The numbers are in...

[Sheldon J]

and from nation master Crime statistics by country for the next time you bump into an anti that thinks no guns for honest citizens is a good idea....

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Sejune]

I saw that a few weeks ago and used it in my political science class to argue against gun control. It's amazing how fast sheep whine louder about their emotional-based arguments when facts are presented...they just have nothing else to go on.

[srtops]

Back in May, in response to an editorial written regarding the University Of Georgia professor who killed his wife and two others, I wrote a letter to the editor that stated:

More gun laws will 'punish law-abiding citizens,' not criminals

Editor:

A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that the knife assault rate in that country is higher than the aggravated assault rate in the United States. Between 2005 and 2006, there were 169,400 knife assaults in the UK - a 277-per-100,000 knife assault rate.

Compare this to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 257 per 100,000 aggravated assault rate in the U.S. The same report stated that knife crime had risen in the UK by 25 percent during the same time period. One must remember that the UK has some of the strictest gun laws in the world.

I mention these statistics to take exception with the Bill Shipp column, "Don't expect shooting to reform gun law," in the April 29 News-Times. Shipp describes the recent tragic killing of three people by a University of Georgia professor. He wonders why this hasn't happened sooner and mentions that deadly shootings are on the increase. Shipp states, "Despite what you might have heard, guns do kill people."

It is this last quote with which I take the most exception. Guns do not kill people - people kill people! A gun is nothing more than a tool. A hammer does not drive nails without a person wielding the hammer. A screw does not tighten down of its own accord; it takes a human to turn the screwdriver. Knives do not stab people without a human guiding the blade. And a gun certainly does not kill anyone without someone pulling the trigger.

It appears that Shipp is wishing for more restrictive gun laws. Recall what one of the 20th century's more progressive leaders said in 1933 about his nation's gun control laws: "This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!"

This was said by Adolf Hitler, and we all know how that progressive idea turned out! Be careful what you wish for.

No, the answer to violent crime is to punish the criminal and not the law-abiding citizens who simply want an effective means to protect themselves.

Eddie B. Hulsey

Here is the link to my letter:

More gun laws will 'punish law-abiding citizens,' not criminals 050609 - The Columbia County News-Times

[farronwolf]

Somehow the numbers just don't add up. If you run the charts on the link provided by the OP, it doesn't seem that the UK numbers would add up to place them at that spot on the chart.

I don't have time to add up, the numbers for all the violent crimes right now since I am about to take the little one and the neighbor and his kid shooting, but if someone else has time before I do this evening it would be interesting to see what the actual numbers really are.

Especially since the total crimes per capita for the UK are only 85.5517 per 100,000. How is it possible for the violent crimes to be 2034 per 100,000. I think someone is using fuzzy math to try to prove a point.

Total crimes (per capita) by country. Definition, graph and map.

[rodc13]

I took a look at that, Farrownwolf. The NationMaster.com chart shows 85.5517 per 1,000 people. That would make 8,555.17 per 100,000. So, if about 23.7% of those crimes are deemed violent, the math would work.

[farronwolf]

I took a look at that, Farrownwolf. The NationMaster.com chart shows 85.5517 per 1,000 people. That would make 8,555.17 per 100,000. So, if about 23.7% of those crimes are deemed violent, the math would work.

Oh what does two little zeros make any difference for anyway. I honestly didnt' pay attention to the 1,000 vs 100,000 as I was about to head out the door to go shooting.

But back to the point. If you look at assaults, robberies, homicides, rapes, and such on thier website. UK doesn't come up close to number 1 in any of those. South Africa for instance is right up at the top of almost every crime catagory there is, well except burgalaries, I guess they have nothing of value in thier homes or something. But if there are other countries riding the top of almost every violent crime catagory that a list can be generated for, I just don't see how UK can somehow jump to number 1 past all the others.

[gwhall57]

Funny, how the Anti Crowd are always pointing to the UK as a shining example of how gun control benefits a society... seems the only ones to benefit from gun control are "the usual suspects" - the criminals.