Spring Break
The reality of gun laws
Chad Koskie
Issue date: 9/28/05 Section: Opinion
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The problem with the AWB and any gun control legislation really is that it only applies to law-abiding people. As the famous line goes, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
There is a direct correlation with strict gun laws and higher crime rates. Chicago has very strict gun laws, with a ban on handguns, and was still the murder capital of the country in 2003. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Every city with major crime problems, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, all have strict gun laws. In theory, shouldn't cities that have strict gun laws be utopias and cities like Atlanta and Houston that have looser laws be like Baghdad? Just like in everything else, it works in theory but not in practice.
Look at it this way: pretend you are a criminal. You want to make some quick cash, so you decide to go rob some average Joe walking down the street. Where would you rather do this? Obviously, the correct answer is Chicago. Unlike Houston, where residents consistently carry weapons, Chicago has a very small chance that the person you are about to rob would be armed. Criminals don't care about the law; that is why they are criminals. No gangbanger is going to sit and worry about getting a permit, and what is going to happen if the police find the glock stuffed in his pants. Only reasonable, law-abiding citizens do that, and become defenseless victims in the process.
There is a direct correlation with strict gun laws and higher crime rates. Chicago has very strict gun laws, with a ban on handguns, and was still the murder capital of the country in 2003. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Every city with major crime problems, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, all have strict gun laws. In theory, shouldn't cities that have strict gun laws be utopias and cities like Atlanta and Houston that have looser laws be like Baghdad? Just like in everything else, it works in theory but not in practice.
Look at it this way: pretend you are a criminal. You want to make some quick cash, so you decide to go rob some average Joe walking down the street. Where would you rather do this? Obviously, the correct answer is Chicago. Unlike Houston, where residents consistently carry weapons, Chicago has a very small chance that the person you are about to rob would be armed. Criminals don't care about the law; that is why they are criminals. No gangbanger is going to sit and worry about getting a permit, and what is going to happen if the police find the glock stuffed in his pants. Only reasonable, law-abiding citizens do that, and become defenseless victims in the process.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
hdl13
hdl13
posted 9/28/05 @ 7:24 PM EST
Nice article.
It got into a well thought out rant at the end. But it needed something else to the ending. Like where we should take gun control in the furture. (Continued…)
paul_raynolds
paul_raynolds
posted 9/29/05 @ 10:08 AM EST
Wow!! I was all ready for an anti-gun piece of propaganda and was reaching for my Rolaids while hitting the enter key to take me to this column.
Imagine my surprise to read a well thought out and well constructed column on gun control. (Continued…)
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