Jerry Ratcliffe’s Post

“… from an economic perspective gun buybacks that occur regularly can reduce the cost of gun ownership by raising the liquidation value of a firearm and thus reduce the cost of ownership. Reduced ownership costs could stimulate increased gun purchases.” Whoa. You mean these events do not decrease gun violence? You don’t say…. It’s almost like emphasizing the fact that the only members of society who abide by norms and standards are ….. LAW ABIDING INDIVIDUALS, NOT CRIMINALS. You cannot legislate morality.

Feel good programs vs actually effective programs.

Today, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1235 into law — a bill aimed at one thing, ending the most significant legal case against the gun industry in this country. The case, City of Gary v. Smith & Wesson et al., seeks to hold major gun companies accountable for their role in fueling gun violence. Brady: United Against Gun Violence has represented the City of Gary since the case was filed in 1999. And from the beginning, members of the gun industry have done everything in their power to end it, resulting in the suit being prolonged for 25 years. But after overcoming numerous hurdles, discovery was finally set to begin just as HB 1235 was introduced. This legislation was orchestrated by the gun lobby, namely the NSSF, whose Board of Governors includes five members who also serve as leadership for the major gun companies who are defendants in the Gary lawsuit. We should all be asking:  what is the gun industry hiding and what truly abhorrent practices do they want so badly to be kept in the dark? This is not about Indiana alone. Until we ensure gun industry accountability, negligent business practices will continue to fuel America’s gun violence epidemic.   https://lnkd.in/gzbgtadW

https://lnkd.in/eh48PTDH Guns are deeply ingrained in American society and the nation’s political debates. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, and about a third of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun. At the same time, in response to concerns such as rising gun death rates and mass shootings, President Joe Biden has proposed gun policy legislation that would expand on the bipartisan gun safety bill Congress passed last year. Here are some key findings about Americans’ views of gun ownership, gun policy and other subjects, drawn primarily from a Pew Research Center survey conducted in June 2023.

Another https://lnkd.in/ej4xS5MW update! I really appreciate Jerry Ratcliffe letting me write a brief of his important research that examined the evidence for gun buyback programs in Philadelphia. Some key takeaways: (1) Gun buyback programs are popular in the United States. By offering citizens of a city cash for their guns, it is thought that the number of crimes involving guns in that city will be reduced. (2) Despite their popularity, previous research has shown that gun buyback programs often do not reduce crime, at least at the city level. (3) For the first time, the source article examines the impact of these programs at a more local level. The findings indicate that gun buybacks in Philadelphia, PA, did not reduce gun crimes or gun-related calls for service in the immediate vicinity surrounding specific buyback locations. (4) Policymakers may need to consider whether resources allocated to gun buyback programs might be better spent on more promising prevention efforts. You can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/ew7Mcwn7

- Recent data is incomplete, but in a 2019 study of 204 countries and territories, the U.S. ranked 32nd for gun homicides based on population, with a rate of 3.96 deaths per 100,000 people. - Subtracting the number of gun homicides in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and St. Louis from 2022 FBI gun homicide data would decrease the U.S. gun homicide rate from 5.0 deaths per 100,000 people to 4.5 per 100,000 people. - That wouldn’t reduce the rate enough for the U.S. to be on the lowest end of a global gun violence ranking.

Excerpt: Tennessee’s House of Representatives plans to take up a bill that would allow some teachers to carry guns in the classroom, just days after the measure was approved by the state Senate. A similar law that could put guns in the hands of teachers has been approved by lawmakers in Iowa, and presumably other states could choose to follow suit. It’s the latest proof that — a full year after the devastating mass shooting at The Covenant High School in Nashville that killed six people — our state’s political leaders are no closer to providing meaningful, viable solutions to address our state’s tragic gun violence problem. Guns are still the leading cause of death in children and teens in America, and Tennessee continues to be plagued by one of the highest rates of violence perpetrated with firearms in the country. The Republican supermajority that controls our state’s General Assembly, tragically, have reneged on their responsibility to pass meaningful gun safety legislation. If Republicans have failed to make inroads in combating senseless gun violence, it cannot be because they are unaware of the seriousness of the problem. The magnitude of our gun violence problem was made clear to residents of Tennessee and the entire nation last March after a shooter armed with a weapon of war carried out the massacre at The Covenant School. Among the dead were three children, 9-year-olds Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney. Here’s what Republican lawmakers could do instead of passing measures that would introduce even more guns into our public spaces, and now potentially our classrooms: They could listen to some of the parents who have been appalled at the idea that the adults to whom they have entrusted their children’s care at school every day might be carrying loaded guns.

Shocking Reality: Firearms are the #1 cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. 🚨 Every year, over 21,000 young lives are tragically cut short or forever altered by gun violence, with around 3 million more exposed to its devastating effects. Senator J.D. Vance might label this as a “bleak fact of life,” but I refuse to accept it as the norm. Growing up in the South, where the first day of deer season was a revered tradition, I never knew a single family without a locked gun cabinet—and we certainly didn’t have assault rifles. Today, many of my friends and family from back home are open to sensible gun laws because we understand that assault rifles have no place in hunting. It’s time for a change, and common-sense gun laws are within our reach if we have the courage to challenge the gun lobby. Here’s how we can make a difference: 1) Safe Storage Laws: Ensure guns are securely stored and out of reach from unauthorized users. 2) Universal Background Checks: Mandate checks for all gun sales, blocking sales to those with felony convictions or dangerous histories. 3) Close Loopholes: Regulate online and gun show sales by unlicensed sellers to prevent dangerous transactions. 4) Red Flag Laws: Allow families or law enforcement to seek court orders to temporarily remove guns from individuals in crisis. 5) National Waiting Period: Implement a mandatory waiting period between purchasing and taking possession of a firearm to prevent impulsive acts during a crisis. 6) Information Sharing: Enable federal and state agencies to collaborate and share information on potential community risks. We owe it to our children to do better. It’s time to act. Let’s make our communities safer and give our kids the future they deserve. 💪🔒

We are in a rut. We have characterized our cause as defending the Second Amendment for so long, we have lost sight of the real battle going on right now. Gun control is a politically expedient web of lies. Politicians like it because it costs far less than addressing the real causes of violence. Gun control fans like it because they long ago ran out of ideas and with their money and media control, they can hide the fact their laws not only don't work, they can't work. They don't solve the problems because they don't even address the problems. This is where we need to attack and we need to be relentless. In 2022, the CDC fatal injury reports show that 39% of all firearm-related deaths were suicides by White, non-Hispanic males. States with red flag laws actually had higher rates of firearm usage and virtually no change in the total number of suicides. Firearm homicides with Black and Hispanic male victims accounted for 27% of the total. Focusing down even farther, we find more than ten percent of all gun-related deaths were homicides with victims who were Black, non-Hispanic males between the ages of 16 and 29. This group makes up about 1.3% of the U.S. population. So the problem isn't guns: It's gangs. It should come as a surprise to no one that measures primarily targeting legal guns owners don't have any impact. Gun control fans and fools like Joe Biden talk about keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them but they don't seem to know how those people actually get them. This is our battle. As General George Patton once said, "Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack, attack, and attack some more."