The Anti Gun Myth: Debunked

The liberal media and pundits have been promoting their typical fear tactics by attempting to link Obama's weak economy and high unemployment to higher crime rates. The fact is that crime has been declining for the last decade due to numerous factors. The lowest crime rates in history have occurred during the great depressions and recessions. It is during these difficult times that Americans bond together to help one another. This is also the case today, although our culture has deviated from the family values and unwritten moral codes that made this country great.

The technology of current times has made crime more difficult due to extensive video surveillance, phone cameras, security systems in cars and homes, and the trend for more Americans to arm themselves in accordance with their second amendment rights. It has always been a paradox that the States and Cities that restrict and or ban personal gun protection are usually the areas that experience the most violent crimes. To cite examples one only has to review the crime statistics of Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles to name a few. Chicago has had fifty-four shootings in one two week period in June of this year. The ban on handguns has not had any effect on the crime rate in Chicago. A recent Supreme Court ruling, upheld the right of individuals to possess handguns to protect themselves and already the liberal media has reiterated its' mantra that guns kill and it is not the criminals that are the perpetrators. Chicago officials saw the legal writing on the wall when the Supreme Court invalidated Washington, D.C.'s gun ban two years ago. So Mayor Richard Daley said he wasn't surprised but disappointed when the Supreme Court made it clear that Chicago's 28-year-old ban on handguns will eventually come to an end.

Citizens should realize that the states that allow concealed carry permits or open carry weapons have the lowest violent crime rates in the country. As it is with drugs, if guns were illegal there is an additional incentive that makes it more profitable to traffic weapons. Our government has thousands of laws on the books that restrict sales to criminals and those who are not responsible to carry weapons and like most government bureaucracies they are not able to effectively enforce the laws that are already in place. This should be no surprise to anyone familiar with government run programs.

As a law abiding citizen, I am more comfortable knowing that there are many typical citizens that walk our streets armed. The majority of legal gun owners enjoy their right to carry with responsibility. Depriving this second amendment right will escalate the number of illegal weapons until only the criminals will have weapons.

Fortunately, most Americans believe that everyone has the right to bear arms within the context of common sense law. While the liberal left media and its' supporters attempt to frighten people with violence if gun rights are honored, the reality is that our country will be stronger and safer if our second amendment rights are protected and upheld. The reality is that our culture has become saturated with the philosophy that big government will be able to protect us in regards to crime. The fact remains is that the majority of Americans prefer to be able to have the option to defend themselves from the criminals in society. If there were more accounts in the media where a personal weapon has saved the life of a law-abiding citizen, then the truth about gun ownership would be reflected in its true context.

Matt D.

CCWByState.com

The #1 Concealed Weapon Resource on the web [http://www.ccwbystate.com]CCW Reciprocity Map

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Anti-Gun-Myth:-Debunked&id=6327915] The Anti-Gun Myth: Debunked