A huge international study of gun control finds strong evidence that it actually works

[BlueMTexpat]

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/29/11120184/gun-control-study-international-evidence

What do we really know about the research on whether gun restrictions help reduce gun deaths? Even for PhDs, this is a difficult question. There's been a mountain of research on the subject, but these dozens of studies conducted over many years and in many different countries reach a broad and sometimes contradictory range of conclusions. It's hard to know what it really tells us, taken together, about whether gun laws can reduce gun violence.

A just-released study, published in the February issue of Epidemiologic Reviews, seeks to resolve this problem. It systematically reviewed the evidence from around the world on gun laws and gun violence, looking to see if the best studies come to similar conclusions. It is the first such study to look at the international research in this way.

The authors are careful to note that their findings do not conclusively prove that gun restrictions reduce gun deaths. However, they did find a compelling trend whereby new restrictions on gun purchasing and ownership tended to be followed by a decline in gun deaths.

"Across countries, instead of seeing an increase in the homicide rate, we saw a reduction," Julian Santaella-Tenorio, a doctoral student in epidemiology at Columbia University and the study's lead author, told me.

Imagine! Gun control actually leading to a reduction in the homicide rate! Whoever could have predicted that?

[revbones]

1. Too bad Hillary is about to change her positions...

What with that NRA lobbyist hosted fundraiser coming up.

[Hoyt]

2. Clinton is the only candidate to slam gunz and the yahoos that fancy them.

The NRA will waste their money. If it can be used to beat right wing racist gun supporters, I hope she takes them for a wad.

[revbones]

3. You should really research Bernie's positions before just using the lies she told

He has a D- from the NRA. They are hosting a fundraiser for her.

She lied about his record during the debates. She also cherry-picked votes on legislation that contained a variety of things such as the Violence Against Women provision.

Democrats should be smarter.

[hack89]

4. Considering the U.S. has cut its murder and manslaughter rates in half over the last 20 years

we must have some good laws.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Well, there is still the question of mass slaughter

that would be one heck of a lot rarer if automatic weapons were not accessible to literally any yahoo who wants to accumulate an arsenal.

We still have the highest rates of gun-related murder and manslaughter in the developed world. That is no compliment.

[hack89]

6. You can't buy automatic weapons in America

we certainly do better with background checks. The real solution is giving mental health professionals the means to report dangerous people so their weapons can be taken away.

[BlueMTexpat]

8. Where on earth did you get that idea?

It is not illegal to buy automatic weapons in America, so yes you CAN buy them here. http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/05/21/machine-guns-legal-practical-guide-full-auto/

Many people believe that it is illegal, but it is not. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/16/news/la-pn-romney-illegal-automatic-weapons-20121016

And yes, we can certainly do better with background checks. But putting mental health professionals on the hook to take weapons away is not "the real solution."

The real solution is to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them in the first place.

[hack89]

9. You are right. Automatic weapons are expensive and rare

And seldom used in crimes. I just assumed that you had mistaken automatic for semi-automatic. Sorry.

[malaise]

7. Duh!!

Rec

[Vinca]

10. That's way too scientific for this country . . .

home of Adam and Eve riding dinosaurs amusement park.

[BlueMTexpat]

11. Too true, unfortunately. eom