Gun homicide rates down 49% since 1993, public largely unaware

This article pretty much says it all:
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/...ublic-unaware/

I didn't read through all of it, but in general violent crime is dropping heavily.


As an interesting note to this:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknap...rime-epidemic/

There is an interesting theory that environmental lead (in particular lead in gasoline and to some degree paint) is the cause of the huge spike in violence.

This article doesn't do much to support the typical arguments from the right. First of all, 1993 was the beginning of background checks. I don't think there's any logical argument to suggest they don't work. The problem today, and if they're resolved, we'll no doubt about it, see more violent crimes and most importantly, mass shootings decline. We need to treat all gun sales equally, background checks on all, not just some. Most importantly, we need to fix the problems that exist in the process and enforce current laws.

The other points made by the article is that there's a huge correlation between violent crime rates and abortion. More unwanted babies increase the likelihood of unruly adults most likely to commit violent crimes.

So, better enforcement, consistent background checks, better and increased family planning are definitely 3 of the solutions. Two of the 3 are issues that most of the right is on the wrong side when it comes to protecting our national security.

that data actually presents problems for both sides, in that the reality is that there are several variables involved and neither the right's nor the left's pet issues are completely explanatory.

The left sure doesn't want to acknowledge that gun crimes have been steadily declining, dropping by more than half from 1993 to 2004, WITHOUT any expansion of background checks. Further, there was a big spike in mass murders in 2012 (Sandy Hook), but overall the rate of total dead from mass murders has been declining for 20 years along with the drop in overall crime and murders.

The truth is that if concealed carry has little impact on crime rates, what we've also found is that gun laws have little impact on gun crimes. So it must be a whole host of factors far beyond the gun debate that is the biggest influence on murders and crime in the US.

In fact there's really no evidence at all that ANY gun laws all the way back to the Gun Control Act of 1968 have really done anything to impact the ability of criminals or the insane to, in the end, get a gun and commit their crime.

The truth is that it's not the availability of guns that is the issue. Guns have been ubiquitous and readily available in the US since before there was a US. In the 1930s you could buy a full auto Thompson. Up until 1968 you could mail order a handgun. yet we didn't see waves of mass murder or violent crime during that period (those high profile mob things and Bonnie and Clyde were media capturing but a statistically meaningless blip on the real story).

The fact is that crime rates and and mass murders are all a function of other factors that have far more bearing than gun laws. I can see abortion rates in there, but it's definitely to do with socio economics, parenting, overall levels of law enforcement, etc.

So the right may be wrong that concealed carry is the key to stopping violence, but it's also true that further restricting the rights of law abiding citizens is an unnecessary and useless incursion that also won't do anything real to reduce violent crime. Better to shift the whole debate to mental health, economics, etc.