US murder rate sees sharp increase in 2015

[Logical]

Murder rates have increased sharply across the US in 2015, with at least 30 cities reporting a rise in violence.
Experts say factors may vary from city to city, but no-one really knows what has caused the trend, which was first identified this summer.
The latest figures obtained by the New York Times show Milwaukee has seen the biggest spike, with a 76% increase.
It is followed by St Louis, Missouri, which has seen a 60% increase, and Baltimore, Maryland, with a 56% rise.
Some senior police officials say that heightened scrutiny of use of force by officers may have caused them to withdraw from everyday policing and emboldened criminals.
But others say an increase in gun ownership, a spike in gang-related killings and more young people settling disputes with guns may be contributing factors.

More at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34120247

[AngryAmish]

1. I blame Trump.

[villager]

2. "...an increase in gun ownership .... more young people settling disputes with guns..."

Indeed.

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. Gun ownership has been increasing steadily for years.

The spike just started, and seems to be occurring only in a number of specific places. I think there is actually some merit to the argument that the places where this is occurring are seeing a reduction in police presence. Basically, in response to having the horrible actions of police brought to light in a large number of cases, some departments have reacted petulantly and are basically saying "fuck those people...let them kill each other." This is beyond the pale, but it seems to be what's happening.

[villager]

7. Probably not either/or. The oversaturation of guns in American hands (and psyches) is like a virus

...laying dormant, then springing to vicious life once the other conditions are met....

[Lizzie Poppet]

11. In that far too many guns make their way into criminal hands...

...I tend to agree. Some recent research has revealed that straw purchases and "street sales" are a bigger vector than anyone realized (considerably larger than stolen weapons). Previously, this crime hasn't been taken seriously (that is, it's seldom prosecuted when discovered). That needs to change. Buying a gun with the intent of transferring it to a person the buyer knows is prohibited is a very serious crime, as is selling a gun already in circulation to such a person.

[villager]

12. Agreed. Shocking, ain't it, between posts of ours?

Now where's that beer?

[zappaman]

3. I'm guessing most of these were committed by knives or toasters?

Wait...guns?
Shocking!

[Logical]

4. Yes, because as the gun lovers says, knifes are just as dangerous as guns. nt

[Kang Colby]

5. What? How can this be?

But Baltimore has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, along with D.C. It must be that those guns are pouring in from gun nut states (with lower murder and violent crime rates) and hampering the efficacy of gun control!

[villager]

8. You mean gun nut states like neighboring Virginia?

You'd be right.

[Kang Colby]

13. Well, wait...

Those "gun nut" states tend to have lower violent crime and murder rates. So what gives? You certainly can't argue that the murder rate in VA is higher than D.C. or Maryland. How do you reconcile those illogical thoughts?

I doubt the gun grabbing crowd will have as much as a committee vote in the next decade.

[villager]

14. Uh, except for the studies showing they have higher violent crime rates, per capita?

But you go ahead with the gun promiscuity crowd, spewing whatever you need to spew...

[Straw Man]

15. Let's see ...

Those "gun nut" states tend to have lower violent crime and murder rates. So what gives? You certainly can't argue that the murder rate in VA is higher than D.C. or Maryland. How do you reconcile those illogical thoughts?

Uh, except for the studies showing they have higher violent crime rates, per capita?

But you go ahead with the gun promiscuity crowd, spewing whatever you need to spew...

In 2013, the violent crime rate in Virginia was 187.9 per 100,000.

-- http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/vacrime.htm


In 2013, the violent crime rate in Washington D.C. was 1177.9 per 100,000.

-- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Washington,_D.C.


You were saying?

[villager]

16. The straw man sales in next-door Virginia are a massive contribution to those stats

Your DU handle is well-named.

But of course, you also feinted, when what I was actually talking about was how the pro-gun red states have higher overall gun death rates.

Which you know, but that would require some integrity to acknowledge.

http://www.salon.com/2014/07/04/10_states_where_guns_are_most_and_least_likely_to_kill_people_partner/

[Straw Man]

18. Integrity.

But of course, you also feinted, when what I was actually talking about was how the pro-gun red states have higher overall gun death rates.

Forgive me for responding to what you actually said ("violent crime rates&quot rather than what you thought you said ("gun death rates&quot . How gauche of me.

Which you know, but that would require some integrity to acknowledge.

Integrity? Oh, the irony! Can you see it?

[villager]

19. Listen, you're a dishonest poster, who is only here to worship Lord God Gun.

You peck at the small, in order to avoid the implications of the large.

You are not worth "conversing" with, since you're not here for conversation.

Buh-bye!

[Straw Man]

20. Honesty.

Listen, you're a dishonest poster, who is only here to worship Lord God Gun.

You posted misinformation and then tried to wriggle out when confronted with facts. And you're accusing me of dishonesty?

The topic was Washington DC. Remember? Not only does its violent crime rate exceed that of Virginia by a factor of 5, but its gun death rate per 100,000 (40) is more than double that of the most lethal states (Alaska and Louisiana, at approximately 20). This despite some of the most stringent gun laws in the country.

So you're wrong there too. Care to try for a little more revisionist rhetoric?

[Kang Colby]

21. Not to mention...

That VA also has a much lower violent crime rate than Maryland. Maryland of course is a "gun control" state. http://vaperforms.virginia.gov/indicators/publicsafety/crime.php

The illogical hypothesis that VA is responsible for Maryland's crime problem, when VA doesn't have anywhere near the violent crime problem Maryland has is mind numbing.

[hobbit709]

9. A bad economy always makes crime go up.

Everyone is struggling to get by and stress and tensions are climbing.

[clarice]

10. More criminals= more murders. nt

[sarisataka]

17. "increase in gun ownership"

isn't gun ownership at an all time low and declining?

Colt files for bankruptcy. Smith & Wesson's sales and stock still slump. So do Strum, Ruger's numbers. And now Wal-Mart pulls AR-15s because of low demand. Couple that with poll numbers showing falling gun ownership, and you can see Americans have a very different view of gun ownership.

You'll find no shortage of articles, liberal and conservative, that claim gun sales are still booming, even since the Newtown, Conn., shootings. They rarely, if ever, cite gun sales statistics. They note membership in a gun group like the NRA. Or they'll list background check data.

But as Josh Horwitz points out, there are many reasons for background checks, many of which can be unrelated to gun sales. Not every background check can constitute the sale of a gun.

Evidence from the General Social Survey (GSS) shows that the number of Americans who report owning a gun dropped from nearly 50 percent in 1974 to 22 percent today. The GSS is conducted by the University of Chicago, hardly a liberal bastion. That's even with so many states loosening regulations on gun laws.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article32633949.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172175141