Why People Fear Guns by John Lott

[Columbia]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,107274,00.html

People fear guns. Yet, while guns make it easier for bad things to happen, they also make it easier for people to protect themselves.

With the avalanche of horrific news stories about guns over the years, it's no wonder people find it hard to believe that, according to surveys (one I conducted for 2002 for my book, "The Bias Against Guns," and three earlier academic surveys by different researchers published in such journals as the Journal of Criminal Justice) there are about two million defensive gun uses each year; guns are used defensively four times more frequently than they are to commit crimes.

The rebuttal to this claim always is: If these events were really happening, wouldn't we hear about them on the news? Many people tell me that they have never heard of an incident of defensive gun use. There is a good reason for their confusion. In 2001, the three major television networks -- ABC, CBS, and NBC -- ran 190,000 words' worth of gun-crime stories on their morning and evening national news broadcasts. But they ran not a single story mentioning a private citizen using a gun to stop a crime...

[brainshrub]

1. I fear guns because of the "getting-my-ass-killed" problem. (nt)

[SmokingLoon]

12. Why do you fear "getting-(your)-ass-killed"

Do you think that people are trying to kill you?

[iverglas]

13. why do you ask?

"Do you think that people are trying to kill you?"

Are you hoping that someone will think there is some basis for asking whether s/he is a delusional paranoid?

Could you not think of any other question that would be reasonably prompted by what s/he said?

Am I hoping that someone will get the impression that I think you asked the question in order to discredit the poster by baseless insinuation rather than in order to elicit information and engage in a civil discourse?

Hey, don't ask me. I just ask the questions. Everybody can just draw whatever wild and crazy conclusions s/he likes, eh?

.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

2. Here's my questions

In how many of these cases would a gun need to be used "Defensivly", if the assilant didn't have a gun to begin with?

Also.. how many muggings etc. occur using guns that did not result in gun violence (but still resulted in a crime)

There's a serious flaw in logic to this article.

[MrSandman]

4. From a better source...

SCHULMAN: So in approximately five sixths of the cases somebody carrying a gun for defensive reasons would find themselves defending themselves either against an unarmed attacker or an attacker with a lesser weapon?

KLECK: Right. About five-sixths of the time.

SCHULMAN: And about one-sixth of the time they would find themselves up against somebody who's armed with a firearm.

KLECK: Well, certainly in this sample of incidents that was the case.
http://www.beast-enterprises.com/kleck.html

[CO Liberal]

9. Typical Logic From John "Cook The Books" Lott

Flawed and bogus through and through.......

[1a2b3c]

14. many

A 105 pound female with a black belt in whatever wouldnt stand a chance if i decided to rape her.

[Wonk]

3. Mary Rosh isn't a reliable source for anything but fertilizer.

http://www.whoismaryrosh.com/
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22John+Lott%22+%22Mary+Rosh%22

[MrBenchley]

5. Does the RKBA crowd EVER read anything sane people read?

You'll notice any time these guys pull out a source, it's some right wing piece of shit like Rupert Murdoch or the Reverend Moon.

[Columbia]

6. Did you even read the article?

It has a very simple premise: the media chooses not to report on defensive gun uses, which in turn affects public opinion on guns and portrays them as only instruments of crime.

[MrBenchley]

7. Hahahahahahaha...

How desperate do you have to be to buy that crap?

Desperate enough to think Mary Rosh is a real scientist, I guess.

[CO Liberal]

10. No Need to Read Anything By John Lott

It's crap - absolute, worthless crap. Just like anything else that worthless scumbag has ever written.

To use the old analogy I've used on this board many times, you don't need to go down in to a sewer to know that it's full of shit. The same hold true for any article writted by John "Cook The Books" Lott.

[CO Liberal]

8. "Why People Should Fear John Lott" by CO Liberal

He's an asshole.

He's bought and paid for by the Olin Foundation, which pays for his undeserved professor's chair.

He's employed by Faux News.

He's a frequent guest on virtually every right-wing talk show.

He's an asshole.

He's quoted in numerous columns by another worthless so-called professor, the moronic Thomas Sowell.

His "findings" have been disputed on numerous occasions.

He helped "prove" that Pretzelboy won the election if Florida in 2000.

Did I mention that he's an asshole?

[MrBenchley]

11. He's synonymous with academic fraud

And of course the RKBA crowd drags him out at the drop of a hat.

[1a2b3c]

15. but he hasnt been forced to resign yet. nt

[Aunt Eunice]

16. Is John Lott..

.. the discredited prof who was fired from Emory for falsifying his book?

[demsrule4life]

18. No it was Michael A. Bellesiles

The darling of the anti-gun crowd until it was discovered his book was nothing but a pack of lies.

[grayrace]

17. didn't he have to leave to go work at the AEI?

[CO Liberal]

19. Not Yet.......

But eventually, the university will wise up and stop taking the Olin Foundation's money for keeping that scumbag on the payroll.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Moderator]

21. locking--flamebait

have a wonderful day

[Superfly]

22. You do the same

nt