Murder rate falls 10%

[Schadenfroh]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BK2KI20091221

Violent crime in the United States, including murder and robbery, dropped 4.4 percent in the first half of 2009 and property crime like car thefts also dropped, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Monday.

The number of murders fell 10 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2008, while robbery declined 6.5 percent and forcible rape dropped 3.3 percent, according to preliminary statistics released by the FBI.

This is great news, although I am not sure how high it was in 2008 versus previous years. Even during a recession, the violent crime rate drops. Fewer murders also means fewer executions and fewer prisoners. Hopefully, the trend will continue!

Oddly enough, it dropped despite increased gun sales.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889886,00.html

According to the SportsOneSource, a research firm that tracks the sporting-goods industry, firearms sales in large retail outlets are up 39% this year.

 

[Atreus21]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BK2KI20091221


This is great news, although I am not sure how high it was in 2008 versus previous years. Even during a recession, the violent crime rate drops. Fewer murders also means fewer executions and fewer prisoners. Hopefully, the trend will continue!

Oddly enough, it dropped despite increased gun sales.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889886,00.html

Kool and the gang.

An armed society is a polite society.

 

[Craig234]

Kool and the gang.

An armed society is a polite society.

Explains why the Japanese are so well known for being rowdy hooligans and their murder rate is so high.

Oh, wait, we are way above average on both guns and murders.

Thing is, of course, it might not be a straight line correlation.

Maybe from no guns to plenty of guns increases the number of murders up to a peak level, but when you add more guns so everyone has one you see a partial dropoff.

Why don't we do some scientific experiments and find out.

 

[BladeVenom]

Must be because of all those gun sales. Gun sales skyrocketed after Obama became President.

 

[Ausm]

That's because all the guns are going down to Mexico to supply the drug cartel

 

[Colt45]

cum hoc ergo propter hoc

 

[Genx87]

Explains why the Japanese are so well known for being rowdy hooligans and their murder rate is so high.

Oh, wait, we are way above average on both guns and murders.

Thing is, of course, it might not be a straight line correlation.

Maybe from no guns to plenty of guns increases the number of murders up to a peak level, but when you add more guns so everyone has one you see a partial dropoff.

Why don't we do some scientific experiments and find out.

They also have a population that consists of about 99% people of Japanese decent.

We have had enough real world scientific results to show an increase in gun ownership doesnt have any meaningful affect on increased gun violence.

 

[Genx87]

That's because all the guns are going down to Mexico to supply the drug cartel

Eric Holder, is that you?

I doubt drug cartels walk into a Cabelas and buy retail. Their guns come off cargo ships from despot regimes with excess inventory.

 

[spidey07]

With more and more states passing pro gun rights laws it's not a surprise.

But really for crime to decrease like that when it should be rising because of desperation/economy I really haven't a clue why it's lower. Maybe criminals know people are much more armed now, don't know.

 

[Jaskalas]

Maybe it was just too damn cold this year to go out and murder people.

 

[highland145]

Maybe it was just too damn cold this year to go out and murder people.

Yeah. Damn global warming.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Kool and the gang.

An armed society is a polite society.

Explains why the Japanese are so well known for being rowdy hooligans and their murder rate is so high.

Oh, wait, we are way above average on both guns and murders.

Thing is, of course, it might not be a straight line correlation.

Maybe from no guns to plenty of guns increases the number of murders up to a peak level, but when you add more guns so everyone has one you see a partial dropoff.

Why don't we do some scientific experiments and find out.

How about the fact that a homogeneous society has been shown to have less violence per capita.

 

[Slew Foot]

P&N>

Now that Bush isnt preisdent and not killing people, the murder rate is bound to go down

</P&N>

 

[Fear No Evil]

Where are all those 'angry conservatives' everyone talks about? Surely with a black President they should be out murdering in record #'s?

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Maybe it was just too damn cold this year to go out and murder people.

Global warming?!

P&N>

Now that Bush isnt preisdent and not killing people, the murder rate is bound to go down

</P&N>

LOL!

Where are all those 'angry conservatives' everyone talks about? Surely with a black President they should be out murdering in record #'s?

Double LOL! RIGHT WING MILITIAS!!!!oneeleven11!1!

Some good ones in this thread.

 

[HumblePie]

It's because we are all still in awe that our president has a nobel peace prize and it has rubbed off on everyone!

Had to troll

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I suspect there is some psychology behind this to some extent from having the first black president elected. Some hope and change if you will.

 

[woolfe9999]

I know it's boring, but the explanation may turn out to have no political implication favoring either party:

"ABCNews.com is reporting that the crime and murder rate reduction can be partially attributed to authorities focusing on repeat offenders, the utilization of innovative crime mapping technology and the strategic placement of surveillance cameras in high-crime areas. Criminologist James Fox commented on the crime rate reduction by saying, &#8220;Police certainly are much more strategic but also we continue to put large numbers of people in prison for long periods of time. The segment of the population over age 50 is the fastest growing and the nation continues to age.&#8221;

- wolf

 

[marincounty]

Dick Cheney is out walking the streets.

 

[ShawnD1]

Maybe from no guns to plenty of guns increases the number of murders up to a peak level, but when you add more guns so everyone has one you see a partial dropoff.

Why don't we do some scientific experiments and find out.

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world (link) but the crime is very low. USA has very high gun ownership but very high crime.
There doesn't seem to be any correlation between guns and crime.

edit:
seems weird that Switzerland requires men to own a gun but the US still has twice as many guns. wtf?

 

[spidey07]

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world (link) but the crime is very low. USA has very high gun ownership but very high crime.
There doesn't seem to be any correlation between guns and crime.

edit:
seems weird that Switzerland requires men to own a gun but the US still has twice as many guns. wtf?

Most gun owners have more than one. Also a homogenous society of white people doesn't commit a lot of crime anyway so it's not a good comparison.

 

[piasabird]

Add in all the abortion murders.

It is highly possible that the method of reporting and statistics have changed under the current administrations.

 

[ShawnD1]

Add in all the abortion murders.

It is highly possible that the method of reporting and statistics have changed under the current administrations.

I'm actually surprised that stats on this are readily available for so many countries.

USA - 19.4 per 1000 women in 2005
Switzerland - 7 per 1000 women in 2005
Canada - 14.1 per 1000 women in 2005

lol @ the US having an astoundingly high abortion rate. One would think it wouldn't be so common since the US is the most religious first world nation.

 

[Robor]

Where are all those 'angry conservatives' everyone talks about? Surely with a black President they should be out murdering in record #'s?

Odd you should mention that... My republican wingnut friend often hints at violent revolution on the horizon. :\

 

[Zebo]

Good news especially considering economy at the margins.