Congressional Study: Murder Rate Nearly Halved from 1994 as Gun Ownership Soared

[Revmitchell]

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report shows that while gun ownership climbed from 192 million firearms in 1994 to 310 million firearms in 2009, crime fell—and fell sharply.

According to the report, the "firearm-related murder and non-negligent homicide" rate was 6.6 per 100,000 Americans in 1993. Following the exponential growth in the number of guns, that rate fell to 3.6 per 100,000 in 2000.

This rate rose from 2004 to 2005 and got as high as 3.9 in 2006 and 2007, but it then resumed falling in 2008, the year the Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that individual firearm possession is Constitutionally protected—particularly for self-defense. This figure fell to 3.2 per 100,000 by 2011.

In other words, as the number of firearms almost doubled over a nearly 20-year period, the "firearm-related murder and non-negligent homicide" rate was more than halved.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Govern...ssional-Research-Service-More-Guns-Less-Crime

 

[InTheLight]

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report shows that while gun ownership climbed from 192 million firearms in 1994 to 310 million firearms in 2009, crime fell—and fell sharply.

In other words, as the number of firearms almost doubled over a nearly 20-year period, the "firearm-related murder and non-negligent homicide" rate was more than halved.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Govern...ssional-Research-Service-More-Guns-Less-Crime

Yes, that is called a correlation, and not necessarily causation. This is not comprehensive research as there could be other factors involved in the decline in the murder rate. For example, the incarceration rate and length of stay in prison went up dramatically in the late 80's and throughout the 90's and 2000's. There was also Rudi Guiliani's crime clean up of New York City, the murder capital of the U.S. involving increased law enforcement officers, aggressive prosecution, etc. This strategy was emulated in big cities across the country.

So it is likely that gun ownership was a factor in the decline of the murder rate but it cannot be said it was the only factor, or even say it was the main factor. You should also know that gun control advocates will say that the assault rifle ban which coincidentally was enacted in 1994 (the endpoint of the study you cite) is the main factor in the decline of crime. (I am not one of those people so don't even play the Liberal card on me.)

I would also point out that if the authors are going to take liberty with mathematics by calling a 61.4% increase in ownership of guns to be "almost doubled" it is going to cast doubt on their entire research project.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Murder is only one type of violent crime. Also the murder rate in the US is nothing to be proud of as it is high compared to other countries.

The lowering of the crime rate may reflect that the population is getting older.

Let us hope and pray the decline continues.

Violent crime in the United States remained close to two-decade lows last year but the murder rate was higher than in virtually all other developed countries, official figures showed Monday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that violent crime inched up 0.7 percent in 2012 from the previous year, while property crime fell by 0.9 percent.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/...early-all-other-developed-countries-fbi-data/

Violent crime in the United States rose for the second year in a row, a government report said Thursday, indicating that the nation's two-decade decline in crime has ended.

The 2012 National Crime Victimization Survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 26 of every 1,000 people experienced violent crime, a 15% increase in how many people reported being victims of rape, robbery or assault. Property crime — burglary, theft and car theft — rose 12%.

"We've plateaued. At this point, I don't think we're going to see any more decreases in crime," said criminologist James Alan Fox of Northeastern University in Boston. "The challenge will be making sure crime rates don't go back up."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/24/violent-crime-rising-in-united-states/3180309/

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Also the murder rate in the US is nothing to be proud of as it is high compared to other countries.

One more subject on which you have pontificated but which reality proves you know nothing about.

The 20 Most Homicidal Countries In The World​

The United Nations just put together their Global Study on Homicide 2011, an extensive report detailing each country's homicide rate and the factors that brought them there.

Globally, there were 468,000 murders in 2010, giving the world an average of 6.9 murders per 100,000 people. But more than a third of these homicides took place in Africa, and slightly lower percentages took place in the Americas and Asia.

Not surprisingly, many of the countries with the highest homicide rates are low on human development, high on income inequality and corruption, and fairly unstable.

Translation: Other than in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the United States isn't even on the radar. When are you going to learn to stop repeating socialist propaganda on this board? We are going to prove you uninformed, biased and ignorant of reality every time.

 

[Crabtownboy]

One more subject on which you have pontificated but which reality proves you know nothing about.

The 20 Most Homicidal Countries In The World​

Translation: Other than in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the United States isn't even on the radar. When are you going to learn to stop repeating socialist propaganda on this board? We are going to prove you uninformed, biased and ignorant of reality every time.

I should have put developed countries and I still say it is nothing to be proud of.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ed-killings-than-any-other-developed-country/

 

[just-want-peace]

Don't really see the point of being so specific, "gun related murders", as opposed to just plain "murders".
Is death by gun somehow (other than in the mind of a liberal) more tragic, or more painful, or more -- whatever -- than death by ANY other means???

Also does this chart take into account the difference in defensive deaths and actual MURDER; or even accidental deaths???

 

[Crabtownboy]

Also does this chart take into account the difference in defensive deaths and actual MURDER; or even accidental deaths???

The article from which the graph came says 'murders'. I do not believe there is such a thing as "defensive murder", but then I am not a lawyer.

One piece of this puzzle is the national rate of firearm-related murders, which is charted above.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ed-killings-than-any-other-developed-country/

 

[Revmitchell]

Don't really see the point of being so specific, "gun related murders", as opposed to just plain "murders".
Is death by gun somehow (other than in the mind of a liberal) more tragic, or more painful, or more -- whatever -- than death by ANY other means???

Also does this chart take into account the difference in defensive deaths and actual MURDER; or even accidental deaths???

When you take into account the far left wing tries to say that more guns means more murders then we can see the need for a study like this. It shows the far left extreme is wrong.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I should have put developed countries and I still say it is nothing to be proud of.

Your chart shows the murder rate in the U.S. is less than half the rate for the entire world. Epic fail. Your hatred of the U.S. and your efforts to discredit it as a viable power with a rightful place in the world as an adjudicator and peacemaker disgust me.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Your chart shows the murder rate in the U.S. is less than half the rate for the entire world.

But still the highest on the chart.