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------------------------------------------------



            Firearms Facts, Statistics and Studies:

                       collected by CESA

            compiled by Tom McNeill, Kurt Amesbury, 

            Mark Richards, Bill Keys and Peter Lake

    (includes excerpts from \NRA Firearms Facts for 1993\)



                 **  FIREARMS FACTS GENERAL  **



NUMBER OF GUNS IN U.S:             Approx. 200 million firearms.  

                                           65-70 million handguns 

                                 

GUN OWNERS IN US:                  60-65 million, 

                                   30-35 million own handguns



FIREARMS USED FOR PROTECTION:      11% of firearms owners   

                                   13% of handgun owners 

                                 

CRIMINAL MISUSE OF FIREARMS YEARLY: Less than 0.2% of firearms

                                    Less than 0.4% of handguns   





 Over 99.8% of U.S. firearms and 99.6% of U.S. handguns will

 not be involved in criminal activity in any given year.

 Survey research suggests that about 650,000 Americans every

 year use handguns for protection from burglars, robbers,

 rapists, assailants, would-be murders, etc.





 ***************************************************************



                **  WHY AMERICANS OWN FIREARMS **



 Based on 1978 Decision Making Information surveys, with

 handgun data confirmed by 1978 Caddell survey; abuse data

 from U.S. Public Health Service and F.B.I. data.



         Primary Reasons Own/Use Firearms: % of Owners,

                  Projected Number of Americans

         (Approx, 65 million owners of 200,000,000 guns)



 HUNTING:            51%;      33,000,000 Americans

 PROTECTION:         32%       21,000,000     ""

     Used Gun For

     Protection:    11%        7,200,000     ""

 TARGET SHOOTING:    13%        8,500,000     ""

 COLLECTING:          4%        2,600,000     ""



         Primary Reasons Own/Use Handguns: % of Owners,

                  Projected Number of Americans

          (30-35 million owners of 65,000,000 handguns)



 HUNTING:            10%;       3,500,000 Americans

 PROTECTION:         58%;      21,000,000     ""

     Used Gun For

     Protection:    13%;       4,600,000     ""

 TARGET SHOOTING:    18%;       6,300,000     ""

 COLLECTING:         14%;       5,000,000     ""





 ***************************************************************



               12 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN U.S.



Source: National Center for Health Statistics (1991, latest 

official estimates)



ALL CAUSES......................................2,165,000

Heart Disease.....................................718,090

Cancers...........................................514,310

Strokes...........................................144,070

ACCIDENTS......................................... 91,700

Motor Vehicle*.....................................47,575

Falls*.............................................12,151

Poisoning (solid, liquid, gas)*.....................6,524

Fires and Flames* ..................................4,716

Drowning (incl. water transport drownings)'.........4,716

Suffocation (mechanical, ingestion)* ...............4,491

Surgical/Medical misadventures** ...................2,850

Other Transportation (excl. drownings)* ............2,160

Natural/Environmental factors* .....................1,816

Firearms ...........................................1,489

     (includes estimated 500 handgun and 200 hunting accidents)

Chronic pulmonary diseases ........................89,130

Pneumonia and influenza ...........................74,980

Diabetes ..........................................49,980

Diseases of the arteries ..........................41,970

Suicide*** ........................................30,200

HIV Infections (AIDS) .............................28,850

Homicide and legal intervention ***  ..............27,440

Cirrhosis and other liver diseases ................24,740   



*1989, latest official figures  

**A Harvard University study suggests 93,000 deaths related to

medical negligence--excluding tens of thousands more deaths from

non-hospital medical office/lab mistakes and thousands of hospital

caused infections. 

***Approximately 60% involve firearms. Criminologist Gary Kleck 

estimates 1500-2,000 self-defense and justifiable homicides by 

civilians and 300-600 by police annually.



About 13% of the "homicide and legal intervention" category

involves the killing of criminals by police (3%) or

civilians (10%) (Rushforth, et al., 1977).



Handguns are involved in 1/2 % of deaths among children

under 14, including both accidental and criminal homicides,

ranking handguns the 17th leading "cause".



3% of gun-related deaths involve accidents or murders by

persons without prior histories of violence, 70% of

"victims" were suicides or criminals.





 ***************************************************************





               COMPARISON OF ROBBERY AND HOMICIDE

               RATES BETWEEN SELECTED U.S. CITIES

               WITH RESTRICTIVE AND NONRESTRICTIVE

                    FIREARMS LAWS/ENFORCEMENT



 Based on 1988 F.B.I. Uniform Crime Reports no gun law, in 

 any city, state, or nation, has ever reduced violent

 crime, or slowed its rate of growth, compared to similar

 jurisdictions without such laws. Indeed, most such laws are

 defended with citations of the number of persons denied

 lawful access to handguns, while crime trends are ignored.

 With a virtual handgun ban, enforced with federal aid,

 violent crime rose in Washington, D.C., over twice as

 fast (48% vs. 22%,1976-1982) as the rest of the nation,

 until adopting NRA-backed mandatory penalty, since which

 robbery has halved, although the homicide rate 26.9 per

 100,000 in 1976 has continued to escalate, with a rate of

 70 projected for 1989. Chicago's (1982-1988) violent crime

 rate rose 160% while rising just 15% nationally; homicide

 was stable while falling nationally. With 3% of the

 population, New York City accounts for 15% of the nation's

 gun-related robberies and more homicides than the total of

 24 states. The two crimes most feared by Americans are

 murder in the course of another crime (50%) and robber

 (43%)(1978 DMI poll); robbery and robber-murder rates are

 consistently higher in cities with restrictive firearms

 laws and/or hostile enforcement of such laws.



 The following chart integrates a comparison of per capita

 homicide and robbery rates of various American cities,

 divided between those with restrictive guns laws/enforcement

 and lenient gun laws/enforcement.  



 ***************************************************************



                              Homicide               Robbery

United States                  7.90                   205.40



            CITIES: RESTRICTIVE GUN LAWS/ENFORCEMENT



                        Rates per 100,000



                              Homicide               Robbery



 Newark, NJ                    36.0                   1386.0

 population: 275,221 

 (1990 census)



 Detroit, MI                   57.9                   1194.2

 population: 1,027,974  

 (metropolitan area: 4,382,297) 

 (1990 census)



 New York City, NY             25.8                   1178.5

 population: 7,322,564 

 (1990 census)



 Baltimore, MD                 30.6                    968.2

 population: 736,014 

 (metropolitan area: 2,382,172) 

 (1990 census)



 Chicago, IL                   22.0                    967.7

 population: 2,783,726 

 (1990 census)



 Washington, D.C.              59.5                    917.6

 population: 606,900 

 (metropolitan area, 3,923,574)

 (1990 census)



 Boston, MA                    16.0                    902.4

 population: 574,283 

 (1990 census)





              CITIES: LENIENT GUN LAWS/ENFORCEMENT



                        Rates per 100,000

                              Homicide               Robbery



 Austin, TX                     9.2                    217.8

 population: 465,622 

 (metropolitan area: 781,572)

 (1990 census)

 

 El Paso, TX                    6.2                    216.9

 population: 515,342 

 (1990 census)



 Wichita, KS                    5.1                    214.5

 population: 304,011 

 (metropolitan area: 485,270)

 (1990 census)



 Tucson, AZ                     8.1                    200.4

 population: 405,390 

 (metropolitan area: 666,880)

 (1990 census) 



 Corpus Christi, TX             9.9                    194.7

 population: 257,453 

 (1990 census



 Omaha, NE                      7.4                    187.9

 population: 335,795

 (metropolitan area: 618,262) 

 (1990 census)



 Colorado Springs, CO           3.6                    120.8

 population: 281,140 

 (metropolitan area: 397,014)

 (1990 census) 





 ***************************************************************





            CAREER CRIMINALS, JUSTICE SYSTEM FAILURES

                   AND ARMED VICTIM SUCCESSES.



      (Based on Department of Justice (DOJ) victimization

      surveys, felon surveys, NACP law enforcement survey,

           PROMIS studies, research by the Rand Corp.,

            James D. Wright et al., and Gary Kleck.)



 75-80% of U.S. violent crimes are committed by career

 criminals, many on some form of conditional or early

 release (30-35% of career criminals are rearrested with

 previous criminal charges still pending). 



 Career convicted felons out of prison commit an average of

 187 crimes per year, costing society 430,000.



 More than 90% of police chiefs and sheriffs agree that

 criminals are not affected by a ban on any type of

 firearm, while more than 70% oppose "waiting periods" for

 the same reason.



 Only half of violent crimes are reported to the police,

 and less than half of those (46%) are cleared by arrest

 of criminals.



 A prisoner survey by Wright et al., finds that criminals

 are more afraid of being shot by victims than by police;

 of career "handgun predators" 53% did not commit a specific

 crime for fear victim was armed, 57% were scared off or

 shot by armed victims; 88% think criminals will always be

 able to get handguns; absent handguns, 75% would use

 sawed-off shotguns. Unarmed felons listed tougher penalties

 for using a gun as an important reason for not arming.



 Kleck estimated that a burglar runs twice the chance of

 being shot by a victim as by the police. He also found that

 using a gun for protection from violent crime -- rape,

 robbery, assault -- reduces the likelihood crime will be

 completed and reduces the likelihood intended victims will

 be injured.





 ***************************************************************





   COMPARISONS BETWEEN CIVILIAN AND POLICE USE OF FIREARMS





(Source: Civil Rights Attorney Don Kates, St. Louis

University School of Law, in \Restricting Handguns: The Liberal

Skeptics Speak Out,\ \Firearms and Violence\, and "Gun Control

and the Subway Class."  The first two are books; the last is an

article in the January 10, 1985 Wall Street Journal.)





     Percentage of privately owned handguns used in crime: .004%



     Number of times a year private handguns successfully used in

     defense: 600,000



     Percentage of times armed police have succeeded in wounding

     or driving off criminals: 68%



     Percentage of times armed private citizens have succeeded in

     wounding or driving off criminals: 83%



     Percentage of armed police officers wounded or killed by

     guns: 21%



     Percentage of armed private citizens wounded or killed by

     guns: 17.8%



     Percentage persons shot by armed police who are innocent of

     a crime: 11%



     Percentage of persons shot by armed private citizens who are

     innocent of a crime: 2%





 ***************************************************************



                FIREARMS AND POLICE DEATHS



 98% of all the police feloniously killed with firearms

 were killed by people with previous criminal records.

 The solution for police deaths is to get the known

 criminals off the streets forever.



 SOURCE:

 Uniform Crime Reports "Law Enforcement Officers

 Killed or Assaulted" from the U.S. Department of

 Justice Division of the Federal Bureau of

 Investigation.





  **********************************************************



 Year  U.S. Tot.  Pol.   Pol.   Pol.   Pol.   Pol.   Pol.

       Pop. Pol.  murd.  murd   murd   kill   murd   killed

       in   Off.  with   with   with   by     by     with

       mil. in    all    own    guns   veh.   asslt  weapon

            1000  type   fire-  other  acc.   rifle  other

                  fire-  arm    own    line          than

                  arms                 of            firearm

                                       duty          (knife,

                                                     rock,

                                                     etc.)

                                                           

 1980  226M 459K  95     14     81     55     0      9       

 1981  228M 439K  86     13     73     58     0      5

 1982  230M 424K  82      6     76     62     1      8

 1983  232M 499K  74     12     62     64     0      6

 1984  234M 494k  66     13     53     63     1      6

 1985  238M 517K  70     11     59     59     0      8

 1986  241M 505K  62     15     47     51     2      4

 1987  244M 503K  67     14     53     65     1      7

 1988  248M 501K  76     12     64     63     3      2

 1989  250M 505K  57     10     47     70     1      9

 1990  252M 506K  56      3     53     59     1      9

 1991  260M 515K  71      3     68     55     1      3





 ***************************************************************





             SEMI-AUTOMATICS AND "ASSAULT WEAPONS"



 Fully-automatic firearms have been sharply restricted by

 federal law since 1934. There is no evidence that a

 registered "machine gun" has ever been used in crime. Semi-

 autos which externally resemble fully-automatic firearms

 are very difficult to convert to full auto, and such

 conversion is a federal felony. * There is no evidence that

 semi-autos are disproportionately used in crime. Semi-autos

 and all other rifles are involved in 4% of homicides. Data

 from big cities suggest military look-alikes constitute

 1-1/2% of guns seized by police, while accounting for about

 2% of the guns owned by Americans. 





 Handguns rank 17th in causes of death for kids under 14

 --.5%.

 Gun deaths rank below deaths from Cirrhosis, kidney 

 disease, chronic pulminary disease, stokes, cancer, heart 

 disease and diabetes.



 FBI summary of PO deaths Jan-Jun...Weapon of choice---24

                                     30-30 rifle--------1

                                     shotgun------------1

                                     .380 pistol--------1

                                     .357 revolver------3



                                     .45 pistol---------0

                                     "assault rifles"---0

                                     "machine pistols"--0



                                     baseball bat-------1



 From a study done by Gary Kleck of Florida State University, 

 School of Criminology, that shows it is manifestly

 FALSE that those who use firearms in self-defense are more 

 likely to be injured.  The group least likely to be

 injured by a criminal are those who use firearms in self 

 defense.  Those who offer no resistance are nearly 50%

 more likely to be injured in burglaries than those who

 defend with a gun and those don't defend against an assault 

 are more than twice as likely to be injured than those who

 use guns in self-defense. The following figures are from

 Kleck's study, published in the February, 1988, issue of

 \Social Problems\, (Vol 35, No. 1):



 Method               (Burglary)    (Assault)

 of                     Percent      Percent

 resistance             injured      injured

 ___________________     ____         ____

 Gun                     17.4         12.1   *  

 Knife                   40.3         29.5

 other weapon            22.0         25.1

 physical force          50.8         52.1

 tried to get help/

 frighten offender       48.9         40.1

 threaten/

 reason with

 offender                30.7         24.7    

 nonviolent resistance

 including evasion       34.9         25.5

 no self-protection      24.7         27.3   *



 Based on a nation-wide poll conducted by Peter Hart

 Research Associates, Inc. for the National Alliance

 Against Violence, 4% of households reported the use of a

 handgun in self-defense within the 5 years preceding

 the survey (including cases when the handgun was only 

 displayed, not fired).  Census figures indicate that 4%

 works out to be 3,224,880 households, or, on the average,

 645,000 defensive uses of handguns every year.  The Hart

 survey has some recognizable biases: it sampled registered

 voters and it only dealt with the use of handguns, which

 are far less numerous than shotguns and rifles.  The study 

 estimates that when long guns are included the number of

 defensive uses rises to 1,000,000 per year.

 The study further indicates that in 1980, of 791

 justifiable homicides, 53% were civilian, that is,

 citizens legally killed more criminals than the police did.

 "When victims use guns to resist crime, the crimes usually

 are disrupted and the victims are not injured." - quote

 from Kleck's report. In two surveys cited, 40-46% of the

 crimes defended against with guns were assaults or rapes

 in the home.



 The "Deterrence Effects" section of the report spells out

 the not-too-surprising fact that the average criminal

 would rather risk a few years in jail (the maximum

 punishment he can expect under the legal system) than be

 shot to death.  A 1986 survey of 1,874 felons in 10 

 states conducted by the Justice Department showed:  

 --- 42% said they had encountered a victim carrying a

 gun.  Of these, 90% said they had been scared off, shot at,

 wounded or captured by the armed victim.  

 --- 43% said that at some time they had decided not to

 commit a crime because they believed their victim was

 armed.  

 --- 56% said they were more afraid of armed citizens

 than police. 

 --- 73% said, "One reason burglars avoid houses when people

 are at home is fear of being shot."  



 In the absence of guns, they same criminals might break off

 a burglary attempt if confronted - but would have little to

 fear from physically smaller, elderly or female victims 

 if no guns are present.



 Do guns deter crime? In 1966, the Orlando police department

 trained 2,500 women in the use of guns.  Rape dropped 88%

 in the following year, more than any other one year

 decrease.  



 Regarding the often stated belief that a gun in the home

 is more likely to be the cause of death of the homeowner

 than to stop a crime.  The study this conclusion was drawn

 from dealt with accidental death statistics in Cleveland,

 Ohio.  During a 16-year period, 148 "accidental" gun deaths

 occurred and 23 intruders were killed by homeowners.  Under

 the interpretation previously offered, a crime apparently

 hasn't been "stopped" unless the criminal has been killed.



 The study excluded all instances where guns were used to

 scare off, wound or capture a criminal.  The 148

 "accidental" deaths also included suicides and all firearm-

 related accidental deaths whether in the home or not.  Half

 of the self-defense uses in the home and all self-defense 

 uses outside the home were excluded.  The study not only

 fails to represent the conditions in the rest of the

 country, but even fails when compared to Cleveland's own

 statistics since the mid-1970s.



 ***************************************************************



TIME Magazine, Jan 29,1990:



From a telephone poll of 605 gun owners for TIME/CNN on Dec. 

15-22 by Yankelovich Clancy Shulman.  Sampling error is 

+/- 4%.



SEX

 Men      75%

 Women    25%



RACE

  White   88%

  Black    6%



AGE

  18-34   38%

  35-49   28%

  50+     34%



REGION

  N. East 13%

  Midwest 25%

  South   44%

  West    18%



CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD

  Yes     38%

  No      62%



DUES-PAYING MEMBER OF THE NRA

  Yes     17%

  No      83%



DO YOU WON ONE OF THESE?

  Rifle   72%

  Shotgun 70%

  Handgun 61%

  Semi-auto  27%

  Full-auto   4%



Mean number of guns owned by those surveyed is 4.4



WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON YOU OWN YOUR GUN(s)?

  Hunting               50%

  Protection from crime 27%

  Target shooting        9%

  Gun collection         5%

  Work                   3%

  Other                  5%

  Not sure               1%



WHERE IN YOUR HOUSE DO YOU KEEP YOUR GUN(S)?

  Bedroom               42%

  Closet/gun cabinet    14%

  Den                    7%

  Basement               6%



DO YOU KEEP YOUR GUN LOADED?

  Sometimes             12%

  Always                24%

  Never                 62%



DO YOU USUALLY KEEP YOUR GUN LOCKED UP?

  Yes                   45%

  No                    53%



DOES HAVING A GUN IN YOUR HOUSE MAKE YOU FEEL SAFER?

  Safer                 42%

  Less safe              2%

  No difference         56%



DO YOU WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSE BEING INJURED BY YOUR

GUN?

  Very often             3%

  Sometimes             12%

  Never                 85%



HAVE YOU EVER FIRED YOUR GUN?

  While target shooting 79%

  While hunting         78%

  For fun               43%

  Self protection        9%

  To scare someone       7%



DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN SHOT IN A

  Gun accident?         41% yes

  Violent crime         22% yes





**********************************



On suicide.  TIME July 17, 1989 says that "But one study has

found that when people use a gun, the rate of death is 92%.

Says Tulane University sociologist James Wright: 'Everyone

knows that if you put a loaded .38 in your ear and pull the

trigger, you won't survive.'"



 ***************************************************************



 

          GUN CONTROL: WHERE DO MOST POLICE STAND?



 From the July/August 1991 issue of LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY:



               The Law Enforcement Technology

                     GUN CONTROL SURVEY





 Banner: 75% of law enforcement professionals vehemently

 oppose gun control, according to the results of a poll of

 2,000 police managers and street officers.



 Nearly 2,000 of \Law Enforcement Technology's\ 25,000

 subscribers have responded to the "Gun Control Survey"

 published in the March issue of the magazine.



 Responses to the survey -- which may be the only one of its

 kind -- show that 77% of the police chiefs, sheriffs, law

 enforcement top and middle managers and street officers who

 responded believe citizens have a constitutional right to

 bear arms and that gun control would infringe on that

 right.  Most cited the 2nd Amendment, and the need for

 citizens to be able to defend themselves against

 "criminals, an invading army or a tyrannical government."



 Overall, the majority of respondents (84.6%) feel that gun

 control does not lessen crime, and many (78.2%) expressed

 the opinion that "criminals will always get guns."  Most of

 those who commented on the question agreed with one

 respondent who noted, "Gun control will only affect those

 who abide by the law.  Criminals, by their very nature, do

 not abide by laws--they break them."



 Of those responding, 21.1% were chiefs, sheriffs or top

 management; 37.1% were middle management; and 41.8% were

 street officers.  All three groups were overwhelmingly

 against a ban on assault weapons (78.7%) and 92.9% felt

 that handguns should be used by private citizens for

 personal protection.



 A ban on concealed weapons was supported by only 37.5%,

 with those against it (62.5%) concluding, "it's too

 restrictive," and punishes the good majority for the acts

 of a few."



 Respondents repeatedly pointed out that gun control laws

 "don't address the real issue of crime -- the criminal,"

 and many asserted the need for "enforcement of existing

 laws" and "mandatory jail sentences" with "no plea

 bargaining."  Survey participants questioned, "Why are

 lawmakers afraid of tough sentences?" and many asserted the

 need to limit paroles, and curtail probation and work

 release programs.



 Of those surveyed, 78.5% are in favor of a computerized

 background check on those purchasing firearms.  "This

 system could work, but only if we had a national computer

 clearinghouse shared state to state," said one officer.



 (But only 44.2% support a waiting period prior to handgun

 purchases, because "criminals have no waiting period.")



 Although the survey was brief and concise, many of those

 who filled it out felt so strongly about the subject of gun

 control that they expanded their responses into lengthy

 letters--detailing the reasons they are against it.



 In general, those surveyed felt that efforts to restrict

 gun control have not been successful in the past and they

 pointed out that some of the states with the strictest gun

 statutes have high crime rates anyway.  Whether laws

 restrict gun purchases or not, they said, guns are still

 available illegally on the street.



 "When Cain killed Abel," I don't think he used an AK-47--

 crime will happen, weapon or not," said one respondent. 

 But others felt stiffer penalties, mandatory sentences, and

 enforcement of "hundreds of gun laws" already on the books

 could help deter crime.  Overall, they said, the answer is

 gun \control\ by stiffer enforcement, not more gun control

 \legislation\.





                    The Survey Questions:



 Should private citizens use handguns for personal

 protection?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: 92.7% Yes    7.3% No

 Middle Management:              91.1% Yes    9.9% No

 Street Officer:                 94.5% Yes    5.5% No



                      FROM BAR CHARTS:



 Do you believe a citizen has the constitutional right to

 bear arms and any limit is an infringement of rights?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 59% Yes    41% No

 Middle Management:              c. 72% Yes    28% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 75% Yes    25% No





 Do you support a ban on concealed weapons?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 41% Yes    59% No

 Middle Management:              c. 32% Yes    68% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 24% Yes    76% No





 Do you support a ban on assault weapons?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 34% Yes    66% No

 Middle Management:              c. 17% Yes    83% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 9% Yes     91% No





 In your opinion, does gun control lessen crime?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 22% Yes    78% No

 Middle Management:              c. 06% Yes    94% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 04% Yes    96% No





 Do you support waiting periods for handguns?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 53% Yes    47% No

 Middle Management:              c. 40% Yes    60% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 38% Yes    62% No





 Would you be in favor of a background check for

 firearms purchases if computerized?



 Chief, Sheriff, Top Management: c. 75% Yes    25% No

 Middle Management:              c. 74% Yes    26% No

 Street Officer:                 c. 70% Yes    30% No







 \Compiled by the LET staff and Horizon Research, Inc.\

 



 ***********************************************************





 The following is an excerpt from the "Report of the 4th

 National Poll of America's Police Chiefs for the Year 

 1991," from the National Association of Chiefs of Police

 (NACOP), 3801 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL  33137; (305)

 573-0202.  

 

 "Preface: For the past three years, the National 

 Association of Chiefs of Police has conducted a poll of 

 every chief of police and sheriff in the United States.  

 Just over 15,400 departments were sent the following 

 questions.  Our purpose is to obtain a poll or pulse of

 what the nation's police feel on questions of importance.

 While not all officers respond, we normally get more than

 10% response, and for years have maintained key questions

 to see if the response is somewhat stable.  Thus, we

 feel that the poll is reasonably accurate.  . . ."

 

 

 "Firearms

 

 "10. Do you favor the training and issuance of semi-

 automatic firearms (sidearms) that carry 16-17 rounds over

 the present police revolver?  85.5% said Yes.

 

 "11. Do you believe that banning of firearms (handguns, 

 shotguns, or rifles) will reduce the ability of criminals

 from obtaining such weapons?  93.2% said No.

 

 "12.  Do you believe that a waiting period to purchase a

 handgun or any type of firearm will have any effect on

 criminals getting firearms?  73.3% said No.

 

 "13.  Do you believe that in the national 7-day waiting 

 period proposed before the Congress (Brady Bill) that you

 can fully determine that the applicant has no criminal

 record; is not mentally unsound; or is an abuser of drugs

 or alcohol?  84.6% said No.

 

 "14.  No funds to carry out this 7 day 'investigation' are

 provided for in this Bill for police.  Do you believe that

 your department has the manpower to conduct this 

 investigation without taking patrol officers off the street?

 87.6% said No.

 

 "15.  There is no provision to protect you from a lawsuit 

 in the event you may approve (after 7 days) an applicant

 who is a criminal, may be mentally unsound, or a drug or

 alcohol abuser.  Do you believe that the 'Brady Bill' may

 leave you open for a future civil lawsuit?  92.3% said 

 Yes.

 

 "16. Many Gun-Rights organizations suggest that we need to

 build jails, prosecute cases under the present gun laws,

 and target criminals instead of the law abiding gun owners.

 Would you agree with that statement?  90.6% said Yes.

 

 "17.  Historically, the militia is 'all men between the 

 ages of 16 to 45'.  Under the present armed forces defense

 of the United States the National Guard  must now be able

 to mobilize in three days to back up our regular armed

 forces world-wide.  Therefore, the only defense would be 

 the 'state militia' in time of war.  Would you agree that

 for the sake of the defense of the United States that 

 citizens should be allowed to have their own rifles, 

 shotguns and handguns for emergencies natural or man-made?

 86.7% said Yes.

 

 "18.  Would you agree that all bonafide law enforcement

 officers should be permitted to carry weapons on or off

 duty from state to state?  93.6% said Yes.

 

 "19.  Would you agree that any person convicted of alcohol

 abuse or narcotics abuse more than three times should be

 placed in a national computer to reject their application

 for the purchase of a firearm of any kind?  94.1% said Yes.

 

 "20.  Do you believe that law abiding citizens should have

 the right to purchase any type of firearm for sport or 

 self-defense under state laws that now exist?  94.7% said

 Yes.

 

 "21.  A 'military type' of long gun (rifles, shotgun, 

 etc.) is now being described as one able to hold more than

 five rounds or more of ammunition.  It must be fired by

 pulling the trigger each time.  The legal description would

 cover many semi-automatic weapons.  Do you believe that

 banning such types of weapons would reduce criminals from

 obtaining them?  89.2% said No.

 

 "22.  Would you agree that most criminals obtain their 

 weapons from illegal sources?  92% said Yes.

 

 "23.  Do you believe that the banning of private ownership

 of firearms will result in fewer crimes from firearms?

 90.5% said No.

 

 "24.  Do you feel that because of limited police man-power

 that citizens should retain the right to own firearms for

 self-defense at home or business?  92.2% said Yes.

 

 "25.  With the increasing rate of violence would you agree

 that citizens should take training in self defense with

 firearms to protect their homes and property based on a 

 40% increase in crime in the last 10 years and almost no

 increase in police manpower?  86.8% said Yes.

 

 "26.  Are you aware that the names of owners of machine 

 guns are not available to law enforcement agencies.  That

 is if you legally own a machine gun that privacy laws

 prevent local police from such data?  70.5% said No.

 

 "27.  Do you feel that a Federal Gun Dealers License 

 should require the minimum of fingerprinting, photo of

 applicant, higher fees for investigations and be limited

 to actual gun shops or stores?  76.5% said Yes.

 

 "28.  Do you feel that the system of criminal justice has

 broken down to the point where it is the inability to deal

 with criminals caught by the police (prosecution and

 imprisonment) that is the major cause of crime in America?

 83.6% said Yes.

 

 "29.  Do you agree that we must enlarge our prison capacity

 so that we can keep the career criminals in prison and off

 the streets longer?  96.4% said Yes.

 

 "30.  Do you think the courts are too soft on criminals in

 general?  95.2% said Yes.

 

 "31.  Do you believe your police department is 

 undermanned?  89.1% said Yes.

 

 "32.  Most recently the Supreme Court again ruled in favor 

 of the rights of criminals in requiring you to make a

 lawyer available anytime criminals were questioned.  Even 

 when they voluntarily provided you with data without their

 lawyer being present.  Do you feel that this type of ruling

 will make your investigation of crime more difficult?

 92% said Yes.

 

 "33.  Do you feel that the Federal Courts that mandated 

 the hiring of minorities and promotion of minorities

 that lowered standards for entry has also lowered the 

 standards of applicants in departments all over America?

 50.8% said Yes.

 

 "34.  Do you feel that hiring the best applicants by the 

 highest scores in mental, physical and training tests 

 should be the sole basis of employment in police work?

 56.1% said Yes.

 

 "35.  Do you believe that when a public disturbance takes

 place where looting, riots, fires are being set; that when

 police stand by and allow looting, that it sends a signal

 that police agencies are powerless to protect the public?

 92.3% said Yes.

 

 "36.  Would you like to see all state laws amended that 

 allows a police officer or home owner to shoot looters

 or persons running away with stolen merchandise.  Even

 though at the time they posed no threat to the citizen

 or officer?  Just stealing property.  70.4% said No.

 

 "37.  Would you agree with the statement that because of a

 lack of police manpower that you can no longer provide the

 type of service and crime prevention activities that you

 did ten years ago?  72.3% said Yes.







 ***************************************************************





              HOW DANGEROUS ARE GUNS TO KIDS?

 

 From the National Safety Council, "Accident Facts" (1990)

 

 For the United States in 1989:

 

 All Ages:                          Children 0-14

 

 ALL ACCIDENTS   94,500                   8,100

 

 Motor vehicle   46,900                   3,700

 Drowning         4,600                   1,200

 Fires and burns  4,400                   1,000

 Suffocation      3,900                     400

 Firearms         1,600                     250

 Falls           12,400                     150

 Poisonings       5,600                      60

 Poisoning(gases)   900                      40

 Other           14,200                   1,300

 

 

 Further Breakdown:

 

 All Ages:                        Ages 0-4     Ages 5-14

 

 ALL ACCIDENTS   94,500             4,000        4,100

 

 Motor vehicle   46,900             1,400        2,300

 Falls           12,400               100           50

 Poisonings       5,600                40           20

 Drowning         4,600               600          600

 Fires and burns  4,400               650          350

 Suffocation      3,900               350           50

 Firearms         1,600                40          210

 Poisoning(gases)   900                20           20

 Other           14,200               800          500

 

 

 Analysis:

 

 Firearms accidents accounted for 1.7% of the accidental

 deaths in 1988, and 15.6% of these deaths were children

 14 or younger, which made accidental deaths from

 firearms of children 14 or younger .26% (that is,

 about one-quarter of a percent) of the accidental

 deaths in the United States in 1988.

 

 Firearms accounted for 3% of the accidental deaths

 of children 14 or under in 1988. 

 

 Firearms accidents accounted for 1% of accidental deaths

 age 0-4, and 5.1% ages 5-14.

 

 For every child in America who accidentally lost his or her

 life due to firearms, 15 died in automobile accidents (an

 average of 10 deaths per day), 5 drowned (over 3 deaths

 per day), 4 died from fire (just under 3 deaths per day),

 and another 1 or 2 died from accidental poisoning.

 

 Question:

 

 If parental negligence is to be defined as a felony in the

 accidental death of a child due to a firearm, why isn't

 it being called for in the accidental deaths of children

 from reckless driving, children left alone near filled

 bathtubs or swimming pools, disconnected smoke alarms,

 and cans of Drano left under the kitchen sink?  All of

 these are as likely or more likely to cause the death of

 a child than a gun.





 ***************************************************************



 ***************************************************************





                   GUNS & CRIME IN FLORIDA



Florida has had a successful concealed-carry weapons law in 

effect since October 1, 1987. Here are the stats on the 

program:



                 FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

                          Jim Smith

                     Secretary of State

                    DIVISION OF LICENSING

                    Post Office Box 6687

               Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6687





             CONCEALED WEAPONS/FIREARMS LICENSE

                   STATISTICAL REPORT FOR

                 PERIOD 10/01/87 - 12/30/92



                                                      TOTAL



 Applications received:                              145,907



     New                            106,408

     Renewal                         39,499



 Licenses Issued:                                    140,069



      New                           101,009

      Renewal                        39,160



 Licenses valid:                                      80,891



 Applications Denied:                                    837



      Criminal History:                 504

      Incomplete Application:           333



 License Revoked:                                        265



      Clemency rule change or

      Legislative change:                66



      Illegible prints with No

      Response                           10



      Crime prior to licensure           46



        - Firearm Utilized:   --5



       Crime After Licensure             89



        - Firearm Utilized   --15



       Other                             13



       Reinstated                                        24*



 *Statistics regarding number of licenses reinstated were

 not maintained prior to January, 1990



                              ##



Here are the murder and non-negligent homicide figures for 

Florida covering the same period:



CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report.



                   MURDER AND NON-NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER

                                 Florida



____________________________________________________________





 Year   Total   % Change   Rate/100,000    % Change

 ____   _____   ________   ____________    ________



 1990   1,379    -1.9          10.7          -3.6

 1989   1,405                  11.1



 1989   1,405    - .8          11.1          -2.6

 1988   1,416                  11.4



 1988   1,416    +3.3          11.4          ----

 1987   1,371                  11.4



 1987   1,371    ----          11.4          -2.6

 1986   1,371                  11.7



 1986   1,371    +5.8          11.7          +2.6

 1985   1,296                  11.4



 **********************************************************



Which shows that homicide, the most serious of the offenses,

has been in a downward trend in Florida during the period when

the number of private persons carrying firearms is increasing.



HCI responded by charging that the homicide figures weren't

telling, because rape and assault were still rising.



Well, they aren't anymore.  The trend has started to reverse:





VERBATIM STATISTICS ON VIOLENT CRIME IN FLORIDA, 1991:



 MURDER                          DOWN    8%

 w/Handguns                      DOWN    3.9%

 w/firearms                      DOWN    15.4%

 w/knives                        DOWN    5.2%

 w/hands/fists/feet              DOWN    14.1%

 Other                           DOWN    17.9%

 ROBBERY                         DOWN    1.7%

 w/Handgun                       UP      0.6%

 w/firearms                      DOWN    10.3

 w/knives                        DOWN    6.6%

 w/hands/fists/feet              DOWN    0.6%

 Other                           DOWN    4.6%

 AGGRAVATED ASSAULT              DOWN    1.7%

 w/handgun                       DOWN    5.9%

 w/firearms                      DOWN    9.4%

 w/knives                        DOWN    3.4%

 w/hands/fists/feet              UP      5.5%

 Other                           UP      1.3%

 BURGLARY                        DOWN    3.8%

 w/forced entry                  DOWN    2.0%

 no forced entry                 DOWN    9.5%

 Attempted entry                 DOWN    5.3%

 PURSE SNATCHING                 DOWN    7.3%



NON-VIOLENT CRIMES from the same 1991 Annual Report:



 LARCENY                         UP      3.1%

 Pocket Picking                  UP      1.0%

 Shoplifting                     UP      4.8%

 Theft from Coin Machines        UP      11.4%

 Motor Vehicle Theft             UP      1.5%

 DRUGS: Sale Overall             UP      11.0%

 Cocaine sale                    UP      11.3

 Marijuana sale                  UP      34.3



 FRAUD                          UP      0.7%

 Credit Card/ATM                 UP      16.2%

 Impersonation                   UP      9.0%

 Welfare                         UP      45.5%

 Wire (telephone fraud)          UP      87.5%



 *********************************************************



Crooks in Florida do seem to be avoiding occasions where they

might run into an armed citizen.  I would say that while it is

not conclusive, there is as much statistical weight at this

point to the proposition that increasing the number of firearms

being carried by the civilian population inhibits violent

crime, as there is to the statistical linkage between cigarette

smoking and heart disease or emphysema.



It is indisputable that the Florida concealed-carry firearms

law has not turned Florida into the Gunshine State, as HCI and

CBS News predicted in 1986.



It is indisputable that making ccw-licenses available to anyone

who wants one and can pass an ordinary background check showing

no criminal or psychological disqualification does not endanger

the public.



And it is getting statistically strong that increasing the

ability of the civilian population to carry firearms reverses

rising crime trends as well.



The NRA is backing laws based on the Florida law in Texas and

Oklahoma right now.  HCI is opposing the laws.



 ****************************************************************





      HOW DOES JAPAN GET THAT LOW CRIME RATE, ANYWAY?

     

                    by J. Neil Schulman



 -- February 27, 1992                 



      Today's \Los Angeles Times\ has an article that

 illuminates the difficulty of citing Japan's low crime rate

 as evidence that gun-control is a factor.



      In a Column One story titled "Victims of a Safe

 Society," the \Los Angeles Times\ details how the relatively

 low rate of private criminality in Japan is achieved by

 massive police criminality: beating suspects so severely

 that they are permanently crippled in order to obtain

 confessions, a massively high rate of false executions and

 imprisonment, and virtually no penalties for police who

 commit these crimes.



      "Many foreign people think Japan is a highly

 developed, advanced, democratic country, and it is," says

 Hideyuki Kayanuma, an attorney for an American entertainer

 who was permanently crippled by Japanese police who

 suspected him of drug possession. "But especially in the

 field of criminal justice, it's a Third World country. 

 There are no human rights."



      Civil-rights attorney Kensuke Onuki says, "It's almost

 like 'Midnight Express.'"



      In addition to beating of suspects, sleep deprivation

 to achieve confessions, and common torture of arrestees,

 the article describes a Japanese criminal justice system

 with virtually no bail, strip searches for traffic

 violations, and a conviction rate of 98% -- about that of

 Stalinist USSR.  In contrast, of 12,615 complaints of

 torture and abuse filed against police over the last 40

 years, only 15 cases were tried, and only \half\ of that 15

 resulted in punishment for police officers.



      Citing "a typical example," of Japanese justice, the

 article tells of a day laborer released after 16 years in

 prison.  The laborer was coerced into a false confession

 during six months of detention in three different police

 stations outside Tokyo.  During that time, the laborer

 says, "officers beat him on the head with fists, trampled

 his thighs, and ordered him to 'apologize' to a photo of

 the dead woman as they burned incense for her spirit in the

 interrogation room.  They interrogated him for a total of

 172 days as much as 13 hours a day."



      Other methods of interrogation, according to the

 \Times\ article, involve telling suspects that their

 families will suffer if they don't confess or that an

 interrogation won't end without a confession.  The article

 cites human rights attorneys who have estimated forced

 confessions to be as high as 50%.  Suspects may be held in

 custody for up to 23 days with no charges, bail, right to

 an attorney, or court supervision.



      Nor is there much objection to this brutality by the

 Japanese public.  The Japanese Civil Liberties Union has

 only 600 members, as compared to 280,000 ACLU members. 

 Instead, says the \Times\ article, "most Japanese place a

 high degree of confidence and trust in police and assume

 that suspects under arrest probably committed the crime."

 

      Those who wish to cite Japan's low murder rate as

 proof that gun control works, had better think again.

 And if after reconsidering the issue they still advocate

 the Japanese approach, those Americans who value the

 concepts of fairness and justice would do well to

 understand what the goal of those who advocate gun control

 actually is: the importation of fascism to America.





 ****************************************************************





            DOES GUN CONTROL REDUCE HOMICIDE?





 Advocates of gun control are always using England's

 strict gun control, and its low homicide rate, as an

 argument in favor of imposing English-style gun control

 in the United States, on the premise that it will lower

 the U.S. crime rate.

 

 But the British gun-control laws are equally in place

 in Scotland, and even more restrictive in Northern

 Ireland.  If we look at those figures, what do we find?





            HOMICIDES IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1987-1988

                     (Source: Interpol)



                        1987                          1988

 England & Wales:

 Population:        49,923,500                    50,424,900

 Homicides:                981                           992 

 Homicide Rate:     2 per 100K                 1.97 per 100K





 Scotland

 Population:        5,112,129                     5,094,001

 Homicides:               508                           510*

 Homicide Rate:  9.9 per 100K                 10.0 per 100K

 *excludes Pan Am 103 bombing



 Northern Ireland

 Population:        1,500,000                     1,575,200

 Homicides:               401                           563

 Homicide Rate: 26.7 per 100K                 35.7 per 100K





 Evidently, British gun control doesn't seem to work in

 either Scotland or Northern Ireland.







       COMPARING BRITISH AND AMERICAN HOMICIDE RATES

            (Source: FBI Unified Crime Reports)



 For comparison, the United States Homicide Rate in

 1987: 8.3 per 100K (compare to 9.9 for Scotland, 26.7 for

 Northern Ireland); and in 1988: 8.4 per 100K (compare to

 10.0 per 100K in Scotland and 35.7 per 100K in Northern

 Ireland).



 Which refutes the claim that British-style gun control

 produces a national homicide rate which is lower than

 the United States.



 Now, let's compare these homicide rates with the U.S., by 

 city (1990):



 Washington D.C.: 78 per 100K

 Miami: 39 per 100K

 Houston: 35 per 100K

 New York City: 31 per 100K

 Los Angeles: 28 per 100K

 Denver: 14 per 100K

 Phoenix: 13 per 100K

 Seattle: 10 per 100K

 El Paso: 7 per 100K

 Colorado Springs: 3 per 100K



 And, U.S. by state (1990):



 New York: 14.5 per 100K

 Pennsylvania: 6.7 per 100K

 Montana: 4.9 per 100K

 Minnesota: 2.7 per 100K 

 South Dakota: 2.0 per 100K

 New Hampshire: 1.9 per 100K

 Iowa: 1.7 per 100K

 North Dakota: .08 per 100K

 

 Several things become immediately obvious.  First, Northern

 Ireland as a whole has a 1987-1988 murder rate less than 

 half of Washington D.C., less than Miami or Houston, and

 about equivalent to New York City.  Washington, D.C. and

 New York have extremely strict gun laws; Houston and Miami

 less so.  Gun control doesn't seem to be a factor.  Also,

 the rural areas of the United States have a homicide rate

 low enough to make our national homicide rate lower than

 Scotland's, and much lower than Northern Ireland's.



 Second, there are areas of the United States with a lower

 homicide rate than England's, and these areas have little

 or no gun control.



 Third, Colorado Springs, Colorado, with one of the lowest 

 homicide rates of any major U.S. city has virtually no

 gun control laws; yet its homicide rate is only slightly

 higher than England's, which has a virtual gun ban.



 Fourth, laws  -- not just gun control laws, but all laws --

 are not a controlling element in the homicide rate, period.

 Houston and El Paso both are subject to the same Texas

 laws; yet Houston has five times as many murders per

 100,000 residents as El Paso.  Denver, Colorado has 4.7

 times as many murders per 100,000 residents as Colorado

 Springs, which has the same laws.



 All in all, I'd say anyone who is trying to make a case for

 or against gun control by linking availability of

 firearms with homicide rates is going to find it impossible

 to do so with any credibility.



 --J. Neil Schulman



 ***************************************************************



                  Murder Statistics from

        Statistical Abstract of the United States,

                U.S. Department of Commerce





 The murder rate from 1870 to 1905 was slightly

 under/over 1 per 100,000.  Except for New York City's

 Sullivan Law and Reconstruction-era laws against blacks

 carrying guns without permission, U.S. has virtually no

 gun laws.



 1900: 1.2

 1901: 1.2  Sept. 6: President McKinley shot; dies 9/14.

 1902: 1.2  Theodore Roosevelt elected president.

 1903: 1.1

 1904: 1.3  Upward trend in homicide rate begins.

 1905: 2.1

 1906: 3.9  T. Roosevelt reelected.

 1907: 4.9

 1908: 4.8

 1909: 4.2  William H. Taft assumes presidency.

 1910: 4.6

 1911: 5.5  

 1912: 5.4

 1913: 6.1  Woodrow Wilson assumes presidency.

 1914: 6.2  World War I begins in Europe.

 1915: 5.9

 1916: 6.3

 1917: 6.9  April 6: US enters World War I

 1918: 6.5  WWI ends; troops return; influenza epidemic.

 1919: 7.2

 1920: 6.8  Prohibition starts.

 1921: 8.1  Harding presidency begins.

 1922: 8.0

 1923: 7.8  Harding dies; Coolidge becomes president.

 1924: 8.1

 1925: 8.3

 1926: 8.4

 1927: 8.4

 1928: 8.6  Herbert Hoover elected president.

 1929: 8.4  Oct. 29: Stock market crash

 1930: 8.8  Beginning of Great Depression

 1931: 9.2

 1932: 9.0  FDR elected first time

 1933: 9.7  Prohibition repealed. 1933 Fed Gun Control Act

 1934: 9.5  Gun Control Act of 1934 restricts machine guns

 1935: 8.3

 1936: 8.0

 1937: 7.6

 1938: 6.8

 1939: 6.4  World War II begins in Europe

 1940: 6.3

 1941: 6.0  December 8: US enters WW II

 1942: 5.9

 1943: 5.1

 1944: 5.0

 1945: 5.7  WW2 ends; troops return home, many w/ weapons.

 1946: 6.4  Beginning of baby boom.

 1947: 6.1

 1948: 5.9

 1949: 5.4

 1950: 5.3  June 25: Korean War begins.

 1951: 4.9

 1952: 5.2

 1953: 4.8  July: Korean Armistice; troops return home.

 1954: 4.8

 1955: 4.5

 1956: 4.6

 1957: 4.5

 1958: 4.5

 1959: 4.6

 1960: 4.7

 1961: 4.7

 1962: 4.8  October: Cuban missile crisis 

 1963: 4.9  Nov. 22: JFK assassinated; LBJ takes office.

 1964: 5.1  Gulf of Tonkin resolution; LBJ elected.

 1965: 5.5  November: Great blackout in Northeast

 1966: 5.9  Vietnam War escalates; anti-war demonstrations

 1967: 6.8

 1968: 7.3  Nixon wins; King & RFK murd'd; 1968 GCA passed

 1969: 7.7  Jan. 20: Nixon takes office.

 1970: 8.3

 1971: 8.6

 1972: 9.0  Nixon reelected

 1973: 9.4  Watergate scandal; US troops pull out of Vietnam.

 1974: 9.8  Nixon resigns; Ford assumes presidency.

 1975: 9.6  April: fall of Saigon to Communists

 1976: 8.8

 1977: 8.8  Jan. 20: Carter takes office

 1978: 9.0

 1979: 9.7

 1980: 10.2 Reagan elected.  Dec. 8: John Lennon murdered.

 1981: 9.8  Reagan takes office Jan 20; shot by Hinckley 3/20

 1982: 9.1

 1983: 8.3

 1984: 7.9  Reagan re-elected

 1985: 7.9

 1986: 8.6  McClure-Volkmer Gun Act passes, easing gun laws.

 1987: 8.3

 1988: 8.4  Bush elected

 1989: 8.7  Jan. 20: Bush takes office

 1990: 9.4

 1991: 9.8  

 1992:   ?  Apr 29: widespread riots. Nov: Clinton elected.





 Analysis: It's hard to draw specific conclusions on the

 causes of the increases and decreases in homicide.  It's

 tempting to blame an increase on the passage of Prohibition

 or World War I, except the upward homicide trend begins in

 1904, before either event.  The repeal of Prohibition in

 1933, however, does seem to begin a gradual lowering in

 homicide rates (one can't attribute it to the 1933 and 1934

 gun-control acts, because those laws focus on machine-

 guns, a minor part of the body count), until the period

 beginning in 1963-64 with the JFK assassination and the

 escalation of the Vietnam War, when rates start sharply

 upward again.  There is a short spurt in homicides at the

 end of World War II which is not repeated at the end of the

 Korean War.  The period from 1949 to 1963 is fairly low on

 domestic homicide.  Nor, judging from the Great Depression,

 can economic reverses be used to explain increasing

 homicide rates:  after a brief peak in 1931, the U.S.

 homicide rates falls by about a third over the Depression

 decade.



 The most severe federal gun control passed is the 1968 Gun

 Control Act, which outlaws buying guns through the mail or

 transferring them interstate without a federal dealers'

 license.  The law has no observable effect on increasing

 homicide rates.  Nor does the easing of many 1968

 restrictions by the McClure Volkmer Act in 1986 seem to

 produce any observable impact on the national homicide

 rate.



 As with regional comparisons of gun control, time-series

 observations do not seem to offer any reason to believe

 that increasing restrictions on firearms have any positive

 effect on reducing homicide rates.  

 

 -- J. Neil Schulman



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