Gun Control

Gun Control Debate fact vs. fiction

Mark Bell

Madonna University

The Economics of Markets with Statistical Applications

ECN 6100

Richard T. Fox

February 04, 2013

Gun Control Debate fact vs. fiction

The recent shooting that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut shocked the nation and reignited an age-old debate on gun control. In the aftermath of the shooting as congress and the president began dialoguing the issue there was in influx of gun sales. While it is clear that guns have been the catalyst that caused the mayhem in Connecticut and several other mass shootings the question remains as to whether there is causation and violent crimes.

Although the general impression that the rate of gun murders has gone down instead of going up conflicts with facts from data that has proven otherwise. As one representative stated, “every time conceal carry gun laws have been allowed the crime rate has gone down.” However that issue has not been the consensus in a lot of round table discussions. According to the Brady Campaign the number of daily gun murders is proof that gun violence rates are not going down. However the rate of gun murder is at its lowest point since at least 1981. In 2010 there was a rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people in 2010. During 1993 the high level reached 7. In 2011 non-fatal gun injuries from assaults increased for the third straight year, and that rate is the highest since 2008.

Some federal data indicates that violent crimes committed with guns including murders, aggravated assaults and robbers have declined for three straight years. Since this debate began some rhetoric suggests that there have been 181 school shootings in the wake of the columbine shootings. Out of this number there were school incidents that were neither shooting nor were they at schools. In actuality there have been 130 school shootings since the Columbine catastrophe that resulted in at least one student or school official being killed or injured....