NCJ Number
47858
Journal
Criminal Law Bulletin Volume: 13 Dated: (MARCH-APRIL 1977) Pages: 119-124
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
AN ARGUMENT IS PRESENTED THAT GUN CONTROL IS IRRELEVANT TO THE TRUE DETERMINANT OF VIOLENCE, AMERICANS' INCLINATION TOWARD THE WEAPONS, AND THAT ONLY VAST SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES CAN ELIMINATE VIOLENCE.
Abstract
CRIME STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT GUN CONTROL ALONE DOES NOT PROVIDE A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO OUR SOCIETY'S PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE. FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, 7 DIFFERENT AMERICAN JURISDICTIONS HAVE REQUIRED A PERMIT TO PURCHASE OR POSSESS A HANDGUN. FIVE DIFFERENT CRIME STUDIES DATING FROM 1959 TO 1974 HAVE FOUND THAT THE HANDGUN-PROHIBITING JURISDICTIONS HAVE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER HOMICIDE AND VIOLENCE RATES THAN OTHERS. THESE JURISDICTIONS ARE NOT APPRECIABLY DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICALLY FROM OTHER HIGH-CRIME AREAS THAT ALLOW HANDGUNS. AN EXTENSIVE STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN IN 1974-1975 ANALYZED EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE THAT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT UPON A COMPARISON OF STATES WITH DIFFERING GUN LAWS. WITH DEMOGRAPHIC BIAS THUS THE RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME. IT ALSO INVESTIGATED THE THEORY THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF HANDGUNS PROMOTES HOMICIDE OR VIOLENCE AND FOUND NO CORRELATION BETWEEN NATONAL RATES OF HANDGUN OWNERSHIP AND HOMICIDE AND VIOLENCE RATES. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF FIREARMS, ENRAGED HOUSEHOLDERS WOULD USE OTHER LETHAL WEAPONS JUST AS OFTEN. HANDGUNS PREDOMINATE IN AMERICA BECAUSE THEY ARE PERCEIVED IN OUR CULTURE AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON. MEXICO AND PUERTO RICO HAVE EXTREMELY STRICT HANDGUN RESTRICTIONS, AS WELL AS A LEVEL OF POVERTY THAT MAKES HANDGUNS UNAVAILABLE TO MOST OF THE POPULATION; HOWEVER, EACH HAVE VERY HIGH KNIFE-HOMICIDE RATES. EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNIVES, HANDGUN PROHIBITION WOULD FORCE THOSE DESIRING WEAPONS TO TURN TO LONG GUNS, WHICH ARE MORE DEADLY THAN EITHER. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT LONG GUNS ARE LESS CONCEALABLE THAN HANDGUNS, AND THUS, OF LESS INTEREST TO ARMED ROBBERS AND ASSASSINS, MOST HOMICIDES ARE COMMITTED IN THE HOME, WHERE CONCEALABILITY OF THE WEAPON IS LARGELY IRRELEVANT. IN ADDITION, THE RATE OF RECOVERY FROM WOUNDS INFLICTED BY LONG GUNS IS MUCH LOWER THAN THAT FROM HANDGUNS. A 1970-1971 STUDY OF BRITISH GUN CONTROL SHOWED THAT IT HAS HAD NO ASCERTAINABLE EFFECT UPON VIOLENCE. IT APPEARS THAT VIOLENT CRIME IN ENGLAND IS COMPARATIVELY RARE BECAUSE BRITISH SOCIETY IMPOSES CULTURAL RESTRAINTS AGAINST VIOLENCE BETTER THAN DOES AMERICAN SOCIETY. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE REAL DETERMINANT OF VIOLENCE IS THE INCLINATION TOWARD THE USE OF WEAPONS AT ALL (NOT JUST HANDGUNS) IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS. VIOLENCE CAN BE REDUCED ONLY BY GREAT CHANGES IN THE INSTITUTIONS, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS, AND IDEOLOGIES WHICH PRODUCE A