Dan McLaughlin

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To Home Page Latest Newsletter Column Archives Click to get these columns for your local paper	© 2006 Daniel J. McLaughlin Crime Emergency in Gun Control Capital Washington DC is famous, or infamous, for it’s violent crime. It was in the news again for a “crime emergency”, initiated after 14 people had been murdered in 13 days. What makes this event even more notable is that Washington DC has some of the strictest gun control laws in the United States, as it has had for the last twenty five years. Washington DC has a murder rate of 46.4 per 100,000 people. Arlington, Virginia, across the river from DC has plenty of guns and a murder rate of only 2.5 per 100,000. Gun control advocates are generally good, sincere people. They want what is right, they want to help people. But as with most politically charged matters, this issue is viewed with blinders on. They do whatever it takes to accomplish their task, even if the end result is the opposite of the intended outcome. The seemingly complex issues surrounding gun control are quite simple to understand. People do things which they find will be to their advantage. Workers respond to labor markets in various regions by moving to where jobs are more plentiful and higher paying. Homemakers shop the places most rewarding and cost effective for them. And criminals concentrate their efforts where their costs are minimized and benefits are maximized. Being normal people with a strong instinct for self preservation, the highest cost for a criminal is being killed, injured or arrested in their line of work. The cost and risk for that type of work is typically high, but the benefits can be worth it. With any human activity, when you shift from a high cost to a low cost environment, or when you raise the probability of success, you encourage participation in that activity. In a situation where every potential victim is armed, when the likelihood of success is extremely low, and the risk of incurring significant cost is high, the occurrence of violent crime is very low. When only a portion of the potential victims is armed, but the criminal does not know which ones, the risks for the perpetrator are still high. There is less incidence of crime. The ideal situation for a criminal is where all potential victims are known to be unarmed, the likelihood of success is high and the justice system is bogged down and ineffective. He is provided with a target rich environment. Every city, region and country that disarms it’s citizens puts up a welcome sign for violent criminals. Not only will criminals have an easier job finding ripe targets, they will also find that the police force and the justice system can’t keep up. Their risk is less, even if they do get caught. The laws give the criminals a safer, more rewarding work environment. According to Gene Healy, an attorney and senior editor at the CATO Institute, the current murder rate in Washington, DC is 55% higher than before the gun ban. Cities and countries around the world are proving the simple concept that a safe environment for criminals encourages violent crime. Australia spent 500 million dollars in a gun buyback program meant to eradicate guns and presumably reduce crime. The predictable result is that crime has increased significantly after the surrender of guns by law abiding citizens. The increase is more astounding against the backdrop of declining violent crime rates in the twenty five years preceding the gun laws. Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General for Great Britain stated that “criminals must also have the right to protection from violence” after the life sentencing of a farmer for killing someone who was robbing his farm. Protecting criminals from violence provides them with a safer working environment. England is another country that has enacted tough national anti-gun laws. Both Australia and England have seen rising crime rates since the laws were enacted. Murder is now the only violent crime for which the incidence in England is still less than the United States. Henry G. Weaver, the author of “The Mainspring Of Human Progress”, wrote decades ago, “The harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters and thieves is negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted on human beings by the professional do-gooders.” Imposing “good” on the population with gun control laws sets the stage for the obvious progression to bad for law abiding citizens.
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Daniel Mclaughlin Copyright © 2006 [Daniel McLaughlin]. All rights reserved. Revised: 03/18/08

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Crime Emergency in Gun Control Capital

Washington DC is famous, or infamous, for it’s violent crime. It was in the news again for a “crime emergency”, initiated after 14 people had been murdered in 13 days. What makes this event even more notable is that Washington DC has some of the strictest gun control laws in the United States, as it has had for the last twenty five years. Washington DC has a murder rate of 46.4 per 100,000 people. Arlington, Virginia, across the river from DC has plenty of guns and a murder rate of only 2.5 per 100,000.

Gun control advocates are generally good, sincere people. They want what is right, they want to help people. But as with most politically charged matters, this issue is viewed with blinders on. They do whatever it takes to accomplish their task, even if the end result is the opposite of the intended outcome.

The seemingly complex issues surrounding gun control are quite simple to understand. People do things which they find will be to their advantage. Workers respond to labor markets in various regions by moving to where jobs are more plentiful and higher paying. Homemakers shop the places most rewarding and cost effective for them. And criminals concentrate their efforts where their costs are minimized and benefits are maximized.

Being normal people with a strong instinct for self preservation, the highest cost for a criminal is being killed, injured or arrested in their line of work. The cost and risk for that type of work is typically high, but the benefits can be worth it. With any human activity, when you shift from a high cost to a low cost environment, or when you raise the probability of success, you encourage participation in that activity.

In a situation where every potential victim is armed, when the likelihood of success is extremely low, and the risk of incurring significant cost is high, the occurrence of violent crime is very low. When only a portion of the potential victims is armed, but the criminal does not know which ones, the risks for the perpetrator are still high. There is less incidence of crime. The ideal situation for a criminal is where all potential victims are known to be unarmed, the likelihood of success is high and the justice system is bogged down and ineffective. He is provided with a target rich environment.

Every city, region and country that disarms it’s citizens puts up a welcome sign for violent criminals. Not only will criminals have an easier job finding ripe targets, they will also find that the police force and the justice system can’t keep up. Their risk is less, even if they do get caught. The laws give the criminals a safer, more rewarding work environment. According to Gene Healy, an attorney and senior editor at the CATO Institute, the current murder rate in Washington, DC is 55% higher than before the gun ban.

Cities and countries around the world are proving the simple concept that a safe environment for criminals encourages violent crime. Australia spent 500 million dollars in a gun buyback program meant to eradicate guns and presumably reduce crime. The predictable result is that crime has increased significantly after the surrender of guns by law abiding citizens. The increase is more astounding against the backdrop of declining violent crime rates in the twenty five years preceding the gun laws.

Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General for Great Britain stated that “criminals must also have the right to protection from violence” after the life sentencing of a farmer for killing someone who was robbing his farm. Protecting criminals from violence provides them with a safer working environment. England is another country that has enacted tough national anti-gun laws. Both Australia and England have seen rising crime rates since the laws were enacted. Murder is now the only violent crime for which the incidence in England is still less than the United States.

Henry G. Weaver, the author of “The Mainspring Of Human Progress”, wrote decades ago, “The harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters and thieves is negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted on human beings by the professional do-gooders.” Imposing “good” on the population with gun control laws sets the stage for the obvious progression to bad for law abiding citizens.

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