A Usenet persona calling itself BCITORGB wrote:

In case Scott doesn't like the NZ stats, here are some from
Australia...

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb502tabs.xls

Homicides per 100,000 population - average per year 1998 to 2000

USA 5.87
New Zealand 2.28
Sweden 2.06
Australia 1.87
Canada 1.79
England & Wales 1.50
Netherlands 1.40
Germany 1.19
Denmark 1.00


So, for me, these statistics beg the question: WHY? Why is the muder
rate so much higher in the USA? Are there extenuating factors?

Of course there are. Our culture is different from other nations, and yes,
our "gun culture" has an effect on the total number of homicides. But our
"gun culture" is part of our history and is enshrined in our law, and we
accept that one of the downsides to having a right to keep and bear arms is
that occasionally, bad guys will obtain guns and do bad things with them. We
accept this because we know that a) it is impossible to prevent criminals
from getting guns, even when guns are banned; b) more people are victimized
by violent predators when guns are banned; and c) our way of life is put at
risk by gun bans.

We compensate for the occasional bad guy by expecting all the good guys to
provide for their own personal and family's safety, and we respect their
right to keep and bear arms for that purpose.

However, the question is not really what the homicide rate is, it is what
happens to violent crime rates and the number of people not just murdered,
but victimized by violent criminals in ways short of murder when gun
ownership by law-abiding citizens is banned.

The facts are clear: Where guns are banned, violent crime and crime
victimization goes up, dramatically. On the other hand, the rate of violent
crime victimization AND homicide in the US has dropped radically in EVERY
place where concealed carry is lawful.

I would not choose to be one of the twenty five percent of Brits who are
victimized and traumatized by crime every year because they are debarred the
use of arms in self-defense. Moreover, I would not demand that my neighbor
submit to being victimized by disarming him merely because I'm paranoid
about guns and fixated on statistics.

Real people are really victimized, brutalized, injured and killed and they
have a fundamental, inalienable human right to keep and bear arms for their
own defense if they so choose.

When you, or anyone else, suggests, demands or supports the disarming of
your fellow law-abiding citizens because you don't like guns, then you
become directly and personally responsible for the trauma, injury and death
that results.
--
Regards,
Scott Weiser

"I love the Internet, I no longer have to depend on
friends, family and co-workers, I can annoy people WORLDWIDE!" TM

© 2005 Scott Weiser