Gun Crime
A few facts and figures to start off with:
According to the Crime in England and Wales 2003-2004 Report
There were 81 deaths involving firearms in England and Wales.
That's about 0.135 deaths involving firearms per 100,000 people (unless my figures for population are wrong, around 60 million people in Britain?)
In America there were 9416 gun murders, 67% of all murders. (You do not know the meaning of the word "unhelpful" until you have tried to get statistics out of the U.S. Government. Interestingly, they were more keen to give me the percentage of violent crime committed by black people than they were to give me the above figure).
Assuming that there were around 295 million people in America, there are about 3.1 gun deaths involving firearms per 100,000 people.
Therefore I can conclude, fairly safely, that there is a higher gun murder rate in the USA than in England and Wales.
I would try and find out how many of these were committed with legal firearms, but I think I might be here till Christmas 2010 trying to get the U.S. Governemnt to tell me.
Another interesting site told me that:
There were 506.1 (to one decimal place) violent crimes per 100,000 people in the U.S.A. in 2000.
The same site also told me that, in the catagories of sexual offences and robbery, there were many more cases per 100,000 people in America than in England and Wales. The anomaly was "Violence against the person", which was greater in England and Wales.
It is clear from this that legalised gun ownership does not lead to greater security from shootings, rape or robbery. I am not saying that the evidence supports my theory that gun control lessens these things, but clearly, something is wrong.The arguments put forward by those in favour of legalised gun ownership (namely, the American Right-Wing), are that it protects you from these things and if you make firearms illegal, rape, murder etc. will become more common as "people cannot defend themselves". This is not the case. People don't think about that sort of thing when committing a crime, and if they do, they take it into account. Poeple probably couldn't defend themselves either because the criminal might be carrying a firearm (they are legal you know) and would get the drop on their victim, or the victim might not be carrying a gun, or might not be able to reach it. When will the U.S. realise: giving people guns is a BAD IDEA.
(Regarding violence against the person, it's difficult to tell. I doubt that many of the cases involved firearms, and that the majority was common assault or attacks with knives, it's interesting though).
P.S. After the "Brady Bill" was passed in the U.S. (banning various firearms), the gun murder rate decreased. But then, as we have already seen, people in Government never learn.
According to the Crime in England and Wales 2003-2004 Report
There were 81 deaths involving firearms in England and Wales.
That's about 0.135 deaths involving firearms per 100,000 people (unless my figures for population are wrong, around 60 million people in Britain?)
In America there were 9416 gun murders, 67% of all murders. (You do not know the meaning of the word "unhelpful" until you have tried to get statistics out of the U.S. Government. Interestingly, they were more keen to give me the percentage of violent crime committed by black people than they were to give me the above figure).
Assuming that there were around 295 million people in America, there are about 3.1 gun deaths involving firearms per 100,000 people.
Therefore I can conclude, fairly safely, that there is a higher gun murder rate in the USA than in England and Wales.
I would try and find out how many of these were committed with legal firearms, but I think I might be here till Christmas 2010 trying to get the U.S. Governemnt to tell me.
Another interesting site told me that:
There were 506.1 (to one decimal place) violent crimes per 100,000 people in the U.S.A. in 2000.
The same site also told me that, in the catagories of sexual offences and robbery, there were many more cases per 100,000 people in America than in England and Wales. The anomaly was "Violence against the person", which was greater in England and Wales.
It is clear from this that legalised gun ownership does not lead to greater security from shootings, rape or robbery. I am not saying that the evidence supports my theory that gun control lessens these things, but clearly, something is wrong.The arguments put forward by those in favour of legalised gun ownership (namely, the American Right-Wing), are that it protects you from these things and if you make firearms illegal, rape, murder etc. will become more common as "people cannot defend themselves". This is not the case. People don't think about that sort of thing when committing a crime, and if they do, they take it into account. Poeple probably couldn't defend themselves either because the criminal might be carrying a firearm (they are legal you know) and would get the drop on their victim, or the victim might not be carrying a gun, or might not be able to reach it. When will the U.S. realise: giving people guns is a BAD IDEA.
(Regarding violence against the person, it's difficult to tell. I doubt that many of the cases involved firearms, and that the majority was common assault or attacks with knives, it's interesting though).
P.S. After the "Brady Bill" was passed in the U.S. (banning various firearms), the gun murder rate decreased. But then, as we have already seen, people in Government never learn.
posted by CJM | 8:14 PM
3 Comments:
The numbers of gun crimes in America are really scary. Have you seen Bowling for Columbine? You'd think they would have learnt after that.
I believe that the chief of objection of many Americans to gun control is that to make them harder to obtain would involve amending the constitution, which they believe in doing as little as possible. They're worried about the normative consequences. At least, that's what my Politics teacher says.
Hehe, normative consequences.
Actually, the reasons for their reluctance are (in my opinion):
1. They are brought up to believe that the Constitution is basically infallible and secures all of their rights and protects all of their freedoms. Needless to say, this is a very wrong and a very dangerous thing to be taught.
2. People like what they know. 1 year before they abolished Capital Punishment in Germany, about 76% of the population wanted to keep Capital Punishment. A short while afterwards, and less than 20% wanted it back.
And yes, I have seen Bowling for Columbine. But, unless I missed something, he didn't come up with a conclusion for why it happened. I have my own thoughts, but I want to know what he thinks.
Post a Comment
<< Home