25 years murder-free in 'Gun Town USA'

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

As the nation debates whether more guns or fewer can prevent tragedies like the Virginia Tech Massacre, a notable anniversary passed last month in a Georgia town that witnessed a dramatic plunge in crime and violence after mandating residents to own firearms.

In March 1982, 25 years ago, the small town of Kennesaw ? responding to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Ill. ? unanimously passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite dire predictions of "Wild West" showdowns and increased violence and accidents, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting ? as a victim, attacker or defender.

The crime rate initially plummeted for several years after the passage of the ordinance, with the 2005 per capita crime rate actually significantly lower than it was in 1981, the year before passage of the law.

Prior to enactment of the law, Kennesaw had a population of just 5,242 but a crime rate significantly higher (4,332 per 100,000) than the national average (3,899 per 100,000). The latest statistics available ? for the year 2005 ? show the rate at 2,027 per 100,000. Meanwhile, the population has skyrocketed to 28,189.

By comparison, the population of Morton Grove, the first city in Illinois to adopt a gun ban for anyone other than police officers, has actually dropped slightly and stands at 22,202 , according to 2005 statistics. More significantly, perhaps, the city's crime rate increased by 15.7 percent immediately after the gun ban, even though the overall crime rate in Cook County rose only 3 percent. Today, by comparison, the township's crime rate stands at 2,268 per 100,000.

This was not what some predicted.

In a column titled "Gun Town USA," Art Buchwald suggested Kennesaw would soon become a place where routine disagreements between neighbors would be settled in shootouts. The Washington Post mocked Kennesaw as "the brave little city ? soon to be pistol-packing capital of the world." Phil Donahue invited the mayor on his show.

Reuters, the European news service, today revisited the Kennesaw controversy following the Virginia Tech Massacre.

Police Lt. Craig Graydon said: "When the Kennesaw law was passed in 1982 there was a substantial drop in crime ? and we have maintained a really low crime rate since then. We are sure it is one of the lowest (crime) towns in the metro area." Kennesaw is just north of Atlanta.

The Reuters story went on to report: "Since the Virginia Tech shootings, some conservative U.S. talk show hosts have rejected attempts to link the massacre to the availability of guns, arguing that had students been allowed to carry weapons on campus someone might have been able to shoot the killer."

Virginia Tech, like many of the nation's schools and college campuses, is a so-called "gun-free zone," which Second Amendment supporters say invites gun violence ? especially from disturbed individuals seeking to kill as many victims as possible.

Cho Seung-Hui murdered 32 and wounded another 15 before turning his gun on himself.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article....RTICLE_ID=55288

[Cassie 8]

Nothing posted will ever convince me that I need a gun in my house for protection.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Nothing posted will ever convince me that I need a gun in my house for protection.

That's fine. Just don't take away my right to do so.

[john & jean 37]

Texas passed the concealed carry law following a mass killing at a Lubys cafateria. There were twenty victims. Within a year the law passed by a land slide.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

How can you require someone to own a gun? I have nothing against guns at all, but how can you force people to own one? I sent this story to my friend in Kennesaw, he works for the local government.

[PlatyPius 5]

Switzerland:

The gun policy in Switzerland is unique in Europe. The personal weapon of militia personnel is kept at home as part of the military obligations. This, in addition to liberal gun laws and strong shooting traditions, has led to a very high gun count per capita. Switzerland has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the world. In recent times political opposition has expressed a desire for tighter gun regulations.

...

Police statistics for the year 2006[10] records 34 killings or attempted killings involving firearms, compared to 69 cases involving bladed weapons and 16 cases of unarmed assault. Cases of assault resulting in bodily harm numbered 89 (firearms) and 526 (bladed weapons). This represents a decline of aggravated assaults involving firearms since the early 1990s. Some 300 deaths per year are due to legally held army ordinance weapons, the large majority of these being suicides. The majority of gun crimes involving domestic violence are perpetrated with army ordinance weapons, while the majority of gun crime outside the domestic sphere involves illegally held firearms.

(from Wikipedia)

[Ban Hammer 13,643]

what no screaming gun grabbers in this thread yet?

[GaryC 7]

what no screaming gun grabbers in this thread yet?

No, they would rather go by emotion rather than facts. This is an "inconvenient truth" for them.

[Ban Hammer 13,643]

what no screaming gun grabbers in this thread yet?

No, they would rather go by emotion rather than facts. This is an "inconvenient truth" for them.

or busy sending flowers to the hospital for the poor criminals.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Or seeking Counsel for them.

[Alex+R 0]

It's amazing how the article doesn't discuss in what OTHER ways those areas have changed when they talk about longterm results of bans/mandates. Are they poorer? Richer? Younger? Different demographics altogether? Correlation does not equal causation, people.

eta: also it compares unequal statistics (crime rate vs. deaths by shooting--not the same thing) and implies that a town of only 28,000 has a reasonable expectation of murders in the first place. It's so small to begin with. It also doesn't mention gun accidents or intentional shootings that don't kill.

This article is a really convenient spinning of the facts. I'm sure it's easy to get emotionally carried away by it, though.

Edited February 17, 2008 by Alex+R

[Cassie 8]

Nothing posted will ever convince me that I need a gun in my house for protection.

That's fine. Just don't take away my right to do so.

Nope, wouldn't dream of it....but I may question the necessity of having more than one on hand.

[kaydee457 13]

How can you require someone to own a gun? I have nothing against guns at all, but how can you force people to own one? I sent this story to my friend in Kennesaw, he works for the local government.

Same way you can force people to say....wear clothing, or have mandatory car insurance...... verification that you're a gun owner...

Now how to enforce whether or not the gun you purchased is in your home, or on your person....difficult to impossible.

Edited February 17, 2008 by kaydee457