Date sent: Fri, 28 May 1999 11:52:55 -0700 (PDT) From: mark@unicorn.com To: extropians@extropy.com Subject: Re: Safe Gun-Free Britain (was Re: Guns [was Re: property Rights]) Send reply to: extropians@extropy.com
> Joe E. Dees [joedees@bellsouth.net] wrote:
> >Murder rates are higher in those US states which have a concealed
> >carry law, where both citizen and criminal is more likely to be
> >armed, than they are in the U.K., where both is less likely to be.
>
> True (though criminals in the UK are increasingly arming themselves), but
> not particularly useful, since Britain has one of the lowest murder rates
> in the world and hasn't changed greatly for a century or so; I think it's
> about 50% higher today than when Britons could carry concealed at will.
> Several of those states have murder rates comparable to Continental
> European countries, which also generally have very strict gun laws
> compared to America. Remove the drug-dealing-related inner city murders
> and the entire country isn't much worse than Europe.
>
> But anyway, why is it that those states -- with more guns and less
> restrictions -- are seeing reductions in violent crime while Britain
> -- with fewer guns and more restrictions -- is becoming increasingly
> violent?
>
Because the criminals migrate to the states without concealed
carry laws, where they are safer; I do not, however, believe that
were the entire US concealed-carry, that this would persuade them
to seek a more benign occupation.
>
> >Murder is the irreversible crime; it is the one which forever revokes
> >one's right to life, liberty, property and pursuit of happiness, as well
> >as the one to keep and bear arms.
>
> Personally I'd happily trade a slightly larger chance of being murdered
> for being armed and a greatly reduced chance of being attacked at random
> by drunken idiots.
>
If they're really drunk, they don't care if you're armed, or just don't
think you'll use it. A fellow holding a 357 magnum was backed
through his house into his own back bedroom closet by four of
them in my hometown (Pensacola, FL), before he opened up and
killed them all. The police ruled it a justified use of deadly force,
and I concur.
> Mark
>