Gun crime has plunged, but Americans think it's up

[William Thornton]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

Spectacular mass shootings which point out how vulnerable we are, regardless of the statistics, always have an effect on public opinion.

The figures linking background checks and the decline of the murder rate is probably the best evidence there is for universal background checks. It's not a matter of infringement on the second amendment, nor is it a partisan issue, since most of the gun control legislation on the federal books now has Ronald Reagan's signature on it. How quickly we forget.

As far as I know, and have read, that's all that is on the table. Yes, it does interfere with the profits of gun sellers and manufacturers, who will not have as large of a market when criminals and terrorists are prevented from purchase, but it does, obviously, make the public at large safer. There is no plan to take away any citizens rightful gun ownership rights, there never has been, and there never will be. The credibility of the NRA and the few people left, mainly gun manufacturers and sellers, who are shrieking and screaming a stream of lies and exaggerations, has been permanently dented and hopefully the loss of credibility will give the President a house and senate he can work with.

[William Thornton]

I rather think that recent political events have not demonstrated any loss of street cred for the NRA and allies.

Check with Democrat Harry Reid on that, among others.

Nice graphs, Keith.

[Tim Bonney]

[William Thornton]

[Tim Bonney]

I'm familiar William with that bit of southern humor. Normally It wouldn't bother me. But when it is made in a public national speech by a guy who is now a President of an national organization that promotes guns and our President is our first Black President.... Let's just say it sounded bad to anyone who isn't from the south who might have recently watched "Lincoln."

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

[Neil Heath]

Regarding the "war of Northern aggression":
I have a friend who is very well read and knowledgeable about the Civil War, who complains he can't seem to get any traction for his proposal to make John Wilkes Booth's birthday a national holiday. I think he's quite serious about the idea.

[Tim Bonney]

[Haruo]

[Tim Bonney]

[Neil Heath]

[Tim Bonney]

[ET]

[ET]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

You might be finding the causation where you desire to find it. A simpler explanation, if there is one that can be nailed down, might be that baby boomers are much older and aren't as testosterone-fueled and killing less people.

I am satisfied, graphs or no graphs, that there is a cadre of folks who desire to remove guns from the hands of private citizens and that this crowd will manufacture reasons to make this politically possible, the constitution be doggoned.

I am not alone in this. I know people in the gun business locally and they cannot find enough ammo to sell to the folks who desire to stock up. I tell them they should send Obama a nice note thanking him for the wildly increased sales of guns and ammo.

[Tim Bonney]

I don't know how you come to that conclusion William. Everything I have seen has been about background checks, large capacity magazines, and assault weapons. How does that add up to anyone wanting to take away everyone's guns? That is the fallacy of reductio ad absurdum.

[William Thornton]

[Stephen Fox]

Google the Mothers site. Read Bill Leonard at abpnews.com' Garry Wills at nybooks.com on Gun God Moloch; and see Sheriffs Association of Alabama site.

The NRA leadership is a cauldron of evildoers, just like the Leadership of the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Also follow Baptist Joe Scarborough, Bama Grad on Morning Joe. He has been testifying for a month and counting now.

[Tim Bonney]

[William Thornton]

[Haruo]