Boston Globe: "Gun licenses on the rise in Mass.; 7.8% increase seen" (+44% over 5 years)

[friendly_iconoclast]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/01/27/gun-licenses-rise-mass-percent-increase-seen/mru1o8yuwM9MiMuG1GRd6O/story.html

Gun licenses on the rise in Mass.; 7.8 percent increase seen
By Matt Rocheleau Globe Staff January 27, 2016

Tens of thousands of new gun licenses were issued to Massachusetts residents in 2015, continuing a recent surge, according to state data.

There were 342,622 active Class A firearms licenses statewide, according to figures provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services earlier this month. That was up about 24,700, or 7.8 percent, from the same time a year ago.

A Class A license, the broadest license available under state law and by far the most popular, allows the holder to carry rifles, shotguns, or handguns. It also allows the holder to carry a concealed handgun.

The number of Class A licenses has increased by 104,150, or 44 percent, from five years ago....

Of course, the Globe had to dig out John Rosenthal to peddle some more of his old claims:

“More guns, more fear — more fear, more gun violence — more gun sales.”

Too bad no one as yet has had the huevos/ovarios to tell him to his face that his
timeworn screeds are, frankly, bullshit:

Massachusetts Violent Crime Rates: 2010 (before the recent surge in
gun ownership) compared to 2014 (the latest available full-year statistics)

Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reports/ Crime in the United States

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s

2014 is the latest full year available

Massachusetts violent crime rate

2010: 466.6 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants
2014: 391.4/100K

Murder/nonnegligent manslaughter:

2010: 3.2/100K
2014: 2.0/100K

Aggravated assault:

2010: 331.8/100K
2014: 267.6/100K

Robbery:

2010: 105.0/100K
2014: 89.5/100K

I didn't include rape as the reporting criteria changed. Nonetheless, the disinterested reader
can find at the FBI site that the rate under the old definition is also lower

[pablo_marmol]

1. Sorry......you can't claim to be a 'friendly' iconoclast.

More like a hostile_iconoclast -- since you're giving our resident paste-and-run member a sadz with posts like this.

Have you no shame?

[DonP]

2. C'mon, everybody knows those FBI stats are BS from the NRA

The FBI must be in the pocket of the NRA, because they produce statistics that show that crime is still falling rapidly. Just like the 2013 CDC study on gun control that they all conveniently overlook.

So rapidly in fact, that it's getting more challenging for our control minded friends to find more dangerous countries to compare the US to without cooking the books and carefully selecting countries.

I saw one post in a GD thread last week that went on about the US suicide rate and guns, then without thinking or looking it up, compared us to gun free Japan. Whooops!

Someone was kind enough to quickly point out that error in judgement.

[pablo_marmol]

3. "Someone was kind enough to quickly point out that error in judgement."

Some Controller on Facebook mentioned the conspicuous signs at Japanese airports proclaiming Japan's "elevated" status by virtue of their "gun free" nation, suggesting that gunnerz heads would explode.

Someone had to point out that......

A) Gunnerz would just laugh at his post, (and the signs) and......

B) Japan is in no position to moralize, given their sky-high suicide rate

[DonP]

6. "Japan is in no position to moralize"

Not to mention it's been 70 years and their half-assed "apology" to Korea, "if it actually happened" for the thousands and thousands of "Comfort Girls" they kidnapped and forced into slavery and prostitution.

Still waiting for word on how they feel abut Nanking.

[Lurks Often]

4. But, but TIPPING POINT!!!!!!

Or not, so very blue Massachusetts is seeing a 44% increase over the last 5 years, while crime rates continue to drop.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

5. WHAT CAN WE LEARN HERE?

Has the NRA bought out the Boston Globe?

[pablo_marmol]

7. "Has the NRA bought out the Boston Globe?"

Why are you laughing, DIS? It's the only logical conclusion to be drawn from the available evidence.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

8. Were I a pro-control person, and I'm not...

...I'd use some pro-control logic to deduce that all 104,150 of those new class A licensees are sharing the same gun.