AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG SEPTEMBER (^201983)
Study Reinforces
What We Already Know:
Criminals Don’t Follow The Law
T
he state of Illinois holds a B+ rating from the
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (the
highest rating given is an A). Gun-control advocates
would have you believe this means it should be a relatively
safe place.
Yet Illinois’ largest city, Chicago, has long been an
embarrassment to this notion. The city has had an even
lengthier list of gun controls than the state itself, and it
has also seen years of terribly high rates of violent crime.
Crime in Chicago looks to be on a downward trend,
thankfully, but it’s not clear gun control has had anything
to do with this. Policing strategies and community
involvement are more likely contributing factors.
Programs like Cure Violence have made an impact in
Chicago in the past.
But much of the research focus remains on guns.
A new study led by Dr. Philip J. Cook of Duke
University, for example, looks at the duration of the
“last link—the elapsed time from the transaction that
actually provided the offender with the gun in question.”
Cook and his co-authors surveyed 221 people convicted
of firearm-related offenses in Chicago (who were
incarcerated in state prisons) about the gun they had at
the time of their crime.
The media coverage of this study has fixated on several
findings. “More than two-thirds of the men obtained their
primary gun within the last six months of their arrest
(68 percent), while 19.3 percent possessed their gun for
five or fewer days. Almost a quarter of respondents
(22.6 percent) had never owned a gun six months before
their current arrest. Of those who had, a majority acquired
their primary gun—the one they possessed during their
arrest—through a purchase or trade (54.3 percent) and
from a friend or acquaintance (56.9 percent).”
These discoveries are an interesting contribution to
the body of knowledge regarding criminal behavior, but
an even more important detail is reported by Stephen
Gutowski at the Washington Free Beacon: “The CIS
respondents were almost all barred from purchasing a gun
from a gun store because of their prior criminal record—as
a result, their guns were obtained by illegal transactions
with friends, relatives, and the underground market.”
In other words, while the lengthy list of gun-control laws
in Illinois and Chicago ensured the subjects’ behavior was
illegal, it did nothing to actually prevent that behavior.
The study’s authors conclude that “more effective
enforcement of the laws governing gun transactions may
have a quick and pervasive effect on gun use in crime.”
And perhaps they’re right.
But the point Gutowski raises about the illegal nature
of the transactions underscores that adding additional
laws to the books will not deter the sorts of armed
activities that end with people going to prison.
We can thank Dr. Cook, in other words, for once again
reinforcing what we already know: Criminals don’t follow
the law.
A
day that changed the world, Sept. 11, 2001, is forever
etched into our minds as American citizens. Yet as time
passes and new generations grow up, it’s important for
us to continue to honor the victims, and educate and remind
people why we say “Never Forget.” Although Country star
Darryl Worley’s song, “Have You Forgotten” was a huge hit, he’ll
be the first to say the meaning behind the song is what’s impor-
tant. The first lines of the chorus, “Have you forgotten how it felt
that day, To see your homeland under fire. ...” remain relevant
today. When Worley performed at the NRA Annual Meetings &
Exhibit earlier this year, NRA Country’s Vanessa Shahidi asked
him a few questions:
VS: What is your favorite outdoor memory?
DW: I will always cherish the memories of whitetail hunting
with my father. He absolutely loved it and taught me so much
about how to go after the big bucks.
VS:What is your favorite personal firearm?
DW: My involvement with Team Weatherby was one of the
most awesome things that ever happened to me. The speed
and accuracy of my .257 Weatherby Magnum has stolen my
heart. Sometimes I shoot just because I love the way it sounds.
I consistently shoot deer with this gun at over 500 yards. I
wouldn’t have ever even attempted anything like that before I
hooked up with the Weatherby family.
VS: Sept. 11 was a day that impacted all Americans. How
did it affect you?
DW: Because we are a military family and intense patriots, I
was asked to travel to Afghanistan to entertain our troops the
year after Sept. 11. That trip inspired me to write “Have You
Forgotten.” We didn’t know what we were tapping into, but
the song was No.1 on the charts for 7 weeks. I’m thankful for
the success, but more than that God gave us the gift of the
song and delivering the message.
Be sure to visit darrylworley.com for more info on the country
star, including news about his most recent album, “Second
Wind: Latest & Greatest,” with eight hit songs from the past
and seven new ones.
NRA Country is a lifestyle and a bond between the country music
community and hard-working Americans everywhere. It’s powered
by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military and the
responsibilities of protecting the great American life. For more
information visit nracountry.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram.
Darryl
Worley
is
ff
(ff)
#1