[extropy-chat] FWD [SK] Re: again with the gun stats

[Terry W. Colvin]

In a message dated 12/4/2003 4:57:16 AM Pacific Standard Time,
fortean1 at mindspring.com fwded:


       It is documented that states that pass right-to-carry laws experience a
       minimum of a 12% greater decrease in violent crime than states without
       such laws. (Dr John Lott, "More Guns, Less Crime"; University of
       Chicago Press) Furthermore, Lott shows that spree killings are reduced
       by 80% over non-right-to-carry states.

    Lott is also under investigation by the National Academy of Sciences for
academic fraud for this work, and in a bizaare
twist he pretended to be one of his ex-grad students to defend himself on the
internet.  If the guy was in a university and
not at AEI he would have been fired long ago.
 

Ben Avery

-----------------------

Some references:

   http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/issuebriefs/lott.asp
   
http://markarkleiman.blogspot.com/2003_01_01_markarkleiman_archive.html#90242658

-- 
Jim Lippard

-----------------------

Sigh.  Not only was Lott's book published by the university press I used to 
work for (I'm a Chicago B.A.), but he has degrees from UCLA (and worked 
there). I just hope he wasn't an English major.

Jack Kolb
Dept. of English, UCLA

------------------------

Is Dr. John Lott the only source for such statistics?  If so
this "factoid" certainly has legs -- I've seen it quoted by 
practically every gun carrier and wannabe gun carrier.  

I went to the National Center for Disease Control and looked at
their statistics re gun usage in accidental deaths, but the 
detailed report can only be gotten by mail (I sent for it).

Are there any readily available critiques of his facts? Aside,
of course, from the fact that he seems to be a lying liar.

Don


-- 
“Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress.” Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
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