Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat of New York, has been pushing a bill to require states to automate their criminal history records so computer databases used to conduct background checks on gun buyers are more complete.

The bill would also require states to submit their mental health records to their background check systems and give them money to allow them to do so.

According to gun control advocates, the mental health information currently submitted to the national check system is often spotty and incomplete, something Ms. McCarthy’s bill is designed to address.

Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan and a former member of the National Rifle Association’s board of directors, is co-sponsoring the bill, which has twice passed the House only to stall in the Senate. Congressional aides say Mr. Dingell is negotiating with pro-gun groups to come up with language acceptable to them.

“The N.R.A. doesn’t have objections,� Mr. Dingell said in an interview. “There are other gun organizations on this that are problems.�

So here’s our assignment: WHO are these organizations? Are they willing to justify their opinions in public after the week’s events? And should the Senate be listening to them?

Comparisons Between Canada and the United States

Studies have also compared the rates of death from firearms in Canada with those in the United States. One of the most well-known studies was a comparison of Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia.16 More recently, the costs of firearms death and injury in the two countries were compared and estimated to be $495 (US) per resident in the United States and $195 per resident in Canada.10

Canada has always had stronger firearms regulation than the United States, particularly with respect to handguns. Handguns have required licensing and registration in Canada since the 1930s. Ownership of guns has never been regarded as a right, and several court rulings have reaffirmed the right of the government to protect citizens from guns.17,18 Handgun ownership has been restricted to police, members of gun clubs or collectors. Very few people (about 50 in the country) have been given permits to carry handguns for “self-protection.” This is only possible if an applicant can prove that his or her life is in danger and the police cannot protect the person. As a result, Canada has roughly 1 million handguns while the United States has more than 77 million. Although there are other factors affecting rates of murder, suicide and unintentional injury, a comparison of data in Canada with US data suggests that access to handguns may play a role. While the murder rate without guns in the US is slightly higher (1.7 times) than that in Canada, the murder rate with handguns is 15 times the Canadian rate (Table 1).

Keeping in mind that Windsor’s population is around 200,000 and Detroit’s is 1.5 million (not counting the suburbs)….

In 1999, Detroit had 337 homicides committed with firearms vs. 1 in Windsor. According to the Windsor police dept, Windsor had 4 homicides in 1999, 7 in 2000, 3 in 2001, 5 in 2002, 7 in 2003, 4 in 2005, 5 in 2005, and 3 in 2006. Beyond 1999, there’s no indication how many of these were caused by guns.

Gun deaths in Canada have declined, according to Statistics Canada, and are far fewer per capita than in the US.

In a cross-border comparison for the year 2000, Statistics Canada says the risk of firearms death was more than three times as great for American males as for Canadian males and seven times as great for American females as for Canadian females.

Because more of the U.S. deaths were homicides (as opposed to suicides or accidental deaths), the U.S. rate of gun homicide was nearly eight times Canada’s, the agency says. Homicides accounted for 38 per cent of deaths involving guns in the United States and 18 per cent in Canada.

But even as Canada’s rate of gun homicide shrank (to 0.4 per 100,000 population in 2002 from 0.8 in 1979), handguns moved into a dominant role. Handguns accounted for two-thirds of gun homicides in 2002, up from about half in the 1990s, the agency says.

Consistently through the period, about four-fifths of Canadian firearms deaths were suicides, it says.

Defense from what, exactly? From people with guns?

Thankfully, Canada is (relatively) gun-free, gun-controlled, gun-sane. There are few gun incidents and most of them are the criminal element (gangs, mafia) shooting each other. Go for it, goodfellas.

Even though Vancouver has the highest property crime rates in the country (because the drug addicts are out of control), nobody thinks of running out and buying a gun. Besides, you can’t just shoot someone (who breaks in), claim self-defense and get away with it.

Yep. I’m a citizen, and a taxpayer, and not a violent felon. That means, by my notes, that you get to say zip squat about the items I purchase and use. Now, if I am diagnosed with a mental illness, well, that means my personal judgment may be flawed. While I shouldn’t be arbitrarily locked away, I shouldn’t have access to weapons. Same for a violent felon. Having proven I lack the discipline to carry a weapon, I should lose the privilege.

It’s the difference between assuming that someone who wants a gun is dangerous and likely to go berserk, and assuming that I’m a law abiding, responsible citizen. A difference that informs far too much of our legal system these days.

just checking …

My sister and Bro in law have a funny riff on this. They insist that after things go to hell in a bucket and society has collapsed, they are gonna set up a little trading post in a bunker. They’re only going to sell two products. Ammunition and cigarettes. They figure these will be the high demand consumables in a post apocalyptic america.

Like so much, it’s funny ’cause there’s hard truth in it…

mikey

Yet, they are more frightened of crime than the people I know who aren’t packing.

Now, did they decide to carry guns after they were crime victims? That’s one possible explanation.

One guy got mugged, and guess what, the mugger stole the gun he was carrying. The thing is, in order for a gun to protect you from someone with a gun, you have to draw first. So, what do you do, walk around, ready to draw at a moment’s notice? That doesn’t sound like a good way to live to me.

Sorry, the VPC have proven themselves to be rather biased, iow they suck ass.

Hannibal Lector is alive and well, although he has to use a wheelchair.

One, I don’t want to see ANYBODY tinkering with the constitution, even if the initial outcome is “Good”. That just opens it up for the next bunch, and they might not want something as benign. And say what you will, the constitution directly addresses firearms ownership, just as it does speech, search and seizure and the press.

Secondly, I’d LOVE to live in an unarmed, non-violent society. I’ve seen enough violence to last me til I’m done. Gun violence and casual killing are WAY outta hand, and we ARE going to have to do something. But I have to live in the world I live in. I live in a world awash with guns, where crazies and thugs and addicts and the just plain mean and stupid are armed. Whatever you believe my guns contribute to my personal well being, I’m not prepared to unilaterally disarm in this world…

mikey

O, cruel irony, how thou dost mock me!

Further, I agree with Chris rock, when he said that we should make bullets cost $100 apiece. You’d think twice about squeezing one off.