Sean
We'll see.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2005
- Posts
- 96,185
Facts don't matter. The fact that there are fourteen times as many crimes classed as "violent" in the UK compared to the US doesn't matter. The limp dick brigade will just carry on repeating the same tired bullshit ad infinitum. It's why I pretty much abandoned gun threads unless I'm really bored.I have posted studies refuting this point about UK homicides in the past. Those who make this argument are usually seizing on published reports of an increase in a single year, in a single geographic region, news of which was posted without context on pro-gun sites. Overall, the UK gun ban has meant a provable reduction in homicides almost every year since it was implemented (after, iirc, a rise in the first year or two).
Nobody is saying it will wipe all crime off the map. The only reason for you to continue trying to make that bizarre point is if you are aware that your primary one--that gun bans do not reduce homicides--is wrong. The argument is a simple one: does fewer guns in circulation mean fewer deaths. The answer, over and over again, has been yes.
As to your second question: Gun-related suicides dropped precipitously, all others stayed the same (that is, did not increase to take over the ones that would have used guns). Gun-related suicides accounted for a significant enough portion of overall suicides that removing the guns, brought the overall rate down by a large percentage--I think the number is 74%, but can't recall right now.