11-24-2008, 04:32 AM
I wouldn't join a neighborhood watch because it A) isn't needed where a neighborhood looks out for each other and B) Doesn't work where it doesn't. It may well be a step in the right direction for some, but it to my mind is a symptomatic not a systemic approach, and we need the latter.
Maybe to offer a sensible look at the issue and clear a bit of ire out of the conversation.
1. Does personal gun ownership deter crime? No, of course it doesn't. If someone breaks into your house they have no idea whether you are a gun owner or not.
2. Does personal gun ownership enhance the possibility of personal safety? It depends--in the same manner that owning a powerplane may not necessarily make you a more skilled wood worker. But, clearly, the possibility exists that it can. The skill and attitude and usage is the determinant, not the tool.
3. Burglary isn't a violent crime, but it can become one in a heartbeat with the slightest mistake. Again, the gun is not the determinent, rather it is the confrontation that a burglary makes likely. Rarely this confrontation occurs because of the widespread absentee ownership of property subsidizes this kind of crime. But, it will. Gang activity is clearly locally on the rise with more signs of it all the time, and one should expect to see more as the economy gets more difficult.
4. While personal gun ownership is no deterrent to crime, can a "systemic" culture of responsible gun ownership deter crime? Potentially, and there is good evidence that it can. In areas where "right to carry" laws were implemented, Dade Co. Florida one of the most studied examples, crime rates were indeed positively impacted.
Again, I think it's very important to frame the conversation not in the context of "pro/anti" firearms. This is a straw man argument and not pertinent to the conversation. The real argument is whether or not one will be personally proactive in protecting themselves and their community or whether they will defer/ignore that responsibility. Once one embraces the responsibility of not being a "victim," the question becomes one of "how?" As with any "how?" one looks for tools. The rest is obvious.
Maybe to offer a sensible look at the issue and clear a bit of ire out of the conversation.
1. Does personal gun ownership deter crime? No, of course it doesn't. If someone breaks into your house they have no idea whether you are a gun owner or not.
2. Does personal gun ownership enhance the possibility of personal safety? It depends--in the same manner that owning a powerplane may not necessarily make you a more skilled wood worker. But, clearly, the possibility exists that it can. The skill and attitude and usage is the determinant, not the tool.
3. Burglary isn't a violent crime, but it can become one in a heartbeat with the slightest mistake. Again, the gun is not the determinent, rather it is the confrontation that a burglary makes likely. Rarely this confrontation occurs because of the widespread absentee ownership of property subsidizes this kind of crime. But, it will. Gang activity is clearly locally on the rise with more signs of it all the time, and one should expect to see more as the economy gets more difficult.
4. While personal gun ownership is no deterrent to crime, can a "systemic" culture of responsible gun ownership deter crime? Potentially, and there is good evidence that it can. In areas where "right to carry" laws were implemented, Dade Co. Florida one of the most studied examples, crime rates were indeed positively impacted.
Again, I think it's very important to frame the conversation not in the context of "pro/anti" firearms. This is a straw man argument and not pertinent to the conversation. The real argument is whether or not one will be personally proactive in protecting themselves and their community or whether they will defer/ignore that responsibility. Once one embraces the responsibility of not being a "victim," the question becomes one of "how?" As with any "how?" one looks for tools. The rest is obvious.