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 Gun Resources for Debate- Arm Yourself With Words December 18, 2007 10:58 PM

Where guns used in shootings come from, and what kinds of guns are used?

-"According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -
  • a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
  • a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
  • family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%"

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm

-"During the offense that brought them to prison, 15% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates carried a handgun, and about 2%, a military-style semiautomatic gun."

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm

-In 2004, there were 14,121 homicides. Of those homicides, 9,326 were committed with firearms. Of those firearms, 7,265 were handguns, and only 393 were rifles- including assault rifles. 507 were shotguns. Other methods of homicide were knives (1,866), fists and feet (933 homicides), other weapons including beer bottles or staplers (856), and blunt objects (663).

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_04/offenses_reported/violent_crime/murder.html


What about police involvement?

-"The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued... ruling that says police are not required to enforce protective orders, even if state law says they must.

-"When her estranged husband kidnapped their three daughters, in violation of a protective order — she called the Castle Rock, Colo., police. Over eight hours, she called six times, including numerous calls after she had spoken with her husband and established that he had the children.

Repeatedly, she pleaded with police to enforce her protective order and rescue her daughters, reminding them of the father's history of extreme violence and mental instability. Each time, police told her to call back later. The father finally appeared at the police station at 3:20 a.m., where he was shot and killed after opening fire on officers. The bullet-ridden bodies of the three girls, ages 7, 9 and 10, were found in his pickup truck.

http://www.utexas.edu/law/news/2005/071505_buel.html

http://search.access.gpo.gov/supreme-court/SearchRight.asp?ct=Supreme-Court&q1=Jessica+Gonzales&x=24&y=21


-"In 1856 the U.S. Supreme Court declared that local law enforcement had no duty to protect a particular person, but only a general duty to enforce the laws. [South v. Maryland, 59 U.S. (How.) 396, 15 L.Ed., 433 (856)]."


-"In 1982, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit said: "...there is no Constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen. It is monstrous if the state fails to protect its residents against such predators but it does not violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment or, we suppose, any other provision of the Constitution. The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: it tells the state to let the people alone; it does not require the federal government or the state to provide services, even so elementary a service as maintaining law and order." [Bowers v. DeVito, U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 686F.2d 616 (1982). See also Reiff v. City of Philadelphia, 471 F.Supp. 1262 (E.D.Pa. 1979)]."


-The Court of Appeals of New York ruled: "The amount of protection that may be provided is limited by the resources of the community and by a considered legislative executive decision as to how these resources may be deployed. For the courts to proclaim a new and general duty of protection ... even to those who may be the particular seekers of protection based on specific hazards, could and would inevitably determine how the limited police resources of the community should be allocated and without predictable limits." Dissenting in this ruling, Judge Keating noted: "What makes the city's position particularly difficult to understand is that, in conformity to the dictates of the law, Linda did not carry any weapon for self defense. Thus, by a rather bitter irony she was required to rely for protection on the City of New York, which now denies all responsibility to her." [Riss v. City of N.Y., 293 N.Y. 2d 897 (1968)].

http://crl.nmsu.edu/~eli/rtkba/police.html


What about personal self-defense?

-"only between 55,000 and 88,000 victims use a gun to deter an attacker"

http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/SmithT1.htm
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 December 18, 2007 11:03 PM

Are the police doing their job?

-Between July 1992 and January 1993, the Kansas City police department took on basic investigation tactics to deter gun violence from illegal guns.

-"Patrol officers seized guns by frisking individuals who were arrested and by making plain view sightings of firearms during routine traffic violation or safety stops."

-"Drive-by shootings dropped from 7 to 1 in the target area, while increasing from 6 to 12 in a comparison area. Overall gun crimes dropped 49 percent (169 to 86) and criminal homicide declined 67 percent (30 to 10) from the 29 weeks before the patrols to the 29-week experiment period."


http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gun_violence/profile20.html

This post was modified from its original form on 18 Dec, 23:05  [ send green star]
 
 December 19, 2007 3:18 PM

Basic debate points:

-If the Second Amendment applies only to militaries or militias, why does it say "the right of the PEOPLE"? Not the right of the militia, not the right of the militiamen, not the right of the soldier, not the right of the minutemen... the right of the PEOPLE.

-People who want to carry guns, will do so, legal or not. And you will not know they have one, until they use it. Thus, there is no real point to the requirement of a permit to concealed carry. It slows down law abiding citizens. Thugs carry guns if they want to or not. Not requiring a permit to carry (as is done in Alaska and Vermont) means more honest gun owners who follow the law will have guns. In addition, it is illegal for someone addicted to controlled substances to posses a gun, period. It is illegal for a felon to posses a gun, period. Thus, even with no requirement for a permit to concealed carry, if a thug is caught carrying a gun, he will still go to jail for carrying it.

-It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. This applies to airbags, seatbelts, condoms, insurance... why can't it apply to guns?

-Guns are feared because they are not understood. It is the same way a young child fears driving. But they do drive, because their parents teach them to control the car and to not be afraid of it. It turns from a weapon of death, or destruction, to a basic tool. A gun is a basic tool. However, our society has lost much of the time spent at the range with children, teaching them how to safely use guns. Thus, as a result, people fear them. Even worse, people see this fear, and decide to use guns illegally to terrorize others. Again, because they do not understand the gun as a tool. They see it much like a young child sees a car, an instrument of destruction. Even worse, that lack of understanding may lead to them using it as such.

-Freedom is not about necessity. That is communism. Freedom is about being able to do what you want, so long as it doesn't interrupt the personal freedom of others. Riding on communal buses would save gas, save money and help the environment. You do not NEED a car to live. Living in communal apartments saves space and reduces land destroyed to build homes. You do not NEED a house to live, just shelter. Going further, there is no reason to own a TV. News can be heard on the radio. Entertainment? Spend time with your family. You don't NEED a TV. So to anyone who says, you don't "NEED" a gun, it is true. And they do not need 90% of what they have, yet, they will not give it up.

-The police are an unstable group to depend on. Not only are they not with you at all times, and in many cases, not near enough to get there quickly- they also may legally refuse to help you,. Or may be too busy. The only one with you at all times is YOU. It is YOUR responsibility to defend yourself.

-Owning a gun, and carrying one, is not a sign of fear. It is a sign of preparedness. No one on this earth can guarantee your safety, any mall, school, store can be shot up at any time, and security guards can be killed, or on break, or a poor shot. If you want an armed guard at all times, buy yourself a gun, and keep proficient with it.


This post was modified from its original form on 19 Dec, 15:20  [ send green star]
 
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