Interesting Statistics on British gun control

[beet1e]

Originally posted by AKIron
I don't know about England but I do know that several years ago the state of Florida had a horendous murder rate that was out of control. In a desperate attempt to get this under control they began allowing their law abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons. It worked and was so successful many other US states have followed suit and have seen declines overall in crime as a result. Hard to argue with success.

Well good. In that scenario, you're applying the US thesis to the US model. I'm opposed to unilateral disarmament...

... but many other civilised countries around the world have seen the folly of an unlimited supply of guns, and the problem is tackled from a different angle. Take Bermuda, for example - where Curval lives. They had a problem which they were able to nip in the bud c1971. No more guns since then - and no more gun crimes. Like you say - hard to argue with success.

I've just had a phone call from Curval - he's arrived! I must get back to him...

[Momus--]

Did the UK crime rate go up after the '97 handgun ban? Yes.

Did the crime rate go up because of the handgun ban? No, unless you're asserting that a few thousand pistol shooting enthusiasts, most of whom already kept their weapons at their respective gun clubs & none of whom were permitted to carry a concealed weapon, were somehow between them holding back a crimewave in the years prior to the ban. Because if you're claiming a link between the ban and a rise in crime then that is what you're claiming.

Don't assume that the correlation that exists in the USA and that I am not seriously questioning holds true for the UK context. You can't compare the two, really.

[beet1e]

Momus - exactly right. And even if our gun crime went up, the fluctuations are too small to reflect an overall crime trend. By that, I mean that the number of gun related homicides has been between 50 and 100 for many years. So an increase from 50 to 100 would be a doubling of the homicide rate here, whereas in the US 50 gun homicides would be dismissed as a pittance, and a price worth paying for the right to own guns.

[lazs2]

well... I guess we will see just how smug you brits are when the zombies appear and yu are left holding nothin but your privates.

lazs

[storch]

Originally posted by lazs2
well... I guess we will see just how smug you brits are when the zombies appear and yu are left holding nothin but your privates.

lazs

I thought those might be locked in safes at the clubhouse as well.  Huh, goes to show that you do learn things on the intardnet.