Would stricter gun laws save lives?

[paramedic70002]

http://www.news14charlotte.com/conte...130831&SecID=1
"Every eight seconds, a new gun is made in America, and every hour four people are killed with a gun."

Sounds to me that guns are beating gun crime...


Would stricter gun laws save lives?
12/2/2006 5:18 AM
By: Martie Salt, News 14 Carolina

American children are more at risk from firearms than the children of any other industrialized nation.

Every eight seconds, a new gun is made in America, and every hour four people are killed with a gun.

"It was about midnight ... They were confronted by gang members," said Rebecca Lambert about her son. "He was shot in the back three times by one of the gang members."

Clifton Nelson's mother is haunted by her sons last moments.

"I have flashbacks of him getting up to run and thinking of the terror that he must have felt," she said.

Every day, more than 80 Americans die from a bullet, but Rebecca doesn't blame the gun.


There are 200 million firearms in America, 65 million of them handguns.
"The people who had the gun killed my son," she said.

"Oh yeah, it sounds great ... 'The gun didn't do it, the person did.' If the gun hadn't been there, quite likely the tragedy wouldn't have happened," Marsha McCartney, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Violence headquartered in Washington, D.C., said.

There are 200 million firearms in America, 65 million of them handguns. That's more than one gun for each adult. The Second Amendment of the Constitution gives us the right to own one, but would tougher laws reduce gun violence? Do we need new laws or just enforcement of the ones we have?

McCartney wants guns off the streets. She says there are too many criminals getting their hands on guns.

"It's much, much too easy," she said.

Polls show 75 percent of Americans favor stricter gun laws, but people like McCartney feel even stricter laws won't make a difference.

"You can go and purchase one gun or several guns without a background check," McCartney said.

Studies show 1 percent of gun stores sell the weapons traced to 57 percent of all gun crimes. Activists want stricter laws and they want enforcement of the existing laws.


Marsha McCartney wants guns off the streets. She says there are too many criminals getting their hands on guns.
"Our elected officials are unfortunately listening to the gun lobby, who has a very loud voice and deep pockets," McCartney said.

Pamela Gorman is an Arizona state representative and member of the NRA. She learned to shoot when she took office.

"The right to protect yourself -- no matter who in your home carries the gun to protect you -- is a huge right we have to protect as Americans," she said.

But a gun in your home doesn't always mean protection. If you have a gun in your home, you're three times more likely to be a victim of gun violence. Guns at home should be locked up at all times.

Gun enthusiast Debbie Kimmick believes if you're going to have a gun in the house, get the training to use it. But others believe just having a gun could lead to trouble.

"A person is not a criminal until that split second when their rage takes control and the gun is handy and they use that gun," McCartney said.

And one thing both can agree on -- no innocent life should be lost because of a gun.

Americans’ children are more at risk from firearms than the children of any other industrialized nation. In one year, firearms killed 10 children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 109 in France, 153 in Canada and 5,000 in America.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[buckeye .45]

My Criminology 410 text book, which is decidedly anti-firearms, says that firearms are used an estimate 2.5 million times a year by Americans for defense, and current national trends according to the UCR are about 16,000 murders a year in America (16,503 in 2003). The book goes on to say that about 60% of all homicides and suicides are committed with a gun. So that means under 10,000 murders a year using firearms, because some homicides are justifyable and suicides don't really count for this. I pointed this math out to my obviously anti-firearm Crim 410 professor during our gun control debate (which I basically controlled), she was speechless. 2,500,000 lives saved, because people could have guns, versus the relatively minute amount of lives taken by them, Brady should do the math.

The oldest political cop out "Somebody think of the Children"

[Sheldon J]

Sure if it involves must carry, and mandatory range time for all CCW!

[walther1]

buckeye07 is right! People want to ban everything!

[rstickle]

We don't need stricter laws, we need to enforce the ones we have! And, not on todays "PC" ways. You kill someone with a gun (or anything else), and you are convicted, your life is forfeit! No 20 years, with 19 of them off for good behavior!

Thin I actually might have broken my soapbox on that one!

[P95Carry]

Statements that always yank my chain -

wants guns off the streets.

Sheesh - that one always comes out. Get criminals 'off the streets' - that might help.

enforcement of the existing laws.

I'll drink to that one, not even more laws..

If you have a gun in your home, you're three times more likely to be a victim of gun violence.

Horsepucky!

others believe just having a gun could lead to trouble

More horsepuckey!

Oh my - so much of usual rhetoric - same old, same old

[sgtD]

The oldest political cop out "Somebody think of the Children"

I'm pretty certain that the founders had the children and future generations in mind when they drafted the 2A.

I for one would rather my child have the right and the tool to defend herself, so when I speak up and spend money in support of 2A issues, I am thinking of the children. I want to pass the freedoms that I was born with (and more if possible) to them.

There will always be criminals, but whether or not we pass on our liberty will be our legacy to future generations.

[General Geoff]

If you have a gun in your home, you're three times more likely to be a victim of gun violence.

I'd like to see that figure cited.

[Mass-Diver]

I'd like to see that figure cited.

When you trace these numbers back most of the time the orginal, mauipulated figure often includes having an ILLEGAL gun in the house. The vast majority of the "children" being killed are defined as people under 21 by most these studies. They are the classic 14-18 year old gangbangers that account for most of the gun crime in this country. If you are a gangbanger and you have an illegal gun in your home, it is not surprising that you have a high chance of being shot.

Here in Boston, where we some of strictest gun laws in the country (LTC permits are simply not given out in the city), we are in the middle of a 10 year spike in gun crime. As someone who makes a living caring for gunshot victims everyday (as a nurse), I feel comfortable saying that it is ALL gang violence and illegal guns. These kids are all convicted felons with no legal right to a firearm, but still the policatians here want to target law abiding people.....crazy.... What they need to do is make is make a it a 20 year madatory sentence for anyone who commits a felony with a firearm.

[Sheldon J]

When you trace these numbers back most of the time the orginal, mauipulated figure often includes having an ILLEGAL gun in the house. The vast majority of the "children" being killed are defined as people under 21 by most these studies. They are the classic 14-18 year old gangbangers that account for most of the gun crime in this country. If you are a gangbanger and you have an illegal gun in your home, it is not surprising that you have a high chance of being shot.

Here in Boston, where we some of strictest gun laws in the country (LTC permits are simply not given out in the city), we are in the middle of a 10 year spike in gun crime. As someone who makes a living caring for gunshot victims everyday (as a nurse), I feel comfortable saying that it is ALL gang violence and illegal guns. These kids are all convicted felons with no legal right to a firearm, but still the policatians here want to target law abiding people.....crazy.... What they need to do is make is make a it a 20 year madatory sentence for anyone who commits a felony with a firearm.

You could take them in the emergency room with you and video tape it all and they would still deny that you are right, which BTY you are so on target but then reality is not their thing.

[ccw9mm]

American children are more at risk from firearms than the children of any other industrialized nation.

Well, then, perhaps we should get more guns into the hands law-abiding citizens, to help protect our children. They're all alone out there, being unprotected like that.

[SIGguy229]

http://www.news14charlotte.com/conte...130831&SecID=1
"Oh yeah, it sounds great ... 'The gun didn't do it, the person did.' If the gun hadn't been there, quite likely the tragedy wouldn't have happened," Marsha McCartney, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Violence headquartered in Washington, D.C., said.

Hey...if the criminal wasn't there...there wouldn't be a crime....

Stupid anti logic

[Hekkenschutze]

well having had grown up in the deep south I can inform you that no law in this world will stop criminals, who by definition live outside the letter of the law, from obtaining guns.
yes, it would be nice to take guns out of the hands of criminals but as of yet "feel good" laws have only effected law abiding citizens who are being treated like second class citizens!

[TheHun]

: Stricter gun laws would save lives!

liberal : Sure! All thugs would be safe. Law abiding people could not protect themself anymore... innocent thugs wouldn't get harmed anymore.

The criminal haven...

[JD]

[Quote]You can go and purchase one gun or several guns without a background check," McCartney said.[quote]

Really? Where?