[quote=scaredycat]how does shooting fleeing shoplifters make for a safe and peacfeul environment? Also, if we start as a society shooting all robbers as they flee, wouldn’t that incentivize robbers to shoot first?[/quote]
Nobody’s saying we should shoot all fleeing shoplifters. However, we can certainly make sure that innocent people are not victimized by criminals. There are more of us than there are of them, and chances are crime will drop if criminals know they will be caught — either by police officers who happen to be standing around nearby (not likely) or by good citizens who will chase after them (armed or not).
Personally, I don’t have a problem with people who legally carry weapons. There are plenty of stories where armed citizens thwarted attacks on innocent people. The gun bans only serve to make sure criminals have the upper hand at all times. If they’re criminals, chances are they don’t care about gun laws. Gun laws make law-abiding citizens more vulnerable to armed criminals.
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* Americans use firearms to defend themselves from criminals at least 764,000 times a year. This figure is the lowest among a group of 9 nationwide surveys done by organizations including Gallup and the Los Angeles Times. (16b)
* In 1982, a survey of imprisoned criminals found that 34% of them had been “scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim.” (16c)
* Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns in 1976. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington D.C.’s homicide rate rose 200%, while the U.S. rate rose 12%. (1)…
…* Florida adopted a right-to-carry law in 1987. At the time the law was passed, critics predicted increases in violence. The founder of the National Organization of Women, Betty Friedan stated:
“lethal violence, even in self defense, only engenders more violence.” (13)
* When the law went into effect, the Dade County Police began a program to record all arrest and non arrest incidents involving concealed carry licensees. Between September of 1987 and August of 1992, Dade County recorded 4 crimes committed by licensees with firearms. None of these crimes resulted in an injury. The record keeping program was abandoned in 1992 because there were not enough incidents to justify tracking them. (13)(15)
* Florida adopted a right-to-carry law in 1987. Between 1987 and 1996, these changes occurred:
Florida
United States
homicide rate
-36%
-0.4%
firearm homicide rate
-37%
+15%
handgun homicide rate
-41%
+24%
(3)
* 221,443 concealed carry licenses were issued in Florida between October of 1987 and April of 1994. During that time, Florida recorded 18 crimes committed by licensees with firearms. (15)
* As of 1998, nationwide, there has been 1 recorded incident in which a permit holder shot someone following a traffic accident. The permit holder was not charged, as the grand jury ruled the shooting was in self defense. (7)
* As of 1998, no permit holder has ever shot a police officer. There have been several cases in which a permit holder has protected an officer’s life. (7)
