The myth that is gun control

Ever since Dubya let the Assault weapons ban pass without renewing it, gun control has been a popular topic. In a nutshell, lefties tend to think that it's more the gun's fault that some person ends up dead, and conservatives actually want to hold the person responsible (Gasp! Oh the humanity!) for killing someone else. House of Wheels posted this from Drumwaster on the true effects of gun control: Crime rates have sky-rocketed in every instance where guns were banned from a location, and it's easy to explain why: The only people who will obey this ban are those who are not likely to choose to violate the law. This means that the vast majority of people (90%+) would give up their guns, making the job of the criminal much easier. (I mean, how dangerous would it be to rob someone if you know that they are not allowed to carry a weapon, while no such rules apply to you?) Go figure. Nice people when told not to buy a gun, don't. But of course that won't stop a criminal. But take solace lefties, after that gun toting punk kills you, if he gets caught he'll get life plus a year or two for illegal gun possession. That'll teach 'em. But check out this comment left by someone named Krispy Kreme or something to that effect: However - caveat time! - in the age of Bush, know this: every citizen DOES need a gun, because our worst enemy lives in the White House, and anyone who'd cede their guns wholesale to a government hell-bent on enslaving its own citizens is insane. So my usual stance regarding guns (guns are good for nothing but destruction, whether targets or deer or people) has changed a bit (the aforementioned may be true, but now they have a new function: keeping the fascists away). I love it! That's sticking to your principles! What happened to the true "make love, not war", hunger striking, sit-in staging liberals we used to know and love? Next thing you know you'll be a card carrying NRA member. It's a slippery slope, I tell you. Cold fury also gets into the act with a concrete US example, Washington DC: FBI statistics show that Washington, D.C., has one of the highest crime rates in the United States despite the draconian gun ban. From 1976 to 2001, D.C.’s crime rate rose 72% while the national rate fell 36%. Under D.C.’s current gun laws, all handguns are banned unless they were owned and registered before 1977. Residents of the District, even the few remaining legal handgun owners, are prohibited from carrying their handguns in their own homes. Legally registered and owned rifles and shotguns must be stored unloaded, disassembled or locked, rendering them useless for self-defense unless the gun is kept at a place of business. “Washington`s 27-year firearm ban is a perfect example of the failure of gun control,” added Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “D.C.’s politicians—who get abundant security protection at taxpayer expense—have stripped law-abiding citizens of their ability to defend themselves and their families. Today’s vote has brought District residents one step closer to the rights guaranteed under the Constitution—the right to protect themselves and their loved ones from criminal harm.” And from the lighter side of the argument take this post of mine earlier (via Say Anything and Evil White Guy): Do assault weapons cause crime? I think most reasonable people would say no. However, without empirical data, that's just an opinion. And the 1994 assault weapons ban has recently expired. So the people at assault Weapons Watch have purchased a Colt AR-15. They have set up lighting and a web cam to monitor it 24/7. So far, the rifle has just remained where they left it, but if it ever does decide to go out on its own and kill someone, they will have captured it on video. Finally someone approaching the problem from a scientific point of view. At last all of our questions, hopes, and fears will be solved. Personally the Wookie parents are gun owners; actually, they have a collection to be more accurate. Mother Wookie grew up around guns and learned to shoot at a fairly early age. Father Wookie was an army reservist, so guns went with the territory. We had a .22 in the house all of my childhood as far as I know, and believe it or not, no one blew any digits off. Honestly I've never even fired a weapon, but the fetching Mrs. Wookie and I plan to rectify that soon. She wants to put one of those "this home is protected by" whatever security signs in the yard that says "gun owner - will shoot to kill." Isn't my baby sweet!