Gun Homicide Rate Down 49% Since 1993 Peak; Public Unaware

[Anonymous]

I've tried to follow this issue recently. Finding non-partisan facts is tough; everyone has an agenda and both sides distort the facts badly.

So when the Pew research article came up, I was surprised by this fact:

"Despite national attention to the issue of firearm violence, most Americans are unaware that gun crime is lower today than it was two decades ago. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, today 56% of Americans believe gun crime is higher than 20 years ago and only 12% think it is lower."

Link: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/05/07/gun-homicide-rate-down-49-since-1993-peak-public-unaware/

Of course, there are still too many violent crimes in the US; even one is too many. But, is the public being misled that this is as big an issue as its made out to be? Is the bulk of the problem going away on its own?

Maybe there are other law-enforcement priorities we need to look at? For example, law enforcement has radically changed recently as far as arrests for use of marijuana, the focus on Muslim-Americans in areas like NYC, and that city's "stop and frisk" policy. Maybe its time to think outside the box on other areas?

[Anonymous]

All crime in the US has fallen over the last 35 years. There are a number of explanations - lower exposure to lead based paint and gasoline, harsher sentencing, Levitt's abortion hypothesis etc.

What people still object to is the fact that gun homicides are much worse than they need to be. Our per capita murder rate is still ten times that of most European countries.

[Anonymous]

The total number is still the same, we just have more people.

[Anonymous]

The early 90s we're a huge spike due to crack and gang wars. Much higher than the 70s and 80s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The early 90s we're a huge spike due to crack and gang wars. Much higher than the 70s and 80s

-but much lower today - and they keep falling. Sorry I do not see the need for further infringements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The early 90s we're a huge spike due to crack and gang wars. Much higher than the 70s and 80s

-but much lower today - and they keep falling. Sorry I do not see the need for further infringements.

So your position is that the level of gun violence we have today, including the number of mass killings, like Sandy Hook and others, is an acceptable trade off so that you can have your guns just in case the government ever "goes too far."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The total number is still the same, we just have more people.

You don't understand what "per capita murder rate" means, do you?

[Anonymous]

Also, most of the decline is gang-on-gang violence.

So basically my odds of getting killed by a criminal with a gun are still about the same.

[Anonymous]

The problem is the shootings in and around schools, universities, and workplaces, etc., places where people used to feel they could expect to be reasonably safe.

[Anonymous]

Agree.

I am not part of the anti gun crowd. HOWEVER I take real issue with the gu. Rights lobby's stance against reasonable background checks and keeping guns away from anyone treated for specific mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar, medicated depression and those who have been hospitalized for suicide.

Anonymous wrote:The problem is the shootings in and around schools, universities, and workplaces, etc., places where people used to feel they could expect to be reasonably safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, most of the decline is gang-on-gang violence.

So basically my odds of getting killed by a criminal with a gun are still about the same.

This. I think also your odds of getting killed by a calculated mass murderer are up. School shootings seem to happen every few months now.

[Anonymous]

A Department of Justice survey of prison inmates in the federal correctional system who had used guns to commit crimes showed that 80% of them had exploited loopholes in the law to obtain their guns. Tens of millions of guns still change hands without any background check or paper trail due to huge, gaping loopholes in the law which an overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of fixing.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

But when people are talking about background checks, especially with regards to mental illness, they are not talking about the thugs in prison.

They are talking about mass shooters like that kid in California who was cleay being treated for mental illness yet still bought his guns legally.

Honestly, given the school shootings over the past few years, I would add aspergers to that list as well.

Anonymous wrote:A Department of Justice survey of prison inmates in the federal correctional system who had used guns to commit crimes showed that 80% of them had exploited loopholes in the law to obtain their guns. Tens of millions of guns still change hands without any background check or paper trail due to huge, gaping loopholes in the law which an overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of fixing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

But when people are talking about background checks, especially with regards to mental illness, they are not talking about the thugs in prison.

They are talking about mass shooters like that kid in California who was cleay being treated for mental illness yet still bought his guns legally.

Honestly, given the school shootings over the past few years, I would add aspergers to that list as well.

Anonymous wrote:A Department of Justice survey of prison inmates in the federal correctional system who had used guns to commit crimes showed that 80% of them had exploited loopholes in the law to obtain their guns. Tens of millions of guns still change hands without any background check or paper trail due to huge, gaping loopholes in the law which an overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of fixing.

There are plenty of reasons to want 100% background checks.

[Anonymous]

Just pair background checks with mandatory voter ID and it will pass.

If one of the two gets overturned in court then the law sunsets.

It's compromise.