Study: Allowing Ex-Criminals to Legally Own Guns Drives Up Violence

[SecularMotion]

According to a new study at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, state gun laws that allow some criminals to own guns, legally, is contributing to the high rate of gun violence in the U.S.

U.S. gun homicide rates are 22 times higher than the average of all other high-income countries. Guns were used to kill more than 31,000 people in the United States in 2010, reports RawStory.com.

According to the report, 13 states that have gun laws that allow people, who have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes or convicted of violent felony crimes in juvenile court, to own guns.

“Federal gun laws allow private gun sellers to sell their guns with no questions asked of purchasers or proof that the purchaser has passed a criminal background check. Survey research shows that 82 percent of gun owners want that loophole fixed.”

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/guns/study-allowing-ex-criminals-legally-own-guns-drives-violence

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. focusing on punishment rather than rehabilitation cause society a lot of problems -

making so many laws causes so many criminals.

justice for the poor.

mercy for the rich.

[safeinOhio]

2. Are you also talking about domestic violence crimes?

Take one anger management class, or none and be able to buy, own and carry a handgun? Just forget that all crimes are committed by criminals.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. wow. that is deep. I must ponder on this:

"...all crimes are committed by criminals."

truly.

[slackmaster]

4. Federal law REQUIRES private sales to be made with no proof of a criminal background check

Congress can fix that by making NICS available to non-licensees.

[gejohnston]

5. unless this study was done in 1937

Last edited Sun Oct 28, 2012, 01:11 PM - Edit history (2)

it is certainly a Joyce shill study. The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 made it a federal crime for felons to possess any firearm, the Gun Control Act made it a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. Federal law always trumps state law, so ex-criminals can not legally own guns. If Tom DeLay gets caught with a gun even in Arizona, he goes back to prison.

Edit to add: while the private seller isn't necessarily committing a crime, the buyer is. Thus, the former felon isn't legally buying.
For example, if Tom DeLay buys a gun from my son, Tom DeLay committed a felony. My son has no idea who DeLay is and would have no reason to think he was a bad guy or not a resident of our state.
It would be a crime for me to sell the gun to Tom DeLay, because I know who he is and that he is a felon and not a Florida resident.
Either way, DeLay committed a crime.

[Eleanors38]

6. "Federal law allows..." Actually law can't restrict private sales, that being a state

Matter. Perhaps this Boomberg-sponsored research should devote more efforts at the state level instead of relying on the feds to determine social policy.

[gejohnston]

7. sounds like Bloomburg is following

Joyce's and the Kochs' echo chamber model.

[ManiacJoe]

8. The article does not support its headline.

Anyone have a copy of the study to see if it supports the headline or not?

[petronius]

9. I assume it's the white paper listed under October 2012:

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/publications/