[lit-ideas] Re: Nigerian gun control as an example for us
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 12:02:12 -0700
Mike,
I couldn't get you web site to come, but here are some thorough-going
comparisons. Consider the comparison of violent deaths:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvintl.html The U.S. is about in the
middle. Note the comment down at the bottom that many don't know how to
develop proper statistics and lump defensive deaths in with offensive
deaths. Consider this analysis of Defensive Gun deaths:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdguse.html
Here is a graph comparing International Homicide rates:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html It begins with an
interesting discussion of what can be concluded from these statistics.
Also, you've got to consider illegal aliens coming to the U.S. No one seems
to be developing statistics to find out how many homicides are committed by
them vs the population at large, but some are suggesting that the numbers
are significant. Witness: "He found that between 1,806 and 2,510 people in
the U.S. are murdered annually by illegal aliens. If he's right, that would
represent between 11 percent and 15 percent of all murders in the U.S."
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52198 .
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Mike Geary
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 10:10 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Nigerian gun control as an example for us
Lawrence,
We both want a society that is as safe and secure as possible within a
social framework that permits as much individual liberty as possible so that
we can pursue "happiness" (or the fullness of our potential) as we perceive
it. There is and will always be a tension between the two since one man's
pursuit of happiness can be at the cost of another's. And because we are a
multicultural nation and have no Yahweh to tell us the way, we on our own.
We have to work it out among ourselves. We're constantly bargaining
personal liberties for safety and security as we deem necessary for the
greater good and vice versa. That you believe guns enhance our security
doesn't surprise me, I'm a son of the South, born and bred in the gun
culture, a pistol was my pacifier. What does surprise me is that you
persist in arguing that guns make us safer in the face of so much evidence
to the contrary. For instance this:
"The US gun death rates are far higher than any other industrialized
countries, and among the highest recorded in the world. 2005 statitics
indicate that the US had 10,100 gun homicides compared to 222 in Canada.
While the US and Canada have comparable rates of homicides without guns
(1.79 vs. 1.35 per 100,000), the US firearms homicide rate is 5 times
Canada's (2.03 vs. 0.38 per 100,000). The US also has 5.8 times the rate
per 100,000 of robberies committed with firearms even though the rates of
robberies without firearms are comparable.
"While some American states have regulations comparable to other
industrialized countries, guns flow freely across state borders. The USA's
220 million guns account for almost 1/3 of all the guns in the world.
American guns don't just kill Americans -- they fuel the illegal gun trade
and gun violence across the world. At least half the illegal handguns
recovered in Canada and 80% of crime guns in Mexico originate in the United
States."
http://www.guncontrol.ca/English/Home/Releases/0407GlobalGunEpidemic.pdf
America's failure to pass uniform gun control laws and to vigorously enforce
those laws, will eventually bring about the draconian measures I recommend.
If there were any intelligence within the NRA, they would recognize this and
take stalwart action to limit the damage of gun possession, but no, they
want all regulation abolished. Fine. Their days are numbered.
Mike Geary
Memphis
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