Upcoming USDOJ/NIJ Talk on Homicide in the United States

[East_TN_Patriot]

The National Institute of Justice is hosting a talk by Dr. Randolph Roth a professor at Ohio State University.  The title of the talk is, "Why is the United States the Most Homicidal Nation in the Affluent World?"  

Keep in mind, this talk is being sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, a subordinate organization in the US Department of Justice.  They have invited a speaker to present research saying that gun ownership is not correlated with homicide rates.  Here is the description of the talk:
 

 

 

Since World War II, the homicide rate in the U.S. has been three to ten times higher than in Canada, Western Europe, and Japan. This, however, has not always been the case. What caused the dramatic change? 

This presentation will discuss how and why rates of different kinds of homicide have varied across time and space over the past 450 years, including an examination of the murder of children by parents or caregivers, intimate partner violence, and homicides among unrelated adults. 

"The United States has stood out from other affluent nations since the mid-nineteenth century primarily because of its high rate of homicides among unrelated adults," says Dr. Randy Roth. "In fact, historically, the rate has not correlated well with factors such as unemployment, per capita income, the number of people in prison, household ownership of firearm, rates of substance abuse, or the number of police on the streets."

Dr. Roth will discuss how homicide rates correlate with feelings and beliefs toward government and society - and how, although these phenomena are difficult to measure, they appear to be the fundamental facilitators (or deterrents) to homicide.

As I have tried to tell gun owners multiple times in the past, more and more scholars are publishing papers that are acknowledging this reality and the US government is taking notice.  I'm not posting this as a statement saying we should not be vigilant about protecting our 2nd Amendment rights; I am doing it as a reminder that folks can probably come down from DEFCON 1, other folks can loosen up their tinfoil hats a bit, and stop engaging in the constant barrage of belligerent rhetoric that alienates potential allies in the Second Amendment fight.  

Another point to make note of is that other factors that many "conservatives" cite to explain homicide rates are not correlates either.  So while all of the "conservatives" out there demand harsher punishments including longer prison terms, abolition of drugs, and more cops, they are hurting the cause of liberty as much as gun-control advocates and are likely making other social problems worse.  
 

Edited November 9, 2013 by East_TN_Patriot

[Erik88]

Fair enough, but I think we're all aware the progressive liberals will stop at nothing to limit our freedoms. The push after Sandy Hook is a great example of that.

 

Logic and facts will never trump emotion.

[East_TN_Patriot]

Fair enough, but I think we're all aware the progressive liberals will stop at nothing to limit our freedoms. The push after Sandy Hook is a great example of that.

 

Logic and facts will never trump emotion.

It is the same "progressive liberals" in the USDOJ that are sponsoring this talk.  This is why the post-Sandy Hook legislation died a quick death.  Gun owners are always talking about the "progressive liberals" in government in academia and government trying to get their guns, but during the past five years under what many consider the most radical progressive liberal president in recent history, the government has made little effort to control access to guns, has been largely unsuccessful in the policies it has tried to pass, and is now sponsoring a talk about research showing that gun ownership is not correlated with homicide rates.  

I've seen multiple academic research papers on this topic in the past 2 or 3 years, and the overwhelming majority of them say gun control does not prevent crime.  They present these findings in public (and to the USDOJ), yet gun owners still complain about these "radical progressives/Marxists" and warn about how they all want to seize our guns.  

And if you want to talk about emotion trumping logic and facts, let's talk about gun owners.  Gun owners are every bit as bad - or worse - about letting emotion override their brains in comparison to gun-control advocates.  I've experienced first-hand the belligerent attacks from rabid gun owners who believe the federal government, military, law enforcement, UN, and FEMA are all currently mobilizing the full might of the government to come and seize firearms at any moment.  I've heard stories about pro-gun politicians being shouted out of meetings because they did not adopt the same venomous and frantic rhetoric of emotionally driven gun owners.  It's these same gun owners who continue to buy ammo as fast as it can hit store shelves or will pay above-retail prices for ammo sold by opportunists who clean off store shelves for a quick profit.  This is why I keep saying that in many ways, gun owners are their own worst enemy.  

As I said, this does not mean we should declare victory and stop paying attention.  What it does mean is that people need to chill the frick out a bit and continue to fight the fight in a civil manner guided by logic and facts.  Certainly, there are a few in government and academia who want to ban guns regardless of what the data says, but I believe these folks are in the minority.

Edited November 9, 2013 by East_TN_Patriot

[Erik88]

Rob, I've not seen you this fired up in a long time. I guess the point I was trying to make is that there is always going to be a percentage of the far left who will use every mass shooting as an opportunity to push for gun control. 

 

I agree with what your saying and it's refreshing that some of these people are starting to look at things objectively.