Prevent Crime and Play With Statistics

The following was published in the Springfield, Illinois State-Journal Register. It was written in response to a right wing gun nut.

May 18, 2007

Editor:

A recent letter writer stated that somewhere between "764,000 to 2.5 million crimes are prevented by armed law-abiding people". I was curious if these crimes were prevented on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis so I decided to do my own test.

I am not going to admit if I own guns or not. That would be just what the Feds and the "Ultra-Liberals" would want. But the non-law abiding person don't know either. Let's just say my house looks like a house that could be defended by an armed law-abiding citizen.

Looking out my window I notice a man walking a dog. I thought he was probably a drug addict using the dog as a cover to sell his herojuana. He stopped in front of my house then proceeded. The thought that the occupant was carrying probably stopped him from trying to force me to use drugs. A car carrying young "hip hop" fans cruised slowly up the street. Again, they appeared to slow down as they passed my house. They looked but they did not attempt to enter. Another crime prevented. I heard the pick up truck a block away. They were revving their engine and burning rubber. I instinctively knew I was in trouble. But as they grew closer I saw the Confederate Flag flown from the cab and saw the NRA stickers on the bumper. I knew I had nothing to fear from those gentlemen. The next crew however, was different. Clad in those funny pants I couldn't tell where their legs started and where their waist ended. The one thing I knew was there was plenty of room to conceal some street heat. These hoods were casing out the neighborhood. I saw them analyzing which houses contained armed law abiding people and which ones did not. Add another crime not committed.

Three crimes did not take place in the time I have spent writing this letter. And I live on a dead end street with very little traffic! How many crimes were not committed if I lived on a busier street! If everyone just did their own research they too would know how many crimes have not taken place! It sure is reassuring to know how much safer I am the more people being armed. If we could only keep those non-law-abiding people off the streets! Oh, and let me make the decision about who is law-abiding and who is not!