HBecwithFn7 296 Posted September 14, 2014 Added: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/sunday-review/the-assault-weapon-myth.html?_r=1 I had read this earlier this morning (was promoted by Yahoo), and re-read it again just now. I was concerned that it might be attempting to spin the "anti" efforts away from the "assault rifles" (which really isn't a crime issue, as the article states), and towards "handguns" (which the antis and MSM want to make into an issue). I'm amazed they actually ran it in the NYT..... I wonder if MDA will start a "boycott" of them... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtToadette 59 Posted September 14, 2014 I had read this earlier this morning (was promoted by Yahoo), and re-read it again just now. I was concerned that it might be attempting to spin the "anti" efforts away from the "assault rifles" (which really isn't a crime issue, as the article states), and towards "handguns" (which the antis and MSM want to make into an issue). I'm amazed they actually ran it in the NYT..... I wonder if MDA will start a "boycott" of them... I'd definitely buy some popcorn for that one! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
magnawing 5 Posted September 14, 2014 Imagine that...control the criminals and crime goes down... This signature is AWESOME!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtToadette 59 Posted September 14, 2014 Imagine that...control the criminals and crime goes down... I definitely found that to be the highlight of the article. More than 20 years of research funded by the Justice Department has found that programs to target high-risk people or places, rather than targeting certain kinds of guns, can reduce gun violence. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KramD52 0 Posted September 17, 2014 Great article, thanks for posting Sgt.T. Finally a reporter who actually looks up and reports the FACTS instead of circulating a bunch of BS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtToadette 59 Posted October 6, 2014 Added: http://reason.com/archives/1995/11/01/shooting-blind/print Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtToadette 59 Posted June 16, 2016 Just a reminder to everyone that this sticky still exists. If you find any good sources in your internet travels, please post them here for all of us to use! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DirtyDigz 1,793 Posted June 16, 2016 Thanks for the reminder SgT. WeaponsMan blog just put out a great post on stats regarding rifles/AR-15's and crime: http://weaponsman.com/?p=32708 ...20-25 million ARs in circulation in the US is plausible, and probably near a low bound. Their penetration into hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-defense markets continues to grow. To put this in perspective, ARs are more common in the United States than some things you see every day, even if (unlike, say, us) you don’t see AR’s every day: Toyota Priuses (about 2 million to North America so far of 5.7 million built); First generation (1965-73) Ford Mustangs (about 3 million); Fire hydrants (about 6 million total installed). Motorcycles (8.4 million registered in the USA in 2014) Boats (about 12 million in use, including jet-skis and other personal watercraft); Homicides 1995-2015: ... So today’s murder victim is nearly twice as likely to be bludgeoned as shot with a rifle, and three times more likely to be punched, kicked, strangled or shoved to his doom by his murderer’s bare hands or shod feet. ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted August 28, 2016 Interesting article on the surge in gun ownership - estimated at 44% of households in a very recent survey by Pew Research Center. Link: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/surprise-gun-ownership-rises-to-44-of-all-homes/article/2600319 Noteworthy because: - it indicates it's not just traditional gun owners increasing the size of their collections - these are more households with guns. Which would imply at least some new gun owners. - the included video link implies that the uptick in ownership among women is one of the drivers of the overall increase. - (above) counters the stereotype of the "old white guy" gun owner (hey, pls don't take that wrong... some of MY favorite people are old, white guys, LOL - but it does help broaden the image of what a gun owner is) - it's set against a backdrop of historic lows in violence and particularly firearms violence (with the exception of a few cities - but they, of course, have strict gun control) - it also demonstrates that the rumor is true: President Obama really IS the best gun salesman EVER! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted December 6, 2016 Article about mass shooting that makes a compelling argument (bolstered by stats/links) for concealed carry: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442771/gun-control-statistics-liberal-hysteria-gun-owners-safe 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted January 19, 2017 Article about concealed carry permit holder crime stats - with a nice, detailed breakdown refuting the (apparently) grossly exaggerated statistics provided in NY TImes articles... brings to mind the expression: there's lies, damned lies... and then there's statistics. It always amazes me how something as tangible as numbers can be spun every which way depending on the writer's political stripes. Journalism really is dead. Anyway, I placed it in this particular thread because it does have some relevant stats. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/443981/new-york-times-concealed-handgun-crime-numbers-are-bogus 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted June 30, 2017 Recent poll by Pew Research Center. I'm inherently a bit suspicious about any polling of gun owners --- who I think skew towards privacy --- but these results seem to make sense on some levels: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/29/how-male-and-female-gun-owners-in-the-u-s-compare/?utm_source=Ammo.com+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=dddfc82e8b-AC_Newsletter_6_30_17_NL_List&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_835c3fc179-dddfc82e8b-322778277 A few takeaways: Women are more likely to cite "protection" as the ONLY reason they have a gun, and less likely to participate in shooting sports and hunting (My theory: that certainly aligns with the demographics I see at ranges, but hey, a lot of us grew up with Barbies, not toy guns --- so this makes sense. And women are more frequently crime victims, so that would be factor, too, why protection would be the main push. I wonder... do too many women buy guns but then not keep up their shooting skills?) Men are more likely than women to have a gun close by and readily accessible at home --- (My theory: ummm... women are inherently more cautious perhaps? Maybe more worried if there are kids in the house? I don't know - what do you think?) Among Republican gun owners, women tracked a little more towards gun control on many topics (such as being for waiting periods, etc.) --- (My theory: again, women tend to be a bit more cautious. AND, frankly, as far as waiting periods specifically, most women either have a "kook" in their own past --- the crazy ex, the office stalker, etc. --- or they have a good friend who has experienced that. It's really VERY common. Don't be offended guys, but the driven-like-a-guided-missile stalker-type behavior is a little more common, I think, within your ranks. And that makes our ranks a little leery at times. So I can understand why even women gun owners think, "Yeah, I'd like to think there's a cooling off period for some folks." I could be all wrong... that's just my interpretation). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted October 18, 2017 An interesting study just came out showing no increase in the rate of mass killings over the past decade, despite what MSM would have you think. It's by a computer science professor --- personally, I tend to prefer crime studies conducted by criminologists --- but, still, interesting results: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/10/18/mass-killings-shootings-research-university-illinois/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted March 6, 2018 Here's a new study out of Northeastern University. FYI, for those who don't know... if you researched what are the leading universities on criminology/criminal justice -- Northeastern always makes the list. They have had a consistently strong reputation for years (along with John Jay College and a few others). Anyway, compare this to the seriously exaggerated numbers thrown out by Everytown for Gun Safety (the exaggerated "18 school shootings" in 2018 that was finally challenged by the Washington Post but only after being widely quoted by CNN, MSNBC and just about every other major network). Anyway, this is an interesting study - conducted by criminologists, not activists - and more in line with traditional definitions of "mass shooting" used for years by scientists in that field of study. It gives a different story entirely.... mind you, this doesn't lessen the horror of a mass shooting! But amping up the hysteria, twisting the definitions beyond recognition, and exaggerating the numbers (as Everytown has done) - does nothing to deepen our understanding of the problem nor reach consensus what might rectify it, if it can be. http://news.northeastern.edu/2018/02/schools-are-still-one-of-the-safest-places-for-children-researcher-says/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DirtyDigz 1,793 Posted March 6, 2018 This is a great article/audio episode to drop on those who claim "guns have no purpose besides killing people". It's progressive kryptonite - It's produced by NPR, and it's about guns helped Dr. Martin Luther King / the civil rights movement: 'Guns Kept People Alive' During The Civil Rights Movement https://www.npr.org/2014/06/05/319072156/guns-kept-people-alive-during-the-civil-rights-movement Quote If you look at the early period of his leadership in the civil rights movement, particularly the period of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, his household, as one person noted, was an arsenal, with guns all over the place. William Worthy, who was a journalist...tried to sit down in an armchair in Martin King's house and was warned by Bayard Rustin, who was with him, that he was about to sit down on a couple of guns. King was a man of the South, after all, and he responded to terrorism, he responded to violence the way most people in the South would be inclined to respond. So when the Klan...bombed his house in 1956, he went to the sheriff's office and applied for a gun permit to carry a concealed weapon. Now, he didn't get the permit...but Martin King always acknowledged — if you read his writings — the right to self-defense, armed self-defense. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted March 30, 2018 Well, the results of a new study by the Secret Service were just released --- and they reveal what most of all already knew about mass killings... though even I was a bit surprised by just how high the numbers were. Prior to the attacks: 64% of mass killers showed symptoms of mental illness 25% had been hospitalized or received psychiatric drugs more than 3/4's had communicated in a way that alarmed others Read on: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/64percent-of-assailants-in-mass-attacks-suffered-from-symptoms-of-mental-illness-secret-service-report-finds/ar-AAvfl6J?ocid=spartandhp 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted April 11, 2018 Good article by one of my favorite writers on mental health issues. Although the article is talking about the current case in NYC - where a young bipolar man was killed by police - I put it in this section (our Resource Compendium) because the article has lot of stats that illustrate just how frequently police resources are being used to deal with Emotionally Disturbed Persons (EDPs).. and how often that leads to cases like this one in New York. The mental health system rejects these patients... kicks them back onto the street... and then the police end up dealing with the mess often with disastrous results. It's a shockingly broken system. https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/04/criminal-justice-officials-should-stand-up-to-mental-health-officials/ 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raz-0 1,256 Posted April 12, 2018 https://medium.com/@bjcampbell/everybodys-lying-about-the-link-between-gun-ownership-and-homicide-1108ed400be5 This guy is doing a really good series of articles. You might find this one particularly insightful on how the grabbers are lying with numbers. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malice4you 627 Posted April 12, 2018 Well, I didn't do a lot of research (read: any) into his sources, but very well written and a lot of statistical data presented from seemingly reputable sources. I read all the other articles he wrote on the subject, and I enjoyed them thoroughly. May take a while to get through them all, but IMO well worth the time spent. If you aren't a member, you may get paywalled - just remember to use private tabs for opening new windows Thank you for posting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NJGF 375 Posted April 12, 2018 Very nice article that will get read and understood by not one of the anti-gun people. It should make us feel good to know they are not telling the truth but it is worthless knowledge until the MSM loses their political agenda and tells the country the real story which is not going to happen. The one takeaway should be the difference between correlation and causation because the misuse of statistics depends upon us not knowing the difference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted April 12, 2018 OK, that WAS a good article. We have a pinned thread - a Resource Compendium - which puts all these nice studies and statistics in one place, making it easier for people to find if they need some "facts" down the road. I'm going to see if I can merge this thread with that one. Oh, boy... my very first merge. Wish me luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted May 18, 2018 Here's an article referencing recent FBI stats on active shootings... showing that conceal carry permit holders have been very helpful in some of these awful situations (despite what some would have you believe): https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/fbi-concealed-carriers-stopped-8-percent-active-shooter-incidents/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=20180518_FridayDigest_174&utm_campaign=/blog/fbi-concealed-carriers-stopped-8-percent-active-shooter-incidents/ And to go straight to the source document, here is a direct link to the FBI report referenced in the article: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-us-2016-2017.pdf/view Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted May 21, 2018 I thought this was worth posting here (in a public-facing forum) where it would get the most eyes on it, so let's try to be mindful of our tone/language, etc. There's really no reason why this should have to be moved! The article is about a recent study of 3 police departments - assessing how often force was used during arrests (pretty rarely as it turns out - which also aligns with stats reported by larger urban police departments). Here's the reason I found this so very interesting... the cases where cops beat someone up are often, shall we say, not merely reported but seriously overhyped by the media, while the professional restraint exercised by most cops is never talked about. What does that remind you of? I think it's much the same way that the mainstream media treats gun owners. They will cover a school shooter 24x7 for days on end, and yet you'll never see CNN (or NBC or CBS, etc.), profile a defensive gun use case on one of their evening news programs. So, when you wonder why people hate cops... and hate gun owners, too... I say look no further than the grossly irresponsible, lopsided coverage presented in the media. https://www.city-journal.org/html/keeping-peace-15913.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted October 1, 2018 A very good video narrated by John Stossel on the seriously mentally ill. Why am I posting it here?... Because if you ever get into debates with people, I think it's critically important to understand how the treatment (or non-treatment) of mentally ill people impacts on gun crime, on incarceration, on interactions between police and citizens, and all kinds of other things. Our society has arguably created HUGE social problems for itself by not tackling this issue seriously and humanely. If you have 8 min sometime, it's an interesting video: https://www.city-journal.org/failing-severely-mentally-ill-16196.html 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SgtToadette 59 Posted April 20, 2020 Dumping this link for me to update to the OP. Really demonstrates how the AR platform is in common use: https://ammo.com/coronavirus-impact-on-ammunition-sales Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted October 11, 2020 I've attached a recent opinion piece from USA Today. I was rather surprised, as they tend to skew a bit left, that they even published this pro-2A piece! Within the piece, the writer refers to a paper recently written by a professor at George Mason University who argues that all of the rioting this summer has been a great argument FOR the 2nd amendment and has really undermined the gun control argument that says: "we don't need a 2A anymore, because now we have modern police forces". He argues - quite compellingly - that theory doesn't hold water when we regularly saw police forces in recent months ordered to stand down, etc., as rioters ran rampant over neighborhoods in multiple U.S. cities. So, I strongly recommend you also click through and download that white paper - it does give an option to download it for free btw. It's about 40 pages but a LOT of that is just footnotes, so it's really only about 20 pages to scan through. WELL WORTH READING!! Gives a nice synopsis of all of the times this summer that citizens were forced to step up and protect their own lives and property as cities abandoned their responsibilities to provide safety and security. Link to the newspaper article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/10/08/riots-2020-have-given-boost-second-amendment-column/5901798002/ 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted September 23, 2021 A good article by gun crime researcher John Lott on why DGUs are typically so hidden from public view. https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2021/09/22/there_are_far_more_defensive_gun_uses_than_murders_in_america_heres_why_you_rarely_hear_of_them_794461.html 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bennj 215 Posted September 23, 2021 Thanks Peel, another great article that's very informative. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel 7,148 Posted October 3, 2021 Well, this is certainly a very interesting stat that just came out... according to FBI stats covering last year (2020), responsible armed citizens actually killed more criminals (in justifiable self-defense) than the police did... 343 vs 298. Those numbers don't include, of course, all of the many DGUs where a shot wasn't even taken... they are justifiable homicides only... that's why these numbers are so comparatively low. [As many of you know, even low-ball, conservative Defensive Gun Use (DGU) estimates - including incidents where the gun owner just brandishes the weapon without shooting - usually number in the low hundreds of thousands. Some estimates insist the numbers are much higher - in the millions annually.] I just found it terribly interesting that even in the most violent encounters, armed citizens are certainly engaging with criminals as much or more than police. Which makes sense, I guess!... if you think about it, if someone's breaking into your home or business, YOU are the one that's there first. Of course, you will likely NOT see this reported on by the mainstream media. But, this would probably be a great article to share on Facebook pages, etc., for those of you who are on social media. Link: https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2021/09/30/fbi-report-shows-armed-citizens-killed-more-criminals-than-police-n50436 3 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites