damien
Member
OK, you have all probably read quotes like this one ABC News a few years ago. This is the crux of their argument for banning semi-automatic rifles.
The FBI has kept crime data per weapon type for the last four years. The final data for 2008 came out today. What weapons does Dennis Henigan think are 'super dangerous'? I don't know, but I expect that he is talking about “black” rifles like the civilian semi-automatic versions of the AR-15 and AK-47. If semi-automatic rifles are 'super dangerous', I suppose we would either see that in the data or there is something wrong in Dennis Henigan's assumptions. The data below tends to indicate that Dennis Henigan's assumptions are wrong. We need to emphasize these numbers in the media. They destroy his argument, and there are four years of data now:
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2005"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,860
Total handgun murders: 7,543 50.8% of total
Total rifle murders: 442 3.0% of total
Total shotgun murders: 517 3.5% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,598 10.6% of total
Total knife murders: 1,914 12.9% of total
Total other weapons: 1,954 13.1% of total
Total no weapon murders: 892 6.0% of total
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2006"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,990
Total handgun murders: 7,795 52.0% of total
Total rifle murders: 436 2.9% of total
Total shotgun murders: 481 3.2% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,465 9.8% of total
Total knife murders: 1,822 12.2% of total
Total other weapons: 2,158 14.4% of total
Total no weapon murders: 833 5.6% of total
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2007"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,831
Total handgun murders: 7,361 49.6% of total
Total rifle murders: 450 3.0% of total
Total shotgun murders: 455 3.1% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,820 12.3% of total
Total knife murders: 1,796 12.1% of total
Total other weapons: 2,095 14.1% of total
Total no weapon murders: 854 5.7% of total
"by State, Type of Weapons, 2008"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,180
Total handgun murders: 6,755 47.6% of total
Total rifle murders: 375 2.6% of total
Total shotgun murders: 444 3.1% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,910 13.5% of total
Total knife murders: 1,897 13.4% of total
Total other weapons: 1,938 13.7% of total
Total no weapon murders: 861 6.1% of total
So what is this telling us? It looks to me that there are several things we can take away from this data:
1. The percent of murders committed with all rifles, not just semiautomatic rifles, but all rifles including bolt actions, lever actions, single shots, and all other types account for less than 3% of murders. And over the last four years, this small percentage is showing a downward trend. The number of murders actually committed with semi-automatic rifles is clearly even lower. I would ask The Brady Campaign to try to support its assertion that rifles of any type are 'super dangerous' weapons.
2. Rifles represent the lowest danger of all weapon types, including hands and feet. The number of murders committed with no weapons at all is more than double the number of murders committed with rifles in 2008. The number of murders committed with a knife or other edged weapon is more than quintuple the number of murders committed with rifles. The number of murders committed with a blunt weapon is also more than quintuple the number of murders committed with rifles. In fact, a person is more than twelve times more likely to be murdered with a knife, blunt object, or no weapon at all as compared to a rifle.
3. Despite the fact that these weapons are said to be 'super dangerous' and are also said to be "increasingly used by criminals" by the Brady Campaign (I would like a quote for this but I can't find it), the percentage of murders committed with all rifles dropped from 3.0% to 2.6% between 2005 and 2008.
The FBI has kept crime data per weapon type for the last four years. The final data for 2008 came out today. What weapons does Dennis Henigan think are 'super dangerous'? I don't know, but I expect that he is talking about “black” rifles like the civilian semi-automatic versions of the AR-15 and AK-47. If semi-automatic rifles are 'super dangerous', I suppose we would either see that in the data or there is something wrong in Dennis Henigan's assumptions. The data below tends to indicate that Dennis Henigan's assumptions are wrong. We need to emphasize these numbers in the media. They destroy his argument, and there are four years of data now:
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2005"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,860
Total handgun murders: 7,543 50.8% of total
Total rifle murders: 442 3.0% of total
Total shotgun murders: 517 3.5% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,598 10.6% of total
Total knife murders: 1,914 12.9% of total
Total other weapons: 1,954 13.1% of total
Total no weapon murders: 892 6.0% of total
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2006"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,990
Total handgun murders: 7,795 52.0% of total
Total rifle murders: 436 2.9% of total
Total shotgun murders: 481 3.2% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,465 9.8% of total
Total knife murders: 1,822 12.2% of total
Total other weapons: 2,158 14.4% of total
Total no weapon murders: 833 5.6% of total
"by State, Type of Weapon, 2007"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,831
Total handgun murders: 7,361 49.6% of total
Total rifle murders: 450 3.0% of total
Total shotgun murders: 455 3.1% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,820 12.3% of total
Total knife murders: 1,796 12.1% of total
Total other weapons: 2,095 14.1% of total
Total no weapon murders: 854 5.7% of total
"by State, Type of Weapons, 2008"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_20.html
Total murders: 14,180
Total handgun murders: 6,755 47.6% of total
Total rifle murders: 375 2.6% of total
Total shotgun murders: 444 3.1% of total
Total unknown firearm murders: 1,910 13.5% of total
Total knife murders: 1,897 13.4% of total
Total other weapons: 1,938 13.7% of total
Total no weapon murders: 861 6.1% of total
So what is this telling us? It looks to me that there are several things we can take away from this data:
1. The percent of murders committed with all rifles, not just semiautomatic rifles, but all rifles including bolt actions, lever actions, single shots, and all other types account for less than 3% of murders. And over the last four years, this small percentage is showing a downward trend. The number of murders actually committed with semi-automatic rifles is clearly even lower. I would ask The Brady Campaign to try to support its assertion that rifles of any type are 'super dangerous' weapons.
2. Rifles represent the lowest danger of all weapon types, including hands and feet. The number of murders committed with no weapons at all is more than double the number of murders committed with rifles in 2008. The number of murders committed with a knife or other edged weapon is more than quintuple the number of murders committed with rifles. The number of murders committed with a blunt weapon is also more than quintuple the number of murders committed with rifles. In fact, a person is more than twelve times more likely to be murdered with a knife, blunt object, or no weapon at all as compared to a rifle.
3. Despite the fact that these weapons are said to be 'super dangerous' and are also said to be "increasingly used by criminals" by the Brady Campaign (I would like a quote for this but I can't find it), the percentage of murders committed with all rifles dropped from 3.0% to 2.6% between 2005 and 2008.
