The Political Orphanage
The Political Orphanage
A Spock and Scotty Approach to Gun Control
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A Spock and Scotty Approach to Gun Control

Let’s take a numbers-first approach to gun legislation. In the wake of horrible mass shootings, gun control and advocacy groups are digging their heals, and often relying on bumper sticker canards. Rather than approaching this issue ideologically, or even inductively, we’re going to look at ways to dramatically reduce gun deaths by looking at the numbers.

“Gun Deaths by the Numbers” with Guy Smith
(Prior Gun Violence Stats Episode) 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

World Population Review: Murder Rate by Country

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/murder-rate-by-country

Statista: Percentage of households in the United States owning one or more firearms from 1972 to 2021 https://www.statista.com/statistics/249740/percentage-of-households-in-the-united-states-owning-a-firearm/

Statista: Suicide and homicide rate changes during Prohibition (1920-1933) in the United States from 1900 to 1950

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1088644/homicide-suicide-rate-during-prohibition/

Statista: Deaths by homicide per 100,000 resident population in the U.S. from 1950 to 2018

https://www.statista.com/statistics/187592/death-rate-from-homicide-in-the-us-since-1950/#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20there%20were%205.9,population%20in%20the%20United%20States.

Our World in Data: Homicides

https://ourworldindata.org/homicides

InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up

https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crimes-2021-homicide-round-up/

TheGlobalEconomy.ComHomicidSte Rate in the G20

https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/homicide_rate/G20/

Business Insider: Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings

https://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2

The Trace: Everything You Need to Know About Federal Background Checks

https://www.thetrace.org/2015/07/gun-background-check-nics-guide/

GAO: Domestic Abuse and Firearms

https://www.gao.gov/blog/2017/03/14/domestic-abuse-and-firearms

RAND: Effects of Assault Weapon and High-Capacity Magazine Bans on Mass Shootings

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/ban-assault-weapons/mass-shootings.html

RAND:  How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/mass-shootings.html

RAND: Mass Shootings in the United States

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/essays/mass-shootings.html#fn11

Scientific American: Four Laws That Could Stem the Rising Threat of Mass Shootings

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/4-laws-that-could-stem-the-rising-threat-of-mass-shootings/

RAND: The Effect of Waiting Periods

The Effects of Waiting Periods

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/waiting-periods.html

Rand: The Effect of Background Checks

The Effects of Background Checks

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/background-checks.html

REASON: Do Studies Show Gun Control Works?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgiQ-LmJGMY

REASON: In Response to the Uvalde Massacre, Politicians Reiterate Their Demands for Irrelevant Gun Control Laws https://reason.com/2022/05/25/in-response-to-the-uvalde-massacre-politicians-reiterate-their-demands-for-irrelevant-gun-control-laws/

REASON: Why Background Checks Do Not Stymie Mass Shooters

https://reason.com/2022/05/17/why-background-checks-do-not-stymie-mass-shooters/

REASON: Do Studies Show Gun Control Works?

https://reason.com/video/2022/03/31/do-studies-show-gun-control-works-no/

REASON: The Buffalo Massacre Illustrates the Inherent Limitations of 'Red Flag' Laws

https://reason.com/2022/05/18/the-buffalo-massacre-illustrates-the-inherent-limitations-of-red-flag-laws/

NYT: Newsom Calls for Gun Legislation Modeled on the Texas Abortion Law

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/12/us/politics/newsom-texas-abortion-law-guns.html

Politico:  Defensive Gun Use Is Not a Myth

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/02/defensive-gun-ownership-gary-kleck-response-115082/

NYT: Sick of Massacres? Get Rid of the Guns.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/18/opinion/buffalo-shooting-gun-control.html

WAPO: Biden Claims 1994 Assault Weapons Brought Down Mass Shootings

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/24/bidens-claim-that-1994-assault-weapons-law-brought-down-mass-shootings/

PEW: What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/

Healthdata.org:

On gun violence, the United States is an outlier

https://www.healthdata.org/acting-data/gun-violence-united-states-outlier

BBC:

America's gun culture - in seven charts

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081

VOX: America’s gun violence epidemic, in one chart

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23141964/america-gun-violence-epidemic-chart

DrugPolicy.Org: Drug War Statistics

https://drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-war-statistics

CAP: Ending the War on Drugs: By the Numbers

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/ending-war-drugs-numbers/

Newsweek: To End Gun Violence, Abandon the War on Drugs

https://www.newsweek.com/end-gun-violence-abandon-war-drugs-689459

RAND: Americans' Spending on Illicit Drugs Nears $150 Billion Annually; Appears to Rival What Is Spent on Alcohol

https://www.rand.org/news/press/2019/08/20.html

Mass Killings with Weapons Other Than Guns

https://www.gunowners.org/mass-killings-with-weapons-other-than-guns/

The Problem with Jon Stewart: Guns

https://www.theproblem.com/episode-4-the-problem-with-guns/

Everytown: Ghost Guns

https://www.everytown.org/is-there-proof-that-people-who-are-not-allowed-to-have-guns-are-printing-guns/

REASON: Democrats Want to Ban Gun Purchases by Young Adults

https://reason.com/2022/05/30/unfazed-by-the-second-amendment-democrats-want-to-ban-gun-purchases-by-young-adults/

ATF: National Fire Arms Act

https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/national-firearms-act

WAPO: How Mass Shootings and Gun Culture Affect US Gun Laws

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/how-mass-shootings-and-gun-culture-affect-us-gun-laws/2022/05/25/c3bf6b0c-dc58-11ec-bc35-a91d0a94923b_story.html

CDC: All Injuries Mortality Stats

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

PEW: The Demographics of Gun Ownership

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/the-demographics-of-gun-ownership/

Public Mass Shootings: Database Amasses Details of a Half Century of U.S. Mass Shootings with Firearms, Generating Psychosocial Histories

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/public-mass-shootings-database-amasses-details-half-century-us-mass-shootings

Koper Study https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1745-9133.12485

NYT: States Rush Toward New Gun Restrictions as Congress Remains Gridlocked

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/us/states-gun-restrictions.html

WAPO: Biden’s claim that the 1994 assault-weapons law ‘brought down’ mass shootings

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/24/bidens-claim-that-1994-assault-weapons-law-brought-down-mass-shootings/

Daily Caller: Why Background Checks Couldn’t Stop Dylan Roof

https://dailycaller.com/2015/07/10/why-background-checks-couldnt-stop-dylan-roof/

Reagan's Legacy on Guns

http://www.csgv.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/reagans-gun-legacy.pdf

STOSSEL: Gun Control lies

https://reason.com/2015/08/05/gun-control-lies/

REASON: While Dying Children Called 911 for Help, 19 Uvalde Police Waited in the Hallway. For 45 Minutes.

https://reason.com/2022/05/27/uvalde-police-failure-9-1-1-calls-border-patrol-kids-salvador-ramos/

Reason: New York Times Columnist Gail Collins Proposes a 'Simple Battle' To 'Get Rid of the Guns'

https://reason.com/2022/05/19/new-york-times-columnist-gail-collins-proposes-a-simple-battle-to-get-rid-of-the-guns/

Monster Hunter Nation: AN OPINION ON GUN CONTROL, REPOST

https://monsterhunternation.com/2015/06/23/an-opinion-on-gun-control-repost/

Monster Hunter: MANDATORY TRAINING FOR CCW

https://monsterhunternation.com/2008/05/20/mandatory-training-for-ccw/

NYT: The Claim of Self-Defense Gun Use

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/podcasts/daily-newsletter-self-defense-gun-use.html

WASH TIMES: Guns used more for self-defense than crimes

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/5/guns-used-more-for-self-defense-than-crimes/

Armed with Reason: A Lott of Lies about guns in the New York Times

http://www.armedwithreason.com/a-lott-of-lies-about-guns-in-the-new-york-times/

NYT (John Lott) Background Checks Are Not the Answer to Gun Violence

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/opinion/politics/background-checks-gun-violence.html

Armed with Reason: Five Arguments Against Gun Control – And Why They’re All Wrong

http://www.armedwithreason.com/five-arguments-against-gun-control-and-why-theyre-all-wrong/

NYT: California discovers it’s really expensive to confiscate people’s guns

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/05/05/california-discovers-its-really-expensive-to-confiscate-peoples-guns/

Armed with Reason: Four Simple Solutions to Gun Violence

http://www.armedwithreason.com/four-simple-solutions-to-gun-violence/

NRA: Background checks

https://www.nraila.org/get-the-facts/background-checks-nics/

NRA: Gun Registration

https://www.nraila.org/get-the-facts/registration-licensing/

The Bulwark: David French on Gun Fetishism, Cancel Culture, and the Media

https://podcast.thebulwark.com/david-french-on-gun-fetishism-cancel-culture-and-the-media

National Review: Death of a Long-Gun Registry

https://www.nationalreview.com/2012/02/death-long-gun-registry-john-r-lott-jr-gary-mauser/

Sandy Hook Promise: Take Action

https://actionfund.sandyhookpromise.org/?_ga=2.115873542.1298103367.1654556427-943687255.1654556427

Monarch Shores: How Much Does the War on Drugs Cost?

https://www.monarchshores.com/drug-addiction/how-much-does-the-war-on-drugs-cost/

PBS: Do the Math: Why the Illegal Drug Business is Thriving

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/math.html

VeryWellMind: Rates of Illicit Drug Abuse in the U.S.

https://www.verywellmind.com/rates-of-illicit-drug-abuse-in-the-us-67027#:~:text=31.9%20million%20people%20aged%2012,prescription%20drugs%20in%20their%20lifetime.

Seattle Medium: How U.S. Gun Culture Stacks Up With The World

https://seattlemedium.com/how-u-s-gun-culture-stacks-up-with-the-world/#:~:text=The%20Falkland%20Islands%20%E2%80%94%20a%20British,half%20that%20of%20the%20US.

Mises Wire: Homicide Rates Cut in Half Over Past 20 Years (While New Gun Ownership Soared)

https://mises.org/wire/pew-homicide-rates-cut-half-over-past-20-years-while-new-gun-ownership-soared

Heritage: Here Are 8 Stubborn Facts on Gun Violence in America

https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/here-are-8-stubborn-facts-gun-violence-america

NPR: Firearm-related homicide rate skyrockets amid stresses of the pandemic, the CDC says

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1097916487/firearm-homicide-rates-soar-pandemic-cdc-says

Swiss Info:

What can the Swiss teach the US about guns?

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/florida-school-shooting_what-can-the-swiss-teach-the-us-about-guns-/43923350

ATLANTIC: The Swiss Have Liberal Gun Laws, Too

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/swiss-guns/553448/

Texas TRibune:

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's gun background check bill added to government funding measure

https://www.texastribune.org/2018/03/21/us-sen-john-cornyns-gun-background-check-bill-government-funding-measu/

FOX:

How do gun background checks work? A look at the current system

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/how-do-gun-background-checks-work-a-look-at-the-current-system

Guns & America:

What The So-Called Gun Show Loophole Really Looks Like

https://gunsandamerica.org/story/19/01/29/what-the-so-called-gun-show-loophole-really-looks-like/

Aftermath:

2021 ACCIDENTAL GUN DEATH STATISTICS IN THE US

https://www.aftermath.com/content/accidental-shooting-deaths-statistics/

NPR: An Attacker Killed A Judge's Son. Now She Wants To Protect Other Families

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/20/936717194/a-judge-watched-her-son-die-now-she-wants-to-protect-other-judicial-families

Giffords Law Center: NICS & Reporting Procedures

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/background-checks/nics-reporting-procedures/#footnote_5_5613

John Cornyn: Fix NICS

https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/fixnics

EVERYTOWN: Background Checks on All Gun Sales

https://everytownresearch.org/solution/background-checks/

PNAS: Handgun Waiting Periods Reduce Deaths

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1619896114

Everytown: Guns and Violence Against Women

https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/

CNN: Air Force failed to relay info that could have stopped firearm sale to gunman

https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/06/politics/texas-church-shooting-bad-conduct-discharge/index.html

Felony Record Hub: Do Pawnshops Run Background Checks for Guns?

https://www.felonyrecordhub.com/do-pawn-shops-run-background-checks-for-guns/

BMJ: Firearms, alcohol and crime: convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) and other alcohol-related crimes and risk for future criminal activity among authorised purchasers of handguns

https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/24/1/68

RAND: The Effects of Waiting Periods

https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/waiting-periods.html

538: We’ve Known How To Prevent A School Shooting for More Than 20 Years

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/weve-known-how-to-prevent-a-school-shooting-for-more-than-20-years/

FEE: Want to Stop Gun Violence? End The War On Drugs

https://fee.org/articles/want-to-stop-gun-violence-end-the-war-on-drugs/

ATLANTIC: The Single Best Anti-Gun-Death Policy? Ending the Drug War

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/12/the-single-best-anti-gun-death-policy-ending-the-drug-war/266505/

Cato Institute Policy Analysis No. 157: Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure

https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa157.pdf

InfoPlease:

Homicide Rate, 1950–2014

https://www.infoplease.com/us/crime/homicide-rate-1950-2014

CDC: Gang Homicides — Five U.S. Cities, 2003–2008

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6103a2.htm

Johns Hopkins:

New Report Highlights U.S. 2020 Gun-Related Deaths: Highest Number Ever Recorded by CDC, Gun Homicides Increase by More Than One-Third

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/new-report-highlights-us-2020-gun-related-deaths-highest-number-ever-recorded-by-cdc-gun-homicides-increase-by-more-than-one-third

National Gang Center:

National Youth Gang Survey Analysis: Measuring the Extent of Gang Problems

https://nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov/survey-analysis/measuring-the-extent-of-gang-problems

CATO:

End Drug War, Cut Gun Violence

https://www.cato.org/commentary/end-drug-war-cut-gun-violence

VOX: How the war on drugs perpetuates violence in Latin America

https://www.vox.com/2014/11/14/7189219/drug-war-mexico-colombia

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