Reply To: THE PUZZLE OF MURDER-BY-GUN STATISTICS

[Stutz]

Unseen wrote:

This is a major reason why I’m the lonely liberal who opposes gun control. (Actually, I’m a libertarian at the liberal end of the libertarian spectrum.)

We’re pretty similar in this way, Unseen. I wouldn’t oppose some additional gun control measures as long as responsible citizens are still able to own what they wish, though. But I’ve been a gun owner most of my life and have a carry permit.

This is an interesting topic. Just last night I was thinking about the example of Australia, where there haven’t been mass shootings since their gun control overhaul in 1996. But I wondered, how did it actually affect the murder rate? Per some Aus gov’t statistics I hastily looked up, it didn’t seem like it had much effect. The murder and manslaughter rate fluctuates a lot but the trend shows a slow, steady decline from the early 90s through today, with no noticeable difference in slope after 1996.

It seems to me that gun control merely lowers gun deaths. That does NOT necessarily mean that it reduces overall deaths, or lowers the murder or suicide rates.

And there’s the comparison to alcohol and cigarettes that I think about sometimes, as well. Nobody NEEDS alcohol or cigarettes. They exist merely for pleasure. And alcohol- and smoking-related annual deaths far, far outpace gun deaths. I think this is a better comparison than, for example, automobile deaths, because car transportation is fundamental to our economy and our freedom of movement.