[Oni]

Read a few articles and stumbled across a really old one. Poorly written anti-gun articles are pretty common, but this one (from 2012) was so bias it was painful to read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonk...australia/

They only provide a graph showing that "firearm suicides" are less common in Australia after the buy-back.
That doesn't mean suicides or homicides are any less common as a result. It doesn't imply a suicidal person won't find a different means, either.


Of course, if you do a buy-back program and introduce gun control, firearm suicides will decrease.
As the article said, "other studies are more hesitant to draw conclusions about homicides, but generally agree that the law did a lot to reduce suicides." Again, they don't provide evidence showing the actual rate of suicides went down.

Below is a graph, showing the actual suicide rate each year:

https://audit.wa.gov.au/reports-and-publ...ackground/

These rates are not specific to firearm suicides.
In 2011 (more than 15 years after the buy-back and increased regulation), there were 15.3 per 100,000 male suicides in Australia. In 2012, there were 20.3 per 100,000 in the United States. Additionally, it's worth mentioning that very few people actually used firearms for suicide.

Not only that, but below I have provided a graph suggesting that the murder rate (not necessarily firearm-related) didn't change all that much either. Especially since the buy-back was around '95-'96. It's also worth noting that the amount of manslaughters seems to follow the same pattern.

http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide.html

Any thoughts?

[ねこまっしぐら]

If a government limits guns, it will only make it harder for the law abiding citizens.

[roger_smith]

i honestly have a hard time reading a lot of the anti gun horse shit out there. Mainly because it's often clear the author has never even seen a real gun, let alone shot one.

At the end of the day, we have the right to bear arms enumerated in our country's constitution; in the same bill of rights as freedom of speech and the rest. As far as I'm concerned, the 2A protects "new" firearms just like the 1A protects free speech on blogs/forums/the internet. I feel like Anti's are quick to want to gut the 2A and seem to forget the 2A protects the 1A they love to defend so much.

I've been way too close for comfort to gun violence, and it's that exposure to gun violence that mad me decide I need to exercise my right to self defense. Thankfully I've never had to, but there have been at least 2 close calls.

In the end, people who want to commit suicide will find a way, be it gun, knife, car exhaust, toaster, suicide by cop, the list goes on.

[ねこまっしぐら]

i honestly have a hard time reading a lot of the anti gun horse shit out there. Mainly because it's often clear the author has never even seen a real gun, let alone shot one.

At the end of the day, we have the right to bear arms enumerated in our country's constitution; in the same bill of rights as freedom of speech and the rest. As far as I'm concerned, the 2A protects "new" firearms just like the 1A protects free speech on blogs/forums/the internet. I feel like Anti's are quick to want to gut the 2A and seem to forget the 2A protects the 1A they love to defend so much.

I've been way too close for comfort to gun violence, and it's that exposure to gun violence that mad me decide I need to exercise my right to self defense. Thankfully I've never had to, but there have been at least 2 close calls.

In the end, people who want to commit suicide will find a way, be it gun, knife, car exhaust, toaster, suicide by cop, the list goes on.

Exactly! Like a lot of people say, guns are just tools. It just depends on how you use it.

[Satan]

Someone who has no problem killing another person with malice with a gun would have no problem breaking the law to obtain said gun. People who are willing to take their own life with a gun are just as likely to take just as quick methods to take their life.

All you do is remove an avenue. Not the source or the problem itself.

[Oni]

Someone who has no problem killing another person with malice with a gun would have no problem breaking the law to obtain said gun. People who are willing to take their own life with a gun are just as likely to take just as quick methods to take their life.

All you do is remove an avenue. Not the source or the problem itself.

To be honest, people use whatever. Robin Williams died by asphyxiation. Doesn't mean we should ban long cords, cables, or ropes - which are all useful tools.

[roger_smith]

To be honest, people use whatever. Robin Williams died by asphyxiation. Doesn't mean we should ban long cords, cables, or ropes - which are all useful tools.

i mean we should probably register them though

[lux]

i mean we should probably register them though

"You uh... You got a license for that USB cable?"

[Dyme]

Wow Oni nice detective work in exposing these deceitful left-wing extremists who are trying to poison our youth!! You found a biased online article that spreads false information in order to push a political agenda? Insane!!! If you want more try checking out http://www.foxnews.com/ , you might find something else like this...

[roger_smith]

@Dyme I don't think it's so much shocking that he found a bias article. I think it's more about how irritating such articles are.