National Academy of Sciences reports on Firearms and Violence

Posted by Tim Lambert on December 17, 2004
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The National Academy of Sciences panel on firearms and violence has reported its findings. The press release says:

  • There is no credible evidence that “right-to-carry” laws, which allow qualified adults to carry concealed handguns, either decrease or increase violent crime. To date, 34 states have enacted these laws.
  • There is almost no evidence that violence-prevention programs intended to steer children away from guns have had any effects on their behavior, knowledge, or attitudes regarding firearms. More than 80 such programs exist.
  • Research has found associations between gun availability and suicide with guns, but it does not show whether such associations reveal genuine patterns of cause and effect.

The whole report can be read here. There is also an opening statement and you can listen to a news conference (requires RealPlayer).

I’ll have some detailed comments on their “right-to-carry” chapter later.

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Comments

  1. #1 SayUncle
    December 30, 2004

    Short version: Can’t find a correlation between gun control and gun crime but, dammit, we need to keep looking until we get the result we want.

  2. #2 ben
    December 30, 2004

    Aren’t there things that demonstrably reduce crime and accidents, such as tough prosecutions and sentences for criminals, and don’t leave 5-gallon buckets unattended in your yard campaigns? We certainly get a higher return on our investment on these sorts of measures than we do with gun control.

    The nitwits like bradycampaign and vpc could do a lot more good with their resources but are blinded by their emotional fixation with guns.

  3. #3 Agricola
    December 31, 2004

    before the gunnies get their knickers in a twist, they should note this is a repost

  4. #4 ben
    December 31, 2004

    yeah, my knickers were already twisted by this. I’m still untwisting them, thanks.

  5. #5 SayUncle
    December 31, 2004

    If I’m pointing out spin, that constitutes having knickers in a twist? Of course, I must confess to not knowing what knickers are.