Gun History

[margaret]

WB, all those statistics do is show a correlation. Correlation != causation. Actually, they don't even show that much of a correlation as there are a number of nations (for example, the UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan, according to wikipedia) that prohibit or strictly limit gun ownership that haven't had large-scale massacres. This e-mail sounds like propaganda and scare tactics to me.

[Ozme52]

WB, all those statistics do is show a correlation. Correlation != causation. Actually, they don't even show that much of a correlation as there are a number of nations (for example, the UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan, according to wikipedia) that prohibit or strictly limit gun ownership that haven't had large-scale massacres. This e-mail sounds like propaganda and scare tactics to me.

Agreed. These instances are chosen to show the correlation the author wants to emphasize. And it's always more "horrific" to choose the genocidal examples.

I'm more interested in the statistics regarding crime. The Australian crime stats are significant in my mind. Other places show similar trends.

Florida, on the other hand, enacted "Castle" laws... meaning "a man's home is his castle and he has the right to defend it..." (including homes and cars and places of business as defendable) and there, violent crimes involving guns appeared to be on the decline... at least initially. I won't quote statistics... there are stats to prove and disprove both sides of the arguement.