IL Criminals should consider career change.

[we are not amused]

Okay wana, what research actually substantiates more guns equals less crime? You claim it is out there but failed to cite specifics. I will embrace the study that shows an actual causative affect and not just correlations.

First of all J.R.Lott and D. B.Mustard. 1997. Crime, deterrence, and right-to-carry concealed handguns. Journal of Legal Studies 26: 1-68.

_______1998. The concealed handgun debate. Journal of Legal Studies 27: 221-243

J.R. Lott. 1998, 2001, More guns, Less crime: understanding crime and gun-control laws. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

Those are the two most famous, there are many others.

An interesting, and very good review of the debate was done by Econ Journal Watch in their Sept, 2008 paper.They have a downloadable Adobe document available at
http://econjwatch.org/articles/the-debate-on-shall-issue-laws

where they compare several pro-carry studies with several anti-carry papers.
Their conclusion was that concealed carry works.

Have you any comparable studies?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Okay, these again. Basically, they are still looking at simple correlations without reference to significant other factors such as socio-economic variables. This was a MAJOR flaw with Lott's work and is perpetuated.

More over, the likes of the last study doesn't actually go beyond this level, but does correctly argue that more guns does not equal more crime, which is true. The causative factor either way is not the guns themselves.

Moreover, these studies fail to explain why it is that crime has been dropping over multi-year trends in states that are not shall issue. They fail to explain why some states that are very pro-gun shall issue have some of the most dangerous places to live, such as Tennessee.

Again, it isn't the guns that are the issue. Correlations are not causations.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Christian is used in the south as a semi-synonym for Protestant. In KY it generally means all the Christian churches that aren't Catholic, Episcopal or perhaps Mormon. I'm sure no offense was intended.

Hasn't the well-established nationwide trend been that crime drops in states when CCW is implemented? I see no reason to expect IL to be any different.

When you consider that the population areas where most of the crimes happen still have major hurdles in place for carry in public the effect is likely to be very small.

Criminals may be a lot of things but they are not stupid... Why would they ply their trade in a place like Peotone or Watseka where there may be people packing when 45 minutes on the interstate they can be in Chicago where the man on the street is unlikely to even have an effective knife?

 

[Warp]

That is a drop in the bucket, and chances are most of those people won't be carrying regularly.

One of them is my FIL...and he isn't going to carry. "Doesn't need to carry a gun".

He only needs a gun in a safe in the closet.

Because, you know, violent criminals only attack you in your bedroom.