Allow me to begin this article by offering my condolences to the families affected by the mind-numbing events of the past two weeks on the campuses of Umpqua Community College, Northern Arizona University and Texas Southern University.
These shootings have once again sparked the national debate on gun control. As both sides are deeply entrenched in their views, we need to examine what policies are most effective at reducing gun violence while at the same time preserving our individual rights to bear arms.
One of the most highly-touted potential solutions to gun violence in America has been background checks for the purchase of any gun. Under federal law background checks are required for purchases from registered dealers. Background checks are not, however, required for private sales such as those at gun shows, which some estimate to be 40 percent of the gun sales.
Studies to the efficacy of universal background checks have been inconclusive, largely due to the fact that such laws are often bundled with a number of other regulations. However, Missouri discontinued its gun-ownership permit system in 2007, which required background checks. During the next five years, the state’s annual gun murder rate increased by 16 percent, according to a study from Johns Hopkins University.
In contrast, Connecticut introduced a similar permit-to-purchase law with background checks in 1995 and saw an estimated reduction in gun homicides by 40 percent, according to a similar study.
The National Rifle Association and its members might be quick to point out that Chicago has an incredibly high rate of gun violence, yet reside in Illinois, which has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the United States. Until the Illinois’ Supreme Court struck down some of these laws as unconstitutional, gun sales in Chicago were entirely prohibited and concealed carry was also illegal throughout the state. Today, Illinois still requires gun owners to obtain a permit that include background checks.
However, Indiana is chock-full of gun stores and some of the most relaxed gun regulations in the country. In light of this, it should come as a surprise to no one that as of 2014, as many as 60 percent of the guns recovered by the Chicago Police Department were from across the border.
What doesn’t work, however, is giving the “good guys” more guns for self-defense. A study by the National Crime Victimization Survey found that of 14,000 incidents of mugging, assault and other crimes, a gun was brandished in self-defense only 127 times. Revealing that the victim had a gun didn’t reduce their likelihood of injury, but instead reduced their chance of property loss. Meaning flashing a gun to a perp doesn’t help the safety of life but the safety of material items.
So, the next time you find yourself bashing those left-wing or right-wing nut jobs, take a moment to look at the data and educate yourself about what could effectively and constitutionally reduce gun violence in America.
mccinkos@indiana.edu
@matthewcinkoske
