Gun Bans
According to Noam Scheiber of The New REPUBLIC, in the article published on July 24th, 2012 title “Yes, Really, Ban All the Guns”, http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/105337/yes-really-ban-all-the-guns#; his opinions are that, that no guns are safe. He feels that guns from home defense to hunting all should be banned. In this article he states “Guns kept in the home for self-protection are 43 times more likely to kill a family member, friend or acquaintance than to kill an intruder, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine”. Guncite.com (2004), discusses how flawed the 43 times rate actually is. First of all, it must be noted that the original findings of the 43 times ratio, was first given in 1986 by doctors Arthur Kellermann and Don Reay, and is titled, "Protection or peril? An analysis of firearms related deaths in the home." (New Engl J Med 1986. 314: 1557-60.) A ratio of 389 violent deaths to 9 justifiable homicides provides the 43 to 1 ratio. However, it must be noted that there was a second ratio of 397 non-gun violent deaths to 4 justifiable homicides which provides a ratio of 99 to 1. So according to the method of Dr. Kellerman, the ratio more than doubles from 43 to 99 to 1 in non-violent gun deaths.
Mr. Noam Scheiber also states in his article that “for every justifiable handgun homicide, there are more than 50 handgun murders”. Although this may be the case, what a lot of the people who support a ban on guns, fail to realize is, the ban on guns will only keep the guns out of law abiding citizens. Those who have guns illegally now, will continue to have those guns illegally then, after a gun ban would be introduced. For him to say that there are 50 murders for every justifiable handgun homicide is irrelevant. Furthermore, by using the word “homicide”, he is intending for the reader to relate a crime with the use of self defense. Using Chicago as an example, is known as one of the most gun controlled cities in America. Ivestors.com (2013) show that in 2012, there were 500 murders alone. Most of Chicago’s murders and shootings are gang related, around 80%. The ban placed in Chicago from 1994 to 2004 had no affect on crime. Statistics compiled by a Northeastern University professor, the Census Bureau and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel show the number of mass shootings and victims from 1976 to 2010 has fluctuated annually, but without any major upward or downward trend.
Noam Scheiber then proceeds to discuss hunting and he states, “How many of the nearly 3,000 children who are killed by firearms in the United States each year does the good of hunting justify?” The issue with is, this is just and outright fallacy and totally incorrect. First off the number of 3000 per year is totally invalid. Second, he uses the word “children” in attempt to get sympathy from the reader. In fact, according to Wiki.answers.com, the