Majority of Americans say guns make homes safer

[GaryTaylor]

The Gun prosecutions under Eric Holder have been non-existent. More control when they ignore the existing control? Frankly that doesn’t make sense.

newsmax.com/Headline/guns-laws-obama-chicago/2013/02/22/id/491637

 

[Monte_RCMS]

That’s exactly what Dianne Feinstein has said. That’s what a CT bill would essentially have done. There are plenty of people who want this, and the so called “common sense” legislation they propose, such as registration and back door registration, is the mechanism by which it will happen.

Others have said the same thing. In public. On YouTube.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Research by criminology professor Gary Kleck at Florida state university who has researched gun control laws since 1976 and was a supporter of gun control laws, and is a liberal politically found that businesses and homes are less likely to be targeted by burglars in countries that have high rates of gun ownership compared to countries with low rates of gun ownership

He found guns prevent estimated 6849 crimes per day, 2.5 million crimes annually and per day 1100 murders, 5200 other violent and 550 rapes per day are prevented by showing a handgun. Less than 0.9% of that time a gun is fired

rense.com/general76/univ.htm

NRA in it’s First Freedom magazine publishes large numbers of newspaper accounts of people who have saved their lives by showing a gun and sometimes, unfortunately, by using it.

John. R. Lott speaks frequently on this subject and has written books about it.

Interested people can look him up.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Fine line between self-defense and murder. Even if you shoot an intruder, you can still be liable for the killing.

You NEVER shoot to kill.

NEVER.

You want the perpetrator(s) to either leave on his (their) own or lay down on the floor and stay down.

[Most people are such poor shots that they are lucky to even get a hit.]

There is a YouTube of a home invasion in a suburb … the camera footage is from a security cam. There were four home invaders. They did not expect to encounter an armed homeowner. They ran out of there so fast, they were gone in seconds.

youtube.com/watch?v=IZKVQVXLVSM

 

[Brendan]

But what is it in reality? The data I saw strongly suggested that an innocent person is more likely to killed with an owner’s gun than some home intruder. .

But what your statistic is not reflecting is that 97% of crimes stopped by the use of a firearm do not involve the firearm being discharged at all. Your data is only looking at fatalities, not attacks that were stopped with no fatalities ( which, we can all agree, is the ideal case)

In the vast majority of cases, it is the threat of the firearm that inspires the attacker to cease and flee, or is held at bay with the firearm until the police arrive.

In 1997, the Clinton DoJ did a study, and determined that 1.4 million crimes were stopped by the civilian use of firearms in 1995, In that same year, there were 618 fatalities due to firearm accident.

So you are FAR for likely to stop a crime with your firearm than to accidentally kill an innocent person,

 

[SuperLuigi]

But what is it in reality? The data I saw strongly suggested that an innocent person is more likely to killed with an owner’s gun than some home intruder. What’s being suggested here is a far cry from an adequate survey that actually show real-life statistics.

I don’t suppose you’d care to share any of that data?

 

[Cider]

But what is it in reality? The data I saw strongly suggested that an innocent person is more likely to killed with an owner’s gun than some home intruder. What’s being suggested here is a far cry from an adequate survey that actually show real-life statistics.

Well the wording of the poll was clearly about perceptions, so I’m not sure why you are faulting for not citing statistics.

 

[Cider]

Fine line between self-defense and murder. Even if you shoot an intruder, you can still be liable for the killing.

Depends on the state. I used to live in CA like you do, but now I live in a state with the castle doctrine and laws on the books that specifically prevent me from being held liable in civil court for shooting an intruder. I completely disagree with your statement of there being a fine line between self defense and murder. There are federal and state laws on the books that clearly delineate what murder is and even the Catechism of the Catholic church defines self defense and a persons right to it.

 

[Zooey]

20 blocks cordoned off, thousand or so police on the ground, helicopters, armored vehicles, and SWAT teams on patrol, and they couldn’t find a 19 year old kid for over a day. What would you do if you were one of those residents locked in your home while a desperate armed terrorist broke in to take you hostage or up his body count? Call 911? There is only one solution in that scenario and that is a firearm.

Now think of a common criminal on the prowl in your neighborhood who does not have every LE agency in the free world on the lookout for him. What will stop him? If the combined forces of the FBI, Boston PD, Watertown PD, MA State Police, and a few alphabet agencies couldn’t track down a single person for an entire day in a confined area, there is no way the regular PD will be able to save anyone from the average criminal break in. The solution is the same as above.

The only person responsible for your safety, unless you are a minor, is you.

I agree.

Exactly.

Yesterday, I was at home with my daughter and my husband was at work…typical day.
The news was on and I wasn’t paying much attention…until the news reporter mentioned that the second bombing suspect was a student at UMASS Dartmouth.

Suddenly, I had great interest in the story because that campus is only about 10 mins from my house.
Since they hadn’t found the suspect at all…the only thing I could think of was the fact that he was trying to make it down to my neck of the woods to get to his dorm room, only to discover the campus was locked down and then try something else.

Yes, my mind was racing but it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. We keep a weapon in the house…and I knew that cops were being sent to Watertown and the surrounding Boston area from all over the state. They were all watching Boston…no one was watching Southeastern Mass.

Anyway…my husband came home and was just as surprised by the news as I was…he joked that he half expected the gun to be out of the safe and ready to go for quick access, just in case.

I firmly believe that a gun in my home makes me safer. During most days…it’s me and my daughter against whomever comes through that door.

It was even worse when my husband worked overnights…but knowing I wasn’t defenseless made me sleep better at night.

No one will ever convince me it’s a good idea to do away with my right to legally keep a weapon.
I believe in another trinity as well…praying to God, a cell phone, and a gun to hold off the intruder until the cops get there. You need all three to guarantee your safety and survival.

 

[buffalo]

If a criminal thinks I have a gun it acts as a deterrent. The same with alarm signs posted on your front lawn. They go for easier pickings.



Less than 8% of the time does a citizen wound his or her attacker, and in less than one in a thousand instances is the attacker killed.

Every day, 550 rapes, 1,100 murders, and 5,200 other violent crimes are prevented just by showing a gun. In less than 0.9% of these instances is the gun ever actually fired.
Two-thirds of the people who die each year from gunfire are criminals being shot by other criminals. Source

 

[oldcelt]

If a criminal thinks I have a gun it acts as a deterrent. The same with alarm signs posted on your front lawn. They go for easier pickings.

http://handgundefense.com/images/Crime-Chart.jpg

Less than 8% of the time does a citizen wound his or her attacker, and in less than one in a thousand instances is the attacker killed.

Every day, 550 rapes, 1,100 murders, and 5,200 other violent crimes are prevented just by showing a gun. In less than 0.9% of these instances is the gun ever actually fired.
Two-thirds of the people who die each year from gunfire are criminals being shot by other criminals. Source

Yet polls indicate that the American people overwhelmingly support an improved background check system.

 

[buffalo]

Yet polls indicate that the American people overwhelmingly support an improved background check system.

They don’t want their crazy neighbor to have a gun.

 

[oldcelt]

They don’t want their crazy neighbor to have a gun.

Exactly. It is also important to point out that the strictest gun control laws are state creations, not federal. That should make the states rights crowd happy.

 

[livingwordunity]

As we remove God from society we need more weapons. Makes perfect sense.

I myself 30 years ago did not think I needed a weapon in the home, no longer. Another aspect is that Americans are feeling helpless and that law enforcement cannot respond and protect them fast enough so we have to fend for ourselves.

This

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Yet polls indicate that the American people overwhelmingly support an improved background check system.

There’s polls … and then there’s polls:

realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/04/12/gun_debate_highlights_voter_distrust_of_government_117925.html

gun_debate_highlights_voter_distrust_of_government

johnrlott.blogspot.com/2013/04/rasmussen-only-41-believe-more.html

rasmussen-only-41-believe-more

Depends on the wording … the details are everything

 

[oldcelt]

There’s polls … and then there’s polls:

realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/04/12/gun_debate_highlights_voter_distrust_of_government_117925.html

gun_debate_highlights_voter_distrust_of_government

johnrlott.blogspot.com/2013/04/rasmussen-only-41-believe-more.html

rasmussen-only-41-believe-more

Depends on the wording … the details are everything

Both stories admit that a sizable majority of the people support improvement of the background check system. Only 41 percent think that it will really lower gun violence, but nearly 90% still support the attempt. Guess it’s the old nothing ventured, nothing gained idea.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

20 blocks cordoned off, thousand or so police on the ground, helicopters, armored vehicles, and SWAT teams on patrol, and they couldn’t find a 19 year old kid for over a day. What would you do if you were one of those residents locked in your home while a desperate armed terrorist broke in to take you hostage or up his body count? Call 911? There is only one solution in that scenario and that is a firearm.

Now think of a common criminal on the prowl in your neighborhood who does not have every LE agency in the free world on the lookout for him. What will stop him? If the combined forces of the FBI, Boston PD, Watertown PD, MA State Police, and a few alphabet agencies couldn’t track down a single person for an entire day in a confined area, there is no way the regular PD will be able to save anyone from the average criminal break in. The solution is the same as above.

The only person responsible for your safety, unless you are a minor, is you.

This. My answer to the original post is, “Yes, and it’s true.”

 

[Zooey]

If a criminal thinks I have a gun it acts as a deterrent. The same with alarm signs posted on your front lawn. They go for easier pickings.

http://handgundefense.com/images/Crime-Chart.jpg

Less than 8% of the time does a citizen wound his or her attacker, and in less than one in a thousand instances is the attacker killed.

Every day, 550 rapes, 1,100 murders, and 5,200 other violent crimes are prevented just by showing a gun. In less than 0.9% of these instances is the gun ever actually fired.
Two-thirds of the people who die each year from gunfire are criminals being shot by other criminals. Source

 

[petronus]

Lost amid the debate is the fact that for the first time a majority of Americans say having a gun in the household makes it a safer place to be, .

So it’s a FACT .

Who has counted them all ? :crying:

What nonsense !

 

[LilyM]

If a criminal thinks I have a gun it acts as a deterrent. The same with alarm signs posted on your front lawn. They go for easier pickings.

http://handgundefense.com/images/Crime-Chart.jpg

Less than 8% of the time does a citizen wound his or her attacker, and in less than one in a thousand instances is the attacker killed.

Every day, 550 rapes, 1,100 murders, and 5,200 other violent crimes are prevented just by showing a gun. In less than 0.9% of these instances is the gun ever actually fired.
Two-thirds of the people who die each year from gunfire are criminals being shot by other criminals. Source

So? Let those who so wish post alarm signs, let those who want guns for self-defense instead have toy guns that look (and perhaps sound) convincingly like the real thing but will do no harm in the hands of the clumsy, the insane or criminals. The baddies aren’t going to know who is an undercover or off-duty cop or sporting shooter or whatnot with the real deal and who isn’t.

Gun control nuts and self-defence nuts ought to both be happy.