John R. Lott, Jr. Quote

“If the rest of the country had adopted right-to-carry concealed-handgun provisions in 1992, about 1,500 murders and 4,000 rapes would have been avoided.”

~ John R. Lott, Jr.

More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998), p. 159

Ratings and Comments


glyn, weems

A line from 'THE GOOD,THE BAD AND THE UGLY: "There are those who have guns and those who dig".

Mark, Pismo Beach

I agree 100%

Mike, Norwalk

I guess by Anonymous' thumbs down above he/she/it is for murder, rape, and loss of inalienable rights (including self defense).

Anonymous, Reston, VA, US

And a far larger number would have been newly caused, for a net increase... a bad deal.

Jim, Stone Mountain, GA

“The more you believe it, the more you will see signs that it is true.” -- Old adage (if you can find a reference for this quote let me know)

cal, lewisville, tx

In the state of Texas since we were allowed to carry guns only one person with a CHP has ever been charged with murder. This quote is proven.

J Carlton, Calgary

Florida was the first to implement conceal carry laws and their crime rate plummeted 50% in the first 3 years. Meanwhile the cities with handgun bans still have the highest crime rate...go figure.

Justin, Elkland

It would have been great to have lived in the days of feudalism as a serf. Murder and rape were impossible in the days before guns were invented, and no village was ever burned and no city ever razed.

RBESRQ
  • Reply
RBESRQ    1/26/11

This is really terrible misinformation of the type befitting Glen Beck and his ilk. America is the most armed nation in the world and yet we have the most murders, etc, etc. And the most people in prisons. If we all had concealed guns there would be more deaths, more murders, more crime. Just look at the fact. Americans talk tough as long as they have a gun.

Mike, Norwalk

Robert, I'm not a fan of Glenn Beck but, are you saying that those that are, are uninformed, irresponsible, gun toting criminals or, just of that ilk? Your examples are worse than the statistics given. Most murders happen in areas where there are the greatest laws against guns and have the greatest recipients of the dole. Most people in prison are there on non-gun related charges. I read just a couple of months ago in an Amnesty International periodical that the U.S. has by far the largest number of political prisoners behind bars of any nation on earth. Do your shallow or non-factually based conclusions derive from your own prejudice or are you just parroting the socialist party line?

Joy, Hansville

John Lott has it right, as usual. An examination of the statistics of each state amply show that the more well armed the people are the less crime there is in that state.

Marie King, Fremont

People get really mad sometimes. Having a gun on you makes it too east to shoot someone you would not normally shoot.

Abigail
  • Reply
    Abigail    1/26/11

    Yeah, or they can drive over you with car, or hit you with a baseball bat or a frying pan, or drop drugs in your coffee, or beat you with a broom handle, or...are you getting the point Marie...people kill people with lots of things if they are willing to KILL. Getting 'really mad' is not a reason to shoot anyone...that is beyond sanity...

    J Carlton, Calgary

    Marie, I guess then they would just have to stab them, or beat them with a bat, or run them over...the choices are endless really... Murder is a crime and more laws aren`t going to change that.

    dick, fort worth

    Just consider the number of gun homicides in one our largest cities to the homicides in whole countries. Doesn't this mean anything to gun worshipers?

    Mike, Norwalk

    dick, I'm not a gun worshiper but the number of homicides does mean something to me. It means the control freaks of the liberal cult phenomena need help and, the honest non-criminals need to arm themselves in defense of the government induced disregard for the nobility of life criminals.

    Publius
    • Reply
      Publius    1/26/11

      Just to add to Carlton's statement; Florida is now considering an open-carry law that would allow anyone without a felony charge, restraining order, or a court date to carry a gun in plain sight to all public places (except for schools, court houses, etc.). There is also another bill that would allow those with a concealed weapon permit to carry on all state universities. When one state representative was asked why their state was reducing the number of anti-gun laws while other states were adopting stricter ones the congressman said, "Everytime we've loosened our restrictions on firearms and allowed more law-abiding citizens to carry, the crime rate has significantly dropped."

      J Carlton, Calgary

      Dick, just consider that those same big cities typically have gun bans and the answer might just pop right out at you :)

      E Archer, NYC

      Please explain why a law-abiding citizen may not be allowed to possess guns for the defense of himself and his family? If guns were completely illegal except for government officials (who are just as corruptible as any other human), then the 'war on guns' would be an endless battle. We are free because we can fight back, because those that would steal from us go for the easy kills, because the overwhleming vast majority of gun owners know how to use them and are prepared to do so. Even Gandhi and the Dalia Lama agree that to disarm the people is but another step to totalitarianism.

      @

      Get a Quote-a-Day!

      Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box daily.