Author Archives: PeaceW/OBullets

12.17.12
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Jesus, An Unwanted Christmas Present (2012)

TITLE: Jesus, An Unwanted Christmas Present (2012)
SOURCE: Patheos.com
AUTHOR(s): Roger Wolsey
LINK: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/12/jesus-an-unwanted-christmas-present/

NOTES: For Christians, pointing out biblical grounds to NOT own guns: “live by the sword, die by the sword”; definition of Faith; turn the other cheek; commitment to suffer as Christ Himself suffered, etc. Despite massive persecution, Christ & early Christians/church remained steadfastly non-violent.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304685144458027008

12.16.12
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The Freedom of an Armed Society (2012)

TITLE: The Freedom of an Armed Society (2012)
SOURCE: New York Times
AUTHOR: Firmin Debrabander
LINK: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/the-freedom-of-an-armed-society/

NOTES: Uses logic to rebut NRA argument that ‘an armed society is a polite society.’ Some personal anecdotes, post-Newtown. Also rebuts idea that armed populace protects against despotic government.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304769806719143937

12.16.12
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No, Really, Regulate the Bullets (2012)

TITLE: No, Really, Regulate the Bullets (2012)
SOURCE: The Atlantic
AUTHOR(S): Philip Bump
LINK: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/no-really-regulate-the-bullets/266332/
WEB STATS: https://bitly.com/12uHujs+

NOTES: Highlights number of guns already in circulation, plus growing ability to “3-D print” manufacture guns, and 2nd amendment protection of right to bear arms. Argues that regulating bullets is a logical way to reduce gun violence: limiting bullet supply doesn’t infringe the Constitutional right, and avoids problem of securing or reducing number of guns in circulation.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304761936724238337

12.15.12
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10 Arguments Gun Advocates Make & Why They’re Wrong (2012)

TITLE: Ten Arguments Gun Advocates Make, and Why They’re Wrong (2012)
SOURCE: The American Prospect
AUTHOR(S): Paul Waldman
LINK: http://prospect.org/article/ten-arguments-gun-advocates-make-and-why-theyre-wrong

NOTES: No sources or links, but reasonable, thoughtful rebuttals to the most common pro-gun arguments.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304766072664514560

12.15.12
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The gun control that works: no guns (2012)

TITLE: The gun control that works: no guns (2012)
SOURCE: The Economist
LINK: http://www.economist.com/blogs/lexington/2012/12/gun-control

NOTES: Having few guns does mean that few people get shot. In 2008-2009, there were 39 fatal injuries from crimes involving firearms in England and Wales, with a population about one sixth the size of America’s. In America, there were 12,000 gun-related homicides in 2008.

12.14.12
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Chart: The U.S. has far more gun-related killings than any other developed country (2012)

TITLE: Chart: The U.S. has far more gun-related killings than any other developed country (2012)
SOURCE: Washington Post
AUTHOR: Max Fisher
LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/14/chart-the-u-s-has-far-more-gun-related-killings-than-any-other-developed-country/

IMAGE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/files/2012/12/firearm-OECD-UN-data3.jpg

11.20.12
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Street conflict mediation to prevent youth violence: Conflict characteristics and outcomes (2012)

TITLE: Street conflict mediation to prevent youth violence: Conflict characteristics and outcomes (2012)
SOURCE: Injury Prevention
AUTHOR(S): Jennifer M. Whitehill, Daniel W. Webster, Jon S. Vernick
LINK: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2012/09/20/injuryprev-2012-040429.short
WEB STATS: https://bitly.com/12hQ0Bz+

RESEARCH QUESTION: What associations exist between conflict risk factors & successful nonviolent resolution/mediation strategies? (Action Research study in Baltimore totaling 158 cases of conflict that involved youth, gangs, weapons, etc.)
FINDINGS: nonviolent resolution for 65% of mediated conflicts; an additional 23% were at least temporarily resolved without violence.

10.24.12
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Non-Gun Owners Taxed $5 Billion Annually For Gun Owners Hobby (2012)

TITLE: Non-Gun Owners Taxed $5 Billion Annually For Gun Owners Hobby (2012)
SOURCE: National Gun Victims Action Council (NGVAC)
URL: http://gunvictimsaction.org/blog/2012/10/gun-fact-5-non-gun-owners-taxed-5-billion-annually-for-gun-owners-hobby/
BITLY STATS: http://bit.ly/UOHg5N+

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the cost to society of gun violence?

FINDINGS: Uses data on costs of responding to gun violence to argue that cost should be born by gun owners. Analogizes auto insurance: societal costs of accidents, regulations, etc. borne by auto owners via insurance.
TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304691135757041667

08.08.12
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Relation Between Firearms Availability & the Homicide Rate in the Former Yugoslavia (2012)

TITLE: Relation Between Firearms Availability and the Homicide Rate in the Countries from the Territory of Former Yugoslavia
SOURCE: Policija i sigurnost, Vol.20 No.3 Siječanj 2012.
URL: http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=117311

FINDINGS: Former Yugoslavian states with higher rates of firearms availability have higher homicide rates.  Results suggest the needs for the strict control of firearms and reducing its quantity in the possession of citizens.

07.27.12
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Time to face facts on gun control (2012)

TITLE: Time to face facts on gun control (2012)
SOURCE: CNN
LINK: http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/27/time-to-face-facts-on-gun-control/

AUTHOR(S): Fareed Zakaria, Ph.D.
FINDINGS: (1) US has 88 guns per 100 people & is alone in the category of having over 70 guns per 100 people!  (2) US has 5% of the world’s population & 50 percent of the guns.

07.22.12
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Gun Homicides & Gun Ownership Listed by Country (2012)

TITLE: Gun Homicides & Gun Ownership Listed by Country (2012)
SOURCE: Guardian (UK)
AUTHOR(s): Simon Rogers
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jul/22/gun-homicides-ownership-world-list

INTERACTIVE MAP: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/22/gun-ownership-homicides-map

NOTES: Includes data from two databases: UNODC Crime Survey & 2007 Small Arms Survey to create a sortable database of gun ownership & crime rates by country. Although USA ranks 27th globally in firearm homicide rate/100,000, the 26 countries ahead of USA are mostly small, third-world, poor, recent history of war/civil war, etc. USA worse than all large, well-developed countries.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304683444368199680

07.21.12
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The shrinking gun control caucus (2012)

TITLE: The shrinking gun control caucus (2012)
SOURCE: Politico
AUTHORS: Seung Min Kim, Robin Bravender, & Tarini Parti
URL: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78803_Page3.html

NOTES (Much has changed in public opinion since this article, nonetheless…): NRA wields considerable clout in the nation’s capital. They spent $695,000 so far this year and about $2.6 million last year to lobby Capitol Hill.

05.17.12
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Number of Police Officers Killed Last 22 Years (2012)

TITLE: Number of Police Officers Killed Last 22 Years; USA 1,132, England 10; Why? (2012)
SOURCE: National Gun Victims Action Council
URL: http://bit.ly/W1qxt2
WEB STATS: http://bit.ly/W1qxt2+

RESEARCH QUESTION: Why are police killed by firearms much more frequently in USA vs. England?
FINDINGS: Americans should not be allowed to carry guns in public. English criminals can get any gun they want, yet only 10 police officers were killed by guns. Since USA population is 5x England’s, there should only have been 50 police killed by guns in USA during same time frame.

05.17.12
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Deaths: National Vital Statistics Report, U.S. DEPT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES (2012)

TITLE: Deaths: National Vital Statistics Report (2012)
SOURCE: U.S. DEPT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
LINK: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_06.pdf (see p. 19)

FINDINGS: Most homicides are by guns, averaging over 11, 000 per year; most suicides are by guns, averaging 19,500 per year; there’s are over 220 deaths by undetermined causes involving guns each year; there are approximately 32,000 injuries from firearms each year.

05.15.12
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Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right (2012)

TITLE: Challengers from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right (2012)
SOURCE: The Combating Terrorism Center @ West Point
AUTHOR(S): Arie Perliger
LINK: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/20/far-right-poses-as-much-danger-to-the-u-s-as-radical-islam/
BITLY STATS: http://bit.ly/VeRjmj+

Screen shot 2013-05-17 at 6.28.26 PMRESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) What are the main current characteristics of the violence produced by the far-right?; (2) What type of far-right groups are more prone than others to engage in violence? How are characteristics of particular far-right groups correlated with their tendency to engage in violence?; and, (3) What are the social and political factors associated with the level of far-right violence?  Are there political or social conditions that foster or discourage violence?

FINDINGS: Three branches of Far-Right Extremism: Racist, Anti-Federalist, Fundamentalist. All three use 2nd amendment to self-justify. Terrorism is an act of symbolic discourse. Ideology and behavior interact within and between three branches. Variability of cause, method of attack, etc. argues for flexible anti-terrorism response. Embracing of far-right ideology by mainstream politicians enhances their sense of legitimacy and empowerment. These factors, not economic disparity, seem to be bigger determinant in far-right violence. Greater community, ethnic, etc. integration an effective technique to combat far-right violence. 42% of violent acts directed against specific human targets.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304757934443868160

03.23.12
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Protect Children, Not Guns (2012)

TITLE: Protect Children, Not Guns (2012)
SOURCE:  Children’s Defense Fund
URL: http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/protect-children-not-guns-2012.pdf
BITLY WEB STATS/TWEETS: http://bit.ly/PFlSJ0+

FINDINGS: in ‘08 & ‘09, 5,740 kids were killed by guns. Represents yearly  average of 150 accidental deaths of kids, yearly average of 774 child suicides by firearm, & yearly average of 17,193 nonfatal firearm injuries.
NOTES: 87% of those who are under 15 & killed by guns in the top 23 high-income countries lived in the US, 8 children are killed by firearms each day.

12.31.11
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Firearm Injuries in the U.S. (2011)

TITLE: Firearm Injuries in the United States (2011)
AUTHOR(S)/SOURCE: Firearm & Injury Center at Penn (University of Pennsylvania)
URL: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ficap/resourcebook/pdf/monograph.pdf
BITLY STATS: http://bit.ly/Irc4BD+

Screen shot 2013-05-17 at 6.50.08 PMFINDINGS: (1) Firearm injury in the United States has averaged 32,300 deaths annually between 1980 and 2007; (2) Firearms are involved in 67% of homicides, 50% of suicides, 43% of robberies, and 21% of aggravated assaults; (3) In 2008, there were 78,622 nonfatal firearm injuries in the United States, 73% of which were the result of interpersonal violence; (4) Homicides involving gangs (& OTHER ARGUMENTS) constitute a minority of gun homicides; and, (5) LOTS & LOTS MORE!

06.13.11
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On Firearm Ownership, Alcohol, & Risk-Related Behaviors (2011)

TITLE: Association between firearm ownership, firearm-related risk and risk reduction behaviours and alcohol-related risk behaviours
PUBLISHED IN: Injury Prevention 2011;17:422-427 doi:10.1136/ip.2010.031443
JOURNAL URL: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/17/6/422.abstract?sid=fc7bd591-f7f2-4c3a-a443-bdf28521ff34
AUTHOR: Dr Garen J Wintemute, Violence Prevention Research Program, School of Medicine, UC-Davis, gjwintemute@ucdavis.edu

ABSTRACT: Alcohol use and firearm ownership are risk factors for violent injury and death. To determine whether firearm ownership and specific firearm-related behaviours are associated with alcohol-related risk behaviours, the author conducted a cross-sectional study using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for eight states in the USA from 1996 to 1997 (the most recent data available). Altogether, 15 474 respondents provided information on firearm exposure. After adjustment for demographics and state of residence, firearm owners were more likely than those with no firearms at home to have ≥5 drinks on one occasion (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.50), to drink and drive (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.39) and to have ≥60 drinks per month (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.14 to 1.83). Heavy alcohol use was most common among firearm owners who also engaged in behaviours such as carrying a firearm for protection against other people and keeping a firearm at home that was both loaded and not locked away. The author concludes that firearm ownership (and specific firearm-related behaviours) are associated with alcohol-related risk behaviours.

02.28.11
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Gun Utopias? Firearm Access & Ownership in Israel & Switzerland (2011)

TITLE: Gun Utopias? Firearm Access & Ownership in Israel & Switzerland (2011)
SOURCE: Journal of Public Health Policy (JPHP)
AUTHOR(S): Janet Rosenbaum
LINK: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267868/

RESEARCH QUESTION: Gun advocates claim that mass-casualty events are mitigated & deterred with three policies: (1) permissive gun laws, (2) widespread gun ownership, (3) encouragement of armed civilians who can intercept shooters, & cite Switzerland & Israel as exemplars; is it true?

FINDINGS: Compared with the US, Switzerland & Israel have lower gun ownership & stricter gun laws, & their policies discourage personal gun ownership. The Swiss federal government requires gun permit applicants to demonstrate need for protection against a specific risk & pass weapons safety & firearm use regulation tests. Permit holders may own only one handgun for 6 months, after which they must renew their permit every 3 months. Israel rejects about 40% of gun permit applicants, more than any country in the western world. Israel requires all guns to have an Interior Ministry permit & an identifying mark for tracing, & limits which citizens may apply for a permit, based on their residence, occupation, or role in national defense. Applicants are excluded if they take psychotropic drugs or have been arrested for drug use or domestic violence (even if not convicted), & must also pass a Hebrew language test. Permit holders may own only one handgun & must renew their permit annually or whenever their residence, occupation, or national defense role changes. Switzerland gun owners report higher gun-violence victimization rates than non-gun owners. Israel only 81st out of 179 countries in rate of gun ownership. Only 2% of Swiss military members keep their gun post-service. Israel bans use of personal guns for terrorism or crime prevention.

IMAGES: Reason for owning gun, Switzerland v USA: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267868/figure/F2/

Proportion of households with gun, Switzerland v USA: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267868/figure/F1/

TAGS: Israel, Switzerland, Ownership rates, gun culture, myths, comparative policies, international

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304656940154363904

02.02.11
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Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home (2011)

TITLE: Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home (2011).
SOURCE: American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM)
LINK: http://ajl.sagepub.com/content/5/6/502.short
AUTHOR: David Hemenway

FINDINGS: (1) scientific studies indicate that the health risk of a gun in the home is greater than the benefit; (2) there is no credible evidence of a deterrent effect of firearms or that a gun in the home reduces the likelihood or severity of injury during an altercation or break-in.
NOTE: This is a literature review.

01.13.11
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The Geography of Gun Deaths (2011)

TITLE: The Geography of Gun Deaths (2011)
SOURCE: The Atlantic
AUTHOR(S): Richard Florida
URL: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/01/the-geography-of-gun-deaths/69354/

FINDINGS: number of gun-related deaths by state.
NOTES: Lots of graphics

01.04.10
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Reducing Gun Violence: Results from an Intervention (2010)

RANDbookTITLE: Reducing Gun Violence: Results from an Intervention in East Los Angeles (2010)
SOURCE: RAND
URL: http://bit.ly/112kTHB
WEB STATS: http://bit.ly/VF4Y3W+
AUTHORS: Tita, G., Riley, K. J., Ridgeway, G., Grammich, C. A., Abrahamse, A. F., Greenwood, P. W.
FIELD: Political Science

NOTES: Gun control works! After Operation Ceasefire launched in 1996, youth homicides fell by 2/3rds in Boston. Policy was tested for applicability by RAND researchers in East LA & found to be effective in reducing violent crime in targeted and surrounding communities.

11.04.09
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Link Between Gun Possession & Gun Assault (2009)

TITLE: Investigating the Link Between Gun Possession & Gun Assault (2009)
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health
AUTHOR(S): C.C.Branas, et al.
URL: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2008.143099
WEB STATS: https://bitly.com/xr3n8z+
FIELD: Public Health

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the relationship between possession of gun & being shot in an assault?

FINDINGS: (1) On average, guns have not protected those who possessed them from being shot in an assault; (2) Individuals in possession of a gun were 4.46X more likely to be shot during an assault than individuals who were not in possession of a gun when assaulted; (3) When the victim had an opportunity to defend self (i.e. use gun), an armed victim was 5.45X more likely to be shot than an unarmed victim.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304693111760773120

 

09.17.07
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State homicide victimization rates & household gun ownership (2007)

TITLE: State homicide victimization rates in the US in relation to survey measures of household gun ownership (2007)
SOURCE: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
AUTHOR(S): Miller M, Hemenway D, Azrael D.
URL:  http://qa.bradycampaign.org/studies/view/105/

FINDINGS: Across states, more guns = more homicide, household firearms are a direct & indirect source of firearms used to kill Americans both in their homes & on their streets

04.18.07
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We Are Getting Tired of Prying Your Guns Out of Your Cold Dead Hand (2007)

TITLE: We Are Getting Tired of Prying Your Guns Out of Your Cold Dead Hand (2007)
SOURCE: Huffington Post
AUTHOR: Elayne Boosler
LINK: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elayne-boosler/we-are-getting-tired-of-p_b_46196.html

NOTES: Post-Va. Tech commentary highlighting the role of money in our gun violence epidemic. Highlights lack of gun industry regulation. Cites several alarming gun statistics. Criticizes gun culture as cowardly. Criticizes Bush for passing gun industry immunity. Links to a few sources.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304750160058126338
IMAGES: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/babywithmachinegun.jpg

01.19.06
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Comparing int’l trends in recorded violent crime (2006)

TITLE: Comparing international trends in recorded violent crime (2006)
SOURCE: Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), Crime facts info no. 115
LINK: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/cfi/101-120/cfi115.html

NOTES: (1) The way in which crime is recorded is not necessarily an accurate indicator of differences in actual levels of crime. (2) Rather than indicating a sharp rise in actual violence in England/Wales, the post-1998 increase is largely the direct result of major changes to the way crime data are recorded. First in 1998 and then again in 2002, amendments were introduced to include a broader range of offenses…and to take a more victim-led approach.

This source debunks sources such as Slack (2009): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html

08.07.04
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Guns in the Home & Risk of a Violent Death (2004)

TITLE: Guns in the Home & Risk of a Violent Death in the Home: Findings from a National Study (2004)
URL: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/160/10/929.long
BITLY WEB STATS/TWEETS: https://bitly.com/ZsMnvu+
AUTHOR(S): Linda L. Dahlberg, Robin M. Ikeda, and Marcie-jo Kresnow

RESEARCH QUESTION: does having a firearm in the home increases the risk of a violent death in the home & whether risk varies by storage practice, type of gun, or number of guns in the home.

FINDINGS: Regardless of storage practice, type of gun, or number of firearms in the home, having a gun in the home involves an increased risk of firearm homicide & firearm suicide in the home.

07.17.04
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Firearm Availability & Homicide (2004)

TITLE: Firearm availability & homicide: A review of the literature (2004)
SOURCE: Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(4), pp. 417-440.
AUTHOR(S): Lisa M. Hepburn ; David Hemenway
LINK: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=206421
BITLY WEB STATS: https://bitly.com/16xod6A+

FINDINGS: (1) Where there are more guns there is more homicide; (2) males commit approximately 90% of all homicides & representing 75% of the victims; (3) households with firearms are at higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide.

05.17.04
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ON Gun Registration, the NRA, Hitler, & Nazi Gun Laws (2004)

TITLE: ON GUN REGISTRATION, THE NRA, ADOLF HITLER, & NAZI GUN LAWS (2004)
SOURCE: University of Chicago Law School
AUTHOR(S): Bernard E. Harcourt
LINK: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/files/files/67-harcourt.pdf
BITLY STATS: http://bit.ly/ZzXuNX+

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does Nazi Germany provide evidence that gun registration leads to loss of rights, oppression, etc.?

FINDINGS: Many Americans have internalized belief despite lack of evidence. Gun laws in Germany at the time were fluid & complex. Hitler first expanded rights, then restricted rights of CERTAIN CLASSES of citizens, which is not a fair comparison to USA, which seeks to regulate ALL CLASSES of citizens equally. Gun lobby uses comparisons to Nazi Germany, however, they fail logically in 3 ways:

(1). Comparing white, male, protestant gun owners in USA to Jews of 1930s Germany is not equivalent.

(2). NRA says “guns don’t kill, people kill”, which means “guns are things, things don’t do damage.” BUT they use Nazi Germany analogy to oppose gun registration, saying “gun registration will take away rights”. However, “gun registration” is a “thing”, not a person, therefore incapable of this via their logic. So, either “things DO kill” OR “gun registration is not bad”.

(3). Nazi goal was FIRST to oppress Jews. THEN they used legal (& extralegal) methods to make it happen. Not the other way around. That is, Oppression came before Disarming Jews.

England & USA have many historical “gun registration” laws, back to 1600s, yet both became/are arguably freest nations in world. Gun registration laws in USA have survived several constitutional/legal challenges. Fear of gun registration is a cultural phenomena- a culture war.

NOTES: Some history of Colonial American & British gun control laws. There were many.

TWEETS: https://twitter.com/hospiceman/status/304670442571051008

08.08.03
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Homicide, Suicide, and Unintentional Firearm Fatality (2003)

TITLE: Homicide, Suicide, & Unintentional Firearm Fatality: Comparing the United States With Other High-Income Countries (2003)
SOURCE: Journal of Trauma; 70:238-43
URL: http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Abstract/2011/01000/Homicide,_Suicide,_and_Unintentional_Firearm.35.aspx
BITLY WEB STATS: https://bitly.com/NPJ5Lj+
AUTHOR(S): Richardson, E. G. S.M.; Hemenway, D., PhD

FINDINGS:

The US homicide rates were 6.9 times higher than rates in the other high-income countries, driven by firearm homicide rates that were 19.5 times higher. The US firearm suicide rates were 5.8 times higher than in the other countries. The US unintentional firearm deaths were 5.2 times higher than in the other countries. Among these 23 countries, 80% of all firearm deaths occurred in the United States, 86% of women killed by firearms were US women, and 87% of all children aged 0 to 14 killed by firearms were US children.

10.17.02
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Rates of Household Firearm Ownership & Homicide Across US Regions & States, 1988–1997 (2002)

TITLE: Rates of Household Firearm Ownership & Homicide Across US Regions & States, 1988–1997 (2002)
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health
AUTHORS: Matthew Miller, Deborah Azrael, & David Hemenway
LINK: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447364/

FINDINGS: Across states, more guns = more homicide, “ in areas where household firearm ownership rates were higher, a disproportionately large number of people died from homicide.”

05.17.02
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Common Sense About Kids and Guns (1997-2002)

TITLE: Common Sense About Kids & Guns (1997-2002)
LINK: http://www.kidsandguns.org/study/fact_file.asp
WEB STATS: http://bit.ly/2OafLp+

FINDINGS: (1) 4 children died every day in non-homicide firearm incidents (2) 40% of American households with children have guns (3) 36% of teenagers (12-19) say they could obtain a handgun if they wanted to, including 47% of high school students (60% of boys) said they could obtain a gun if they wanted to, (4) etc, etc (there’s more!)

NOTES: Compilation of lots of 1997-2002 source data, most from the CDC.

12.31.00
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More Guns, More Crime (2000)

TITLE: More Guns, More Crime
AUTHOR(S): Mark Duggan
SOURCE:  National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

MAIN URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w7967.pdf?new_window=1
BITLY STATS:  http://bit.ly/PrBpPP
FIELD(S):  Economics

RESEARCH FOCUS/QUESTION: Relationship between gun ownership & crime.
FINDINGS: (1) The gun ownership rate is positively correlated with the homicide rate; (2) The gun ownership rate has no significant bearing on rates of other crimes. (3) Concealed Carry laws do not reduce crime.

12.31.00
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Firearm Availability & Homicide Rates in 26 countries (2000)

TITLE: Firearm availability & homicide rates across 26 high-income countries (2000).
ABSTRACT: http://1.usa.gov/Ycl5EQ
http://jonathanstray.com/papers/FirearmAvailabilityVsHomicideRates.pdf
BITLY WEB STATS: http://bit.ly/11WxSlb+
AUTHOR(S): David Hemenway & Matthew Miller

FINDINGS: Nations offering easiest access to guns also have most gun violence. Among developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership, & the highest homicide rate. There’s a strong & statistically significant association between gun availability & homicide rates; where guns are more available, there are more homicides.

03.17.00
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Community firearms and community fear (2000)

TITLE: Community firearms & community fear (2000)
SOURCE: Epidemiology, 11(6), pp. 709-714.
AUTHOR: Miller M, Azrael D, Hemenway D.
LINK: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=162691

FINDINGS:  By a margin of more than 3:1, citizens feel less safe, not safer, when others in their community acquire guns. Of 2,500 random respondents, just 14% reported they would feel more safe with more guns in their neighborhoods.

02.17.97
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Characteristics of automatic or semi-automatic firearm ownership (1997)

TITLE: Characteristics of automatic or semi-automatic firearm ownership (1997)
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), 87(2): 286–288
AUTHOR(S): D Hemenway and E Richardson
LINK: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1380810/

FINDINGS: (1) Owners of semi-automatic guns are more likely to binge drink & live in the South than other gun owners; (2) 60% of gun owners reported owning an automatic or semiautomatic firearm

NOTE: Data collected from 800 random telephone surveys.

12.17.96
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The American public and the gun control debate (1996)

TITLE: The American public & the gun control debate (1996)
SOURCE:  Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 275(22):1719-1722.
AUTHOR(S): Robert J. Blendon; John T. Young; David Hemenway
LINK: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=403362

FINDINGS: US public generally support government regulation of guns as consumer products

09.23.95
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Firearms and community feelings of safety (1995)

TITLE: Firearms & community feelings of safety (1995)
SOURCE: The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (JCLC), 86(1), pp. 121-132.
AUTHOR(S): David Hemenway, Sara J. Solnick and Deborah R. Azrael
LINK: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1144002?uid=3739864&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101681840143

FINDINGS:  By a margin of more than 3:1, citizens feel less safe, not safer, as others in their community acquire guns

11.17.93
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I am the NRA: an analysis of gun owners (1993)

TITLE: I am the NRA: an analysis of a national random sample of gun owners (1993)
SOURCE: Violence & Victims, 8(4), pp. 367-385
AUTHOR(S): Weil DS, Hemenway D.
LINK: http://qa.bradycampaign.org/studies/view/151/

FINDINGS: NRA members support many regulatory proposals… (1) a majority of both NRA members favored a waiting period for the purchase of a handgun (77%) and mandatory registration for handguns (59%).

NOTES: Also see related study, “A response to Kleck (NRA). Violence & Victims “(1993)

 

10.19.93
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Aggression: Its Causes, Consequences, & Control (1993)

Screen shot 2013-05-17 at 5.41.06 PMTITLE: Aggression: Its Causes, Consequences, & Control (1993)
URL: http://www.amazon.com/Aggression-Consequences-Control-Patterns-Literary/dp/0070048746
AUTHOR: Leonard Berkowitz

NOTES (TONS OF DATA beyond murder): Facts involving murder in the US… most murders: (1) are the result of altercations that grew out of domestic quarrels, arguments over money, or jealousy; (2) are 1-on-1 incidents involving a single killing; (3) involve male murderers (86% of cases) and male victims (70% of cases); (4) involve young offenders & victims (bet. 20-30 years old); (5) few murders (13%) involves strangers–approximately 87% of murders involve offenders and victims who knew each other (majority of cases involve friends and/or family members, 60% of victims had a “close” relationship with their murderer; (6) involve offenders with prior arrest records involving crimes against persons; (7) involve a poor/working class offender & victim; (8) occur on on weekends, most often on Saturday; (9) involve alcohol (66% of cases). PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, (8) victims aren’t nearly as passive & subordinate as routinely believed–A substantial degree of murders involve victims who played an “active” role in initiating violence that led to their death. Those killed are often the first to brandish a weapon or use force in 25% of cases.

The self defense claim is flawed (in the sense that most murders don’t involve strangers & that 25% of murders are initiated by the aggressive actions of the victim)