Re: Mind's Eye Re: Newtown Killings

International comparisons show that the US is an outlier among wealthy
nations for its high rates of gun ownership and gun violence, and that
there is a correlation between gun availability and gun homicide
across nations (Journal of Trauma, vol 49, p 985).


Such research suggests that restrictions on the availability of guns
in the US could bring down the death toll. But correlation does not
prove causation, and there are many reasons why homicide rates may
vary from country to country. Unfortunately, good data at the
individual level on gun ownership in the US – who has them and how
that relates to violence – is seriously lacking, in large part because
the National Rifle Association has used its political influence to
curtail research.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has faced
particularly onerous restrictions. Back in the 1990s, Congress slashed
its budget for studying gun violence and passed language preventing
funds from being used to promote gun control. Questions on gun
ownership have also been stripped from the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, the survey used by the CDC to investigate how
risky behaviours lead to death, disease and injury.

"There's a limit to what you can achieve if you can't do original data
collection," says Philip Cook of Duke University in Durham, North
Carolina, one of the leading researchers in the field.

Despite these formidable obstacles, there is now a body of evidence
pointing to what works, and what doesn't, in reducing gun violence
(Crime & Delinquency, doi.org/d66b69).


While political rhetoric focuses on gun control, the strongest
evidence comes from community-based law enforcement. Best studied are
the "focused deterrence" strategies promoted by the National Network
for Safe Communities. These involve police and community leaders
meeting with the criminal groups – not necessarily formal gangs – that
in many cities are responsible for more than half of all gun violence.

These encounters deliver a clear message: "We know who you are; we're
not going to tolerate what you're doing, and here's what will happen
if you don't clean up your act." Help is also offered to street
criminals who want to change their ways.

In Boston, where the approach was pioneered in the 1990s, "Operation
Ceasefire" was credited with a 63 per cent reduction in youth
homicides. Similar efforts have spread to several dozen other US
cities. Of 10 rigorous studies of their effectiveness, nine show
statistically significant reductions in crime (Campbell Systematic
Reviews, doi.org/j3d).

President Barack Obama now says that Congress will be sent a package
of gun control measures by January. These seem likely to include a ban
on assault weapons like the rifle used at Newtown, controls on the
sale of high-capacity ammunition clips, and eliminating loopholes that
allow private sales of guns – thought to comprise 40 per cent of the
trade – without any background checks on the purchaser.


Evidence for the effectiveness of such gun laws is less clear, and
hard to assess – these are not controlled experiments and typically
several measures are introduced at once, making it hard to tease apart
their effects. Nevertheless, experience in California, which
prohibited private gun sales without background checks in 1991,
suggests that this may be a useful step. A new study of guns
recovered by law enforcement conducted for the National Institute of
Justice indicates that they move into criminal hands more slowly in
California than in states with unfettered private sales. "Our 'time-to-
crime' is longer," says Garen Wintemute of the University of
California, Davis, one of the report's authors.

As for mass shootings, it stands to reason that removing assault
rifles and high-capacity clips from sale should limit the death toll
from individual incidents. Australia's experience is encouraging:
after 13 mass shootings in 18 years, a ban on semi-automatic rifles
and pump-action shotguns was introduced in 1996. It was associated
with a reduction in overall gun homicide deaths – and there has not
been a shooting involving five or more deaths since (Injury
Prevention, doi.org/ff7gm4).


In the US, knee-jerk positions for or against gun control have until
now won out over careful consideration of the evidence. In memory of
the children who died at Newtown, it is time to put these divisions
aside and begin a sensible, meaningful discussion about how to solve a
terrible and complex problem.

On 13 Jan, 12:07, gabbydott <gabbyd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...that's the worst aspect of the outcome of the language of thinking -
> guns kill and technology is good/bad, while the pulling of the trigger
> resides in the realm of action.
>
> 2013/1/13 Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com>
>
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>
> > the browning hi pow served me well and I had no problems with it at
> > all..  I had to have mine modified to adapt it to fit my hand..  but
> > there is this thing in me that screams guns kill even back then,, so I
> > didn't carry it with me.. most of the time.. and the team knew my
> > aversion to killing..
> > Allan
>
> > On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 11:05 PM, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > It was reported here on that basis Allan - being faster it would give
> > > our boys more chance when their 'comrades' opened up
> > > .  No one mentioned it was being issued around 10 years too late!  Or
> > > that the saved second over the Browning is worth squat when someone is
> > > shooting you in the back.
>
> > > On 12 Jan, 17:21, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> whats the difference between the browning and the glock 17   ..  the
> > >> both will kill you  the glock is just a little faster?
> > >> Allan
>
> > >> On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 6:09 PM, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> > It's almost worth going so one can feel more comfortable queuing in
> > >> > one of our bureaucracies!  Over here someone has noticed that a quick
> > >> > draw might save a few of our boys in green on blue situations - the
> > >> > Browning is being replaced by the Glock 17.  Too little too late.
>
> > >> > On 12 Jan, 12:37, rigs <rigs...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> >> I thought of going to India 10 years ago but delayed reservations and
> > >> >> the hook-up became too difficult. You would not want me loose in
> > >> >> Dehli- trust me. :-)
>
> > >> >> On Jan 11, 7:16 pm, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > India and Burma are also very gentle places rigs - the
> > contradictions
> > >> >> > aren't easy to make sense of.
>
> > >> >> > On 10 Jan, 01:43, rigs <rigs...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > > Yes- what are we missing? Let's not forget the mass killings in
> > Norway
> > >> >> > > and in Scotland, either. Anyway, I feel less inflamed and more
> > >> >> > > sorrowful. Did centuries of wars and conquests warp our options?
> > I do
> > >> >> > > think the celebration of violence is also a factor.// I felt safe
> > >> >> > > growing up and had great freedom and often solo.// The situation
> > in
> > >> >> > > India is also in a "democracy"- what a joke.
>
> > >> >> > > On Jan 9, 7:32 am, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > > > Russia, Mexico and Brazil all have much tougher gun control
> > >> >> > > > legislation than the USA and higher murder rates.  There are
> > more guns
> > >> >> > > > in people's homes in Switzerland than Germany - but the murder
> > rate is
> > >> >> > > > higher in Germany.  Statistical comparison in areas like this
> > usually
> > >> >> > > > misses something important.  I feel safer in the parts of the
> > US I
> > >> >> > > > visit than I do at home in the UK though I don't really know
> > the real
> > >> >> > > > comparative dangers.  I felt safer carrying a gun as a cop but
> > >> >> > > > probably wasn't.
> > >> >> > > > I think the situation in the USA is an affront to all democrats
> > >> >> > > > including Americans.  My heart goes out to the bereaved and
> > victims of
> > >> >> > > > Newtown, but they are a small dot in world figures of squalor
> > and our
> > >> >> > > > non-democrat foreign policies.  All I can see in any of the
> > debate is
> > >> >> > > > that we must be shying away from what really matters and
> > typically are
> > >> >> > > > powerless to do anything.
>
> > >> >> > > > On Dec 31 2012, 5:40 am, rigs <rigs...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > > > > The problem with liberal justice is that the punishment does
> > not fit
> > >> >> > > > > the crime. I'm in favor of capital punishment- in fact,
> > you'd be
> > >> >> > > > > shocked at what I think those six rats in Delhi deserve- how
> > about the
> > >> >> > > > > olde English drawn and quartered? Many criminals look on
> > jail time as
> > >> >> > > > > free room and board and it is a very profitable enterprise.
> > Happily
> > >> >> > > > > some of these murderers have the decency to kill themselves
> > often
> > >> >> > > > > enough. What about the victims? And what about our youth
> > that are
> > >> >> > > > > getting killed or maimed in the pest holes of the world???
>
> > >> >> > > > > On Dec 28, 10:24 pm, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > > > > > There's something amiss with talking up gun control and yet
> > >> >> > > > > > subsidising manufacture.  But this is typical of the area
> > of the
> > >> >> > > > > > debate.  The same people who sing from the free trade hymn
> > sheet pay
> > >> >> > > > > > the subsidies.  Of course, putting a cop in every school
> > (which is a
> > >> >> > > > > > minimum of two with rotation) is an expense on every
> > business.  I
> > >> >> > > > > > don't know what the answers are.  Over the years I've
> > found the same
> > >> >> > > > > > stilted factionalism from issues like this to foreign
> > policy or aid to
> > >> >> > > > > > third world situations.  When argument doesn't work I
> > favour looking
> > >> >> > > > > > at practical examples (Australia in this case).  Almost
> > needless to
> > >> >> > > > > > say opinion is divided, though 85% of Aussies now support
> > the new laws
> > >> >> > > > > > and they haven't had a mass killing spree since the
> > reforms (1996).
> > >> >> > > > > > This suggests it could be worth a try, but frankly I don't
> > have the
> > >> >> > > > > > facts.  Others say neither Australia or the UK are any
> > safer as a
> > >> >> > > > > > result of our legislation.  Some even have it Newtown is a
> > hoax
> > >> >> > > > > > conspiracy to disarm Americans to ease a police state into
> > being.
>
> > >> >> > > > > > We lack informed analysis generally.  In some areas, like
> > television
> > >> >> > > > > > economics and university opportunities for our kids, I
> > know enough to
> > >> >> > > > > > know we are being lied to.  In others I'm just left
> > wondering why
> > >> >> > > > > > expert opinion just seems lacking.  I haven't even seen a
> > sensible
> > >> >> > > > > > presentation of global warming issues.  In place of facts
> > we get
> > >> >> > > > > > factional twits rationalising everything to daft
> > ideologies as though
> > >> >> > > > > > this is balanced reporting.
>
> > >> >> > > > > > On 28 Dec, 20:29, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > I actually do understand Molly,,,  it is being caught
> > between a rock
> > >> >> > > > > > > and a hard spot,,   due to the large amount of wackos
> > out there with
> > >> >> > > > > > > excessive amounts of weapons  there is probably little
> > choice left..
> > >> >> > > > > > > with all the fear mongering   that is showing up on
> > television ..   I
> > >> >> > > > > > > am a us citizen living abroad.. and they are scaring the
> > hell out of
> > >> >> > > > > > > me..
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > that is probably the greatest reason for taxation of
> > each fire arm
> > >> >> > > > > > > annually it will allow some actual and realistic control
> > and locate
> > >> >> > > > > > > some of the more sick gun maniacs
> > >> >> > > > > > > Allan
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > On Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 7:02 PM, Molly <
> > mollyb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> >> > > > > > > > I much prefer the answer of the institution having
> > armed security on
> > >> >> > > > > > > > staff  (we will all pay with increased costs at some
> > point) then
> > >> >> > > > > > > > allowing private citizens to carry weapons into the
> > facilities.  There
> > >> >> > > > > > > > are places that need to be zones that do not apply to
> > right to carry
> > >> >> > > > > > > > laws, schools, hospitals, stadiums etc.  I imagine
> > that the percentage
> > >> >> > > > > > > > of US schools having armed security will go up next
> > year from the
> > >> >> > > > > > > > current 30% in response.  The problem of wacko access
> > to guns is the
> > >> >> > > > > > > > sensitive area, where laws restricting folks with a
> > history of mental
> > >> >> > > > > > > > illness might prevent those who need it from getting
> > treatment (or
> > >> >> > > > > > > > treatment for children) because they are afraid of
> > government
> > >> >> > > > > > > > scrutiny.
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > > On Dec 28, 12:10 pm, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> I know defense contracting is very big manufacturing
> > and entire
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> regions depend on it ..Then you come up against minor
> > things that the
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> christian foundation is built on... there is one law
> > dating back to
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> ancient times simply put Is "Thou shall not commit
> > murder."   Just a
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> small problem spiritually ...  how can you justify
> > the 200,000 people
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> murdered by american weapons and bombs dropped
> > recently in Iraq.. were
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> american made..
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> The problem is not in the weapons it lies in balance
> > ..  fortunately
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> each soul is responsible only for its own actions and
> > decisions..   I
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> have trouble justifying any war or the intentional
> > taking of another
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> life much less   thousands of them..
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> I see NRA wants to put one armed policeman in each
> > school   is the NRA
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> paying for this solution...  and I can predict it
> > will not work simply
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> because it has not worked in the passed ..  their
> > next solution will
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> be prison camps   not seats of learning.
>
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> Sorry  somethings just piss me off..
> > >> >> > > > > > > >> Allan
>
> ...
>
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