The Never Ending Story: More Guns, Less Crime
Preliminary crime numbers released by the FBI show that violent crime is down in 2009 for the third year in a row, all while gun sales have been through the roof.
The Bureau’s 2009 Uniform Crime Report shows a 5.5% decrease in violent crime from 2008 figures (which were near historic lows to begin with). Robbery fell by 8.1%, rape dropped 3.1%, and aggravated assault fell by 4.2%.
Meanwhile, the Bureau’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the system used to perform background checks for gun purchases, reported record numbers. There were 14,033,824 background checks in 2009, up from 12,709,023 in 2008 (which was up from 11,177,335 the year before that). Excise taxes collected by firearm and ammunition manufacturers during the fiscal year running from Oct. 1, 2008 to Sept. 30, 2009 were up 38.6% over the previous 12 months.
All signs point toward record gun sales, yet violent crime rates continue to tumble. Sorry about that, Sarah Brady!
Alaska: Number 8
In May, Alaska became the 8th state to pass a “Firearms Freedom Act” when Governor Sean Parnell signed the sucker. Based on a law first written in the great state of Montana, the law would exempt firearms manufactured, sold and retained in the state from all federal gun laws.
These laws set Alaska, Montana, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Arizona on a legal collision course with the federal government for an eventual courtroom showdown. Hopefully a states’ rights victory would strengthen not only the Second Amendment but the Tenth as well.
SOCOM Scraps SCAR
In a move sure to make M16-o-phobes like Bawb pull their hair out, the U.S. military's Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has unexpectedly pulled the plug on their replacement for their M16/M4 rifles. The “SCAR” rifle was available in both 5.56mm (Mk-16) and 7.62mm NATO (Mk-17) chambering, and had already been issued to some SOCOM units like the Army Rangers.
"The Mk-16 does not provide enough of a performance advantage over the M-4 to justify spending USSOCOM's limited … funds when competing priorities are taken into consideration," officials at USSOCOM told Military.com. In a hopeful sign, SOCOM will still purchase numbers of the 7.62mm Mk-17 version, I presume as some type of “designated marksman” weapon. It will also purchase the similar new Mk-20 Sniper Support Rifle.
Hopefully SOCOM will be so happy with their new rifles (even in limited numbers) that the whole military will get onboard and replace the M16. We can dream can’t we?
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4 comments:
I just want to wish you the best of cheer on the Supreme Court’s McDonald v. Chicago decision.
The only thing I don't understand is, what is it about the Second that is difficult to understand to the point where the decision wasn't unanimous?
Thanks Jim! I guess I should have waited one more day before I posted the ol' Gun Nut Roundup. I could have included the McDonald decision.
Jim,
According to the libs, the Constitution is a "living document"; it doesn't actually MEAN what it SAYS. Apparently this living document oozes around, sprouting new pustules and nodes and "rights" all the time, while shedding the original meaning. So, basically, the words and content of the Constitution actually mean whatever some liberal judge decides what they mean at the moment.
Pretty much the same here Bawb. The great prize of office is apart from what you can do to the people while they will let you, the ability to skew the (in our case) High Court for years to come with the sort of appointments that suit you.
On an optimistic note I just encountered this on Rasmussen Reports. 62% believe the constitution should remain unchanged, 24% want minor changes, but 39% believe the current document does not put enough restrictions on what the government can do. Thirty-four percent (34%), however, say 219-year-old “living document” puts about the right among of restrictions on government. Only 14% say the Constitution puts too many restrictions on what government can do.
I have a hell of a lot of respect and admiration for you guys.
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