John Stossel says guns SAVE lives

[sjfcontrol]

Here's the article:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php? ... ID=1465559" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nothing new for us, but he admits that he USED to believe the "guns are evil" crowd.

[Leroy]

Finally someone in the media with a brain!!

[rbftfire]

Imagine that. I to him for acknowledging that he was previously wrong.

[Cobra Medic]

Cops think so too. That's why they carry guns.

[idrathernot]

He did some really good work with the documentary "Stupid in America"

Really paints a clear picture of teacher's unions.

[aaangel]

John Stossel says guns SAVE live

remember this one... what's even baffling is it's on ABC's 20/20??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyoLuTjguJA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[duns]

I don't think he has presented enough information to demonstrate his conclusion. Anecdotal evidence like Luby's in Killeen doesn't cut it. He argues that a drop in crime occurred when gun laws were relaxed in the USA -- but he doesn't define 'crime' , he presents no statistics, and he does not present any argument to show cause and effect as opposed to mere correlation. He also states that more burglaries occur when residents are home in Canada and the UK than in the USA -- may be true but burglaries are not the same as lives lost. His article is very superficial to put it politely.

[Purplehood]

Didn't he move to FOX News recently? /cough

[Douva]

I don't think he has presented enough information to demonstrate his conclusion. Anecdotal evidence like Luby's in Killeen doesn't cut it. He argues that a drop in crime occurred when gun laws were relaxed in the USA -- but he doesn't define 'crime' , he presents no statistics, and he does not present any argument to show cause and effect as opposed to mere correlation. He also states that more burglaries occur when residents are home in Canada and the UK than in the USA -- may be true but burglaries are not the same as lives lost. His article is very superficial to put it politely.

Unfortunately, too many right-to-carry supporters/gun rights advocates take that approach. I recently posted a blog where I called out Students for Concealed Carry on Campus for releasing a similarly weak essay arguing that crime on college campuses is on the rise. All of us must demand better from those who carry the gun rights torch.

Tonight's episode of Stossel (Fox Business News) is supposed to feature a round table debate on gun control, including guests like John Lott (author of More Guns, Less Crime), Paul Helmke (President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence), and David Burnett (Director of Public Relations for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus). I'm not sure what time the show airs (the SCCC press release says 8 PM EDT/7 PM CDT, the Fox Business Network website says 9 PM EDT/8 PM CDT, and my local listings say 12 AM EDT / 11 AM EDT), so you may have to do a little work (or sett your DVR to record three separate hours of programming) if you want to be certain that you see it.

[aggie06]

I'm watching Stossel's show right now. The segment on concealed carry on campus is interesting. I have never understood how people can ignore logic to form these asinine opinions that "gun free" zones do not become a target rich environments.

[baldeagle]

I don't think he has presented enough information to demonstrate his conclusion. Anecdotal evidence like Luby's in Killeen doesn't cut it. He argues that a drop in crime occurred when gun laws were relaxed in the USA -- but he doesn't define 'crime' , he presents no statistics, and he does not present any argument to show cause and effect as opposed to mere correlation. He also states that more burglaries occur when residents are home in Canada and the UK than in the USA -- may be true but burglaries are not the same as lives lost. His article is very superficial to put it politely.

Go read John Lott's book, to which Stossel refers. Everything Stossel states is supported in Lott's extensive work on the issue. Lott has shown conclusively (to all but those who refuse to face facts) that gun ownership reduces crime. You can't make the kinds of arguments that Lott makes in a 500 word opinion piece. Lott has done the work and his work remains unrefuted. All Stossel is doing is reporting the results of Lott's research.

[aggie06]

I don't think he has presented enough information to demonstrate his conclusion. Anecdotal evidence like Luby's in Killeen doesn't cut it. He argues that a drop in crime occurred when gun laws were relaxed in the USA -- but he doesn't define 'crime' , he presents no statistics, and he does not present any argument to show cause and effect as opposed to mere correlation. He also states that more burglaries occur when residents are home in Canada and the UK than in the USA -- may be true but burglaries are not the same as lives lost. His article is very superficial to put it politely.

Go read John Lott's book, to which Stossel refers. Everything Stossel states is supported in Lott's extensive work on the issue. Lott has shown conclusively (to all but those who refuse to face facts) that gun ownership reduces crime. You can't make the kinds of arguments that Lott makes in a 500 word opinion piece. Lott has done the work and his work remains unrefuted. All Stossel is doing is reporting the results of Lott's research.

Agreed - Lott's book has all the definitions and statistics you could ever want.

[duns]

I don't think he has presented enough information to demonstrate his conclusion. Anecdotal evidence like Luby's in Killeen doesn't cut it. He argues that a drop in crime occurred when gun laws were relaxed in the USA -- but he doesn't define 'crime' , he presents no statistics, and he does not present any argument to show cause and effect as opposed to mere correlation. He also states that more burglaries occur when residents are home in Canada and the UK than in the USA -- may be true but burglaries are not the same as lives lost. His article is very superficial to put it politely.

Go read John Lott's book, to which Stossel refers. Everything Stossel states is supported in Lott's extensive work on the issue.

I've read Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime" and it is an excellent book. I still think Stossel's article was sloppy.