Submitted by John Melton, Mar 24, 2008 13:16

Facts Mr Abramson, Here they are- From the DOJ-

Firearm-related crime has plummeted since 1993, then slightly increased in 2005.

Nonfatal firearm crime rates have declined since 1994, before increasing in 2005.

After 1996, less than 10% of nonfatal violent crimes involved firearm.

• According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 2005, 477,040 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a firearm.

• Incidents involving a firearm represented 9% of the 4.7 million violent crimes of rape and sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault in 2005.

• The FBI's Crime in the United States estimated that 66% of the 16,137 murders in 2004 were committed with firearms.

  Reported Crime

After falling to levels last experienced in the 1990's, gun crime reported to the police stabilized

Injury

• From 1993 through 1997, less than 1% of serious nonfatal violent victimizations resulted in gunshot wounds.
• The number of gunshot wounds from assaults treated in hospital emergency departments fell from 64,100 in 1993 to 39,400 in 1997, a 39% decline.

Offenders

• According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -

  • a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
  • a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
  • family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%
    
    
• During the offense that brought them to prison, 15% of State inmates and 13% of Federal inmates carried a handgun, and about 2%, a military-style semiautomatic gun.
• On average, State inmates possessing a firearm received sentences of 18 years, while those without a weapon had an average sentence of 12 years.
• Among prisoners carrying a firearm during their crime, 40% of State inmates and 56% of Federal inmates received a sentence enhancement because of the firearm.

Now, can you get it through your head that criminals will always find a way to procure a firearm and that citizens who choose to arm themselves are not the problem, nor are the firearms they choose.

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