Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
From: [d--a--p] at [lsid.hp.com] (Dean Payne)
Subject: Re: Handgun Control, Inc., Fact Card
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1993 22:38:58 GMT

[adametz dal] at [csusys.ctstateu.edu] wrote:
>Anyway, for your entertainment, here it is (any misspellings are mine)...
Here are some reminders.
>***************** HANDGUN CONTROL FACT CARD *******************

>In 1983 handguns killed ... 6 in Canada ...

There were 78 handgun homicides in Canada in 1983, according to the
Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, "Homicide in Canada" 1976-1985.

A more recent newspaper article lists 68 in 1990, and 136 in 1991.

>As further evidence, a 1977 law froze the number of handguns in Washington 
>D.C., and independent studies (one by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the
>other by a Justice Department analyst) showed that after the law took effect
>handgun deaths in the District of Columbia fell 30%. 

According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports figures, from 1976 to 1991, DCs
overall homicide rate (including non-handgun killings) rose 198%.  The
national rate rose 11% over the same period.

>THE SECOND AMENDMENT

>According to the American Bar Association, "In addition to the four decisions
>in which the Supreme Court has construed the amendment, every federal court 
>decision involving the amendment has given the amendment a collective, militia 
>interpretation and/or held that firearms control laws are constitutional.

None of those Supreme Court decisions gave the amendment a collective
interpretation.  Only some federal courts have done so. 

A more recent Supreme Court decision suggested that "the people"
protected by this amendment are the same "the people" protected by
several other amendments.

>Even more important, on October 3, 1983, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal
>by the National Rifle Association to overturn the historic Morton Grove 
>handgun control ordinance.

Note that HCI is using "handgun control" as synonymous with "handgun ban".

>   The Court's decision reaffirmed American's right to control handguns.

Supreme Court refusal to take any case affirms nothing.

>* In 1985, [...handguns...]; 1,200 were killed accidentally.

This figure is composed mostly of long-gun accidents.

>* In 1983, 14,724 Americans committed suicides with handguns.

Five of the six countries listed in the homicide comparison above
(Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, and Australia) have higher overall
suicide rates than does the U.S.

>* in 1984, more than 1.6 million handguns were produced in the United States.
>Studies show that these 1.6 million handguns will eventually be involved
>in 600,000 acts of violence.

... and 645,000 defenses against violence.  (N.B. - don't make the
mistake of claiming that the later number is larger than the former.
The sample size wasn't large enough to claim that this figure is
significantly different.)

Dean