States: Crime in the United States 2000: Uniform Crime Reports. Washington, D.C: U.S. Department of Justice; 2001.)


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Gun Deaths - International Comparisons
Gun Deaths - International Comparisons
Gun deaths per 100,000 population (for the year indicated):

Homicide Suicide Unintentional

USA 4.08 (1999) 6.08 (1999) 0.42 (1999)

Canada 0.54 (1999) 2.65 (1997) 0.15 (1997)

Switzerland 0.50 (1999) 5.78 (1998) -

Scotland 0.12 (1999) 0.27 (1999) -

England/Wales 0.12 (1999/00) 0.22 (1999) 0.01 (1999)

Japan 0.04* (1998) 0.04 (1995)