In 20 Years Guns Double, Gun Crime Down 70%
May 10, 2013 Leave a comment
In the last twenty years the number of privately owned guns in the United States has roughly doubled. There are approximately 300 million privately held firearms in our nation today. Millions more are being purchased every month as Americans fear gun control regulations will limit their second amendment rights. If one were to listen to the hysterical Democrats and their surrogates in the media, one would think the doubling of guns in this country would equal a massive increase in the number of murders and other violent felonies. In fact 50% of the country thinks violent crime has increased over the last twenty years. In fact, it’s decreased dramatically.
In the last twenty years murders are down almost 40%. Gun murders are down almost 50%. Violent crimes involving guns are down around 70%. These are dramatic decreases in violent crimes committed with guns and yet our nation roughly doubled the number of privately held guns. How can it be that a nation which doubled its guns saw crime drop so much? Obviously there are a lot of factors in the decrease in the number of violent crimes committed. One of them undoubtedly is that a significant number of potential violent criminals are fearful that a potential victim is carrying a gun. That fear is a significant deterrent.
These numbers aren’t exactly surprising to those who believe in a robust second amendment. Since 1960 all of the mass public shootings in the US but one took place at a location where firearms were banned. You could probably throw in most of the European mass public shootings as well, they have these events just as much as we do despite severe firearm restrictions. When potential criminals aren’t afraid of their victims being able to defend themselves, they’re emboldened to commit crimes. There’s a reason why mass public shootings happen at government schools and movie theaters and malls which ban guns but not at NRA conventions.
In the 90′s it was popular for European visitors in Florida to put a NRA sticker on their rental car or wear a NRA hat. At the time, European travelers were targeted by criminals for muggings and car jackings because they were vulnerable targets. The NRA paraphernalia warded off potential attackers who were afraid these people might be packing a firearm. That they were not doesn’t really matter, it’s the fear a criminal has that is important. If a criminal fears violent retaliation they’re less likely to engage in a criminal act.
Yet the Democrats want to restrict access to firearms in this country. They want to ban certain kinds of guns and ban certain kinds of magazines or clips. They want to make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to obtain a firearm. Yet all of the evidence available to us indicates that more firearms aids in having less crime. We’ve doubled our guns in the United States and at the same time violent crime with a gun is down 70% and murders with a gun are down 50%. We have 300 million guns in the hands of private citizens, the government isn’t going to be able to confiscate all of these weapons. Rather than trying to restrict access to more firearms, we would be better off allowing American citizens to exercise their gun rights. Would it shock anyone if crime dropped as a result? Probably only Democrats.