11 myths about the future of gun control, debunked after the Charleston shooting

[flamin lib]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/20/charleston-south-carolina-shooting-gun-control-reform-myths

Myth No1: Gun control would never pass Congress

A majority of US senators voted for a package of gun control measures only two years ago. The 54 who backed the bill, which was written by Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Manchin, included three other Republicans.

Myth No2: Americans don’t want meaningful gun reforms

Support for universal background checks skyrocketed after the December 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, with 90% of Americans behind the proposal at its peak. More than two years later, polls continue to show strong support for expanding background checks, averaging 80%.

Great article. Well worth the read.

[jimmy the one]

1. favorite myths, er, so to speak

Myth No4: Switzerland and Israel seem to do OK without gun control Proponents of unfettered gun ownership often point to the example of Switzerland, which has a tradition of more widespread firearms ownership than most other European countries but is not known for its gun-ravaged inner cities.
One problem is the trend is not that different: more guns still lead to more shooting, just less so than in America. Switzerland is actually second among wealthy countries in terms of annual gun deaths (0.77 per 100,000 of population in one recent survey, versus 2.97 in the US and just 0.07 in England and Wales) but has barely half as many guns per 100 people (45.7 versus 88.8 in the US).
.... But even this comparison gets weaker if you look at the way the Swiss keep their guns, which stems from a tradition of military service that has been considerably tightened over the years. One US study by {NIH} points out that both Switzerland and Israel (another alleged exception to the rule touted as proof that guns don’t kill) actually limit firearm ownership considerably and require permit renewal one to four times annually.

Switzerland does require permits & licenses iirc, & their home guard assault rifle ammo is now kept in an armory (tho some bullets find a nest in homes), and they do not allow carrying a concealed firearm unless you have a valid reason for it, thus it's not 'shall issue' but 'may issue'. They also have a higher rate of European firearm related suicide rate, than neighboring countries.

Myth No10: Mass shootings still happen in areas with strict gun laws, so gun control doesn’t work
When a mass shooting occurred in Septemberg 2013 at the Navy Yard compound in Washington, one of the first arguments made by activists for gun rights was that gun control is clearly ineffective because DC has some of the strictest gun laws in the US.
A similar point has been made about Chicago, which has tough restrictions on guns but ranks among the country’s deadliest with respect to gun violence.
The problem with this theory is that criminals also have access to cars, and can easily obtain firearms in neighboring states {like Indiana next to Chicago} or counties.
.. In the Navy Yard {DC} incident, the shooter legally purchased firearms in neighboring Virginia despite a criminal record and mental health issues – exposing gaps in the current background checks system. And cities like Chicago are plagued by the illegal trafficking of firearms; there is no current federal law that defines gun trafficking or straw purchasing as a crime.

[-none]

3. A partial solution.

.. In the Navy Yard {DC} incident, the shooter legally purchased firearms in neighboring Virginia despite a criminal record and mental health issues – exposing gaps in the current background checks system. And cities like Chicago are plagued by the illegal trafficking of firearms; there is no current federal law that defines gun trafficking or straw purchasing as a crime.

When guns are bought and sold cross state lines, that involves interstate commerce and that allows the Federal government to be involved. Guns flow from states with poor gun regulations to those with stronger regulations. It is highly doubtful those guns are being given away.
There is no reason why the federal government cannot implement uniform firearm regulations across all the states. Enforce them by requiring all firearms to be bought or sold through federally registered dealers. The lack of such uniform regulations because of the so-called 'States Rights' on this issue, is a very big problem.

[underpants]

2. Excellent read on gun myths

Rec'd