I realize that this was brought up before, but here is another report with some different angles and interviews. I got it in an email from a freind.
11/19/99 -- 3:11 AM
Gun-related death rate plummets to lowest level since the '60s
ATLANTA (AP) - Thanks to a booming economy, falling crime rates and tougher
gun control laws, Americans were much less likely to die from gun-related
incidents in 1997 than in 1993, according to a new report.
The Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Thursday that gun deaths in the United States dropped 21 percent over the
five-year period, and nonfatal firearm-related injuries fell 41 percent.
The study looked at all gunshot wounds - whether intentional, accidental or
self-inflicted - reported at emergency rooms.
The report said there were 39,595 gun-related deaths in 1993, about 15.4
per 100,000 people. That number fell to 32,436 in 1997, about 12.1 per
100,000.
The death rate ``is the lowest it's been since the mid-'60s,'' said J. Lee
Annest, a CDC statistician. ``This progress is really encouraging and
really says that joint prevention efforts of public health officials,
legislators and law enforcement should continue.''
The drop was not unexpected: Homicide rates in the 1990s have fallen to
levels not seen since the 1960s, and about two-thirds of all homicides are
committed with guns.
The latest figures also include suicides and accidental deaths, both of
which dropped by 10.9 percent and 38.1 percent, respectively.
Nonfatal shootings fell from 104,390 to 64,207 in the same period, or from
40.5 per 100,000 to 24.0.
Bill Manown, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, said the
numbers prove that more gun laws aren't needed; the laws on the books need
to be enforced.
``It is a fact that this substantial drop in gun violence directly
correlated to a big increase in gun enforcement by police,'' said Lawrence
W. Sherman, a University of Pennsylvania professor who has studied gun
policy. ``Police were not treating guns in a preventive sense prior to 1993
and now they are.''
But gun control advocates said the recent focus of keeping guns away from
criminals also should be expanded to include those who are emotionally
distraught.
``This is something we've known is a problem, but society needs to wake up
and address it,'' said Nancy Hwa, spokeswoman for Handgun Control and the
Center to Prevent Handgun Violence.
Some experts also credit a strong economy that has helped reduce overall
crime and suicide attempts. Margaret A. Zahn, a North Carolina State
University criminology professor, said prosperity has allowed governments
to spend more on services that prevent gun violence, such as
domestic-violence shelters and youth recreation programs.
The CDC also listed such possible factors as an aging population and the
waning of the crack trade.
Gun control advocates said they are encouraged, but pointed out that even
so, an average of 265 people a day were shot in 1997.
``People shouldn't be satisfied,'' Haw said. ``Everybody is still at risk,
and the presence of guns should still be a major concern.''
----------------------------------------------------------------
That last quote says it all, they won't be satified with any progress until ALL guns are gone.
" the presence of guns should still be a major concern.''
The only major gun control measures passed since 1993 have been the Brady Bill and Assault weapons ban. Since no one gets shot with assault weapons, so outlawing them has had no effect but to raise prices, the only thing left is the Brady Bill. Certainly the hi-cap mag ban has had no effect, because how many shootings involve more than a few shots anyway, and the hi-cap mag ban has certainly not affected suicides - that only takes one bullet
. So, I don't see how it could be proven that the gun contro measures have had any effect on reducing gun violence. Therefore, it seems that it could be proven that the gun death are reducing due to things other than gun control, such as those listed above, like Police proactive efforts to get criminals off the streets and the drop in the crack industry. Also, poverty does increase violence for some reason, so the strong economy, as stated above, could have an effect on dropping overall homocides any suicides.
The only thing you CAN draw a direct corelationto, is the fact that murders in every State have dropped since citizens have been allowed to carry guns legally. I would say that it is safe to say that CCW is the #1 proactive new gun legal measure that has dropped crime around the nation, and we can see the numbers have dramtically decreased since CCW laws came about around the country, allowing citizens to carry guns legally in public.
Anyway, if gun deaths are at such a low, then how come if you watch the media you would think that we are in the midst of some kind of gun plague? Work deaths are also lower than they were in the 80's (workplace homocides are down from just under 1000 per year in the 1980's to under 800 per year today, even though the population has grown).
So, we can see that (as suspected) the perception that we are living in a rash of workplace homocides and street murders witg guns, is nothing more than the media focusing on it and making it appear that these crimes are more common, when in fact the frequency of these crimes is dropping radically.
Any thoughts?
------------------
"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero"
- Jack, Fight Club
11/19/99 -- 3:11 AM
Gun-related death rate plummets to lowest level since the '60s
ATLANTA (AP) - Thanks to a booming economy, falling crime rates and tougher
gun control laws, Americans were much less likely to die from gun-related
incidents in 1997 than in 1993, according to a new report.
The Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Thursday that gun deaths in the United States dropped 21 percent over the
five-year period, and nonfatal firearm-related injuries fell 41 percent.
The study looked at all gunshot wounds - whether intentional, accidental or
self-inflicted - reported at emergency rooms.
The report said there were 39,595 gun-related deaths in 1993, about 15.4
per 100,000 people. That number fell to 32,436 in 1997, about 12.1 per
100,000.
The death rate ``is the lowest it's been since the mid-'60s,'' said J. Lee
Annest, a CDC statistician. ``This progress is really encouraging and
really says that joint prevention efforts of public health officials,
legislators and law enforcement should continue.''
The drop was not unexpected: Homicide rates in the 1990s have fallen to
levels not seen since the 1960s, and about two-thirds of all homicides are
committed with guns.
The latest figures also include suicides and accidental deaths, both of
which dropped by 10.9 percent and 38.1 percent, respectively.
Nonfatal shootings fell from 104,390 to 64,207 in the same period, or from
40.5 per 100,000 to 24.0.
Bill Manown, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, said the
numbers prove that more gun laws aren't needed; the laws on the books need
to be enforced.
``It is a fact that this substantial drop in gun violence directly
correlated to a big increase in gun enforcement by police,'' said Lawrence
W. Sherman, a University of Pennsylvania professor who has studied gun
policy. ``Police were not treating guns in a preventive sense prior to 1993
and now they are.''
But gun control advocates said the recent focus of keeping guns away from
criminals also should be expanded to include those who are emotionally
distraught.
``This is something we've known is a problem, but society needs to wake up
and address it,'' said Nancy Hwa, spokeswoman for Handgun Control and the
Center to Prevent Handgun Violence.
Some experts also credit a strong economy that has helped reduce overall
crime and suicide attempts. Margaret A. Zahn, a North Carolina State
University criminology professor, said prosperity has allowed governments
to spend more on services that prevent gun violence, such as
domestic-violence shelters and youth recreation programs.
The CDC also listed such possible factors as an aging population and the
waning of the crack trade.
Gun control advocates said they are encouraged, but pointed out that even
so, an average of 265 people a day were shot in 1997.
``People shouldn't be satisfied,'' Haw said. ``Everybody is still at risk,
and the presence of guns should still be a major concern.''
----------------------------------------------------------------
That last quote says it all, they won't be satified with any progress until ALL guns are gone.
" the presence of guns should still be a major concern.''
The only major gun control measures passed since 1993 have been the Brady Bill and Assault weapons ban. Since no one gets shot with assault weapons, so outlawing them has had no effect but to raise prices, the only thing left is the Brady Bill. Certainly the hi-cap mag ban has had no effect, because how many shootings involve more than a few shots anyway, and the hi-cap mag ban has certainly not affected suicides - that only takes one bullet
. So, I don't see how it could be proven that the gun contro measures have had any effect on reducing gun violence. Therefore, it seems that it could be proven that the gun death are reducing due to things other than gun control, such as those listed above, like Police proactive efforts to get criminals off the streets and the drop in the crack industry. Also, poverty does increase violence for some reason, so the strong economy, as stated above, could have an effect on dropping overall homocides any suicides. The only thing you CAN draw a direct corelationto, is the fact that murders in every State have dropped since citizens have been allowed to carry guns legally. I would say that it is safe to say that CCW is the #1 proactive new gun legal measure that has dropped crime around the nation, and we can see the numbers have dramtically decreased since CCW laws came about around the country, allowing citizens to carry guns legally in public.
Anyway, if gun deaths are at such a low, then how come if you watch the media you would think that we are in the midst of some kind of gun plague? Work deaths are also lower than they were in the 80's (workplace homocides are down from just under 1000 per year in the 1980's to under 800 per year today, even though the population has grown).
So, we can see that (as suspected) the perception that we are living in a rash of workplace homocides and street murders witg guns, is nothing more than the media focusing on it and making it appear that these crimes are more common, when in fact the frequency of these crimes is dropping radically.
Any thoughts?
------------------
"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero"
- Jack, Fight Club