Current gun laws have been a failure in reducing crime and respecting civil rights.
We believe we can do both!
CURRENT GUN LAWS HAVE INCREASED FIREARM-RELATED DEATHS AND INJURIES IN MASSACHUSETTS
The Gun Control Act of 1998 was passed under the stated belief that it would reduce gun-related crime.
However, statistical data from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts prove that firearm-related deaths and injuries have actually increased since the time before the Gun Control Act was passed, reversing a trend of reduced gun violence prior to the Act's passage.
Since 1994, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been tracking gun-related assault injuries and deaths in several categories and in two different reporting systems: Weapon Related Injury Surveillance System (WRISS Report) and the Injury Surveillance Program (ISP).
The WRISS and ISP data show that, in the four years prior to passage of the Gun Control Act, gun-related deaths and injuries actually decreased in Massachusetts:
- There was a 50% DECREASE in firearm-related homicides from 1994-1997 (ISP Reports), the four years BEFORE passage of the Gun Control Act.
- There was a 57% DECREASE in firearm-related assaults from 1994-1997 (WRISS, March 2007), the four years BEFORE passage of the Gun Control Act.
Those same reports show that there has been a dramatic INCREASE in deaths and injuries from guns in the years since the Gun Control Act was passed in 1998:
Incidents Per 100,000 Residents |
1998 |
2005 |
Change |
Gun Related Homicides |
1.00 |
1.68 |
UP 68% |
Assault Related Gun Injuries |
4.6 |
7.9 |
UP 72% |
Assault Related Hospital Discharges |
1.5 |
3.9 |
UP 160% |
Gun Assault Emergency Dept. Visits |
**0.93 |
2.99 |
UP 222% |
Gun Assault Outpatient Observations |
***0.188 |
1.2 |
UP 538% |
Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health ** This report only dates back to 1999 *** This report only dates back to 2001
There's other evidence as well. According to the latest reports from the Boston police department, violent gun crime had been on a sharp DECREASE prior to the time the Gun Control Act was pased in 1998. Since then, violent gun crimes have steadily INCREASED:
Type of Crime |
1996 to 1998 |
1998 to 2005 |
Homicide |
DOWN 46% |
UP 47% |
Robbery & Attempted Robbery |
DOWN 53% |
UP 38% |
Aggravated Assault |
DOWN 37% |
UP 49% |
Gun control has been more than just a tragic failure in Massachusetts.
It has been a deadly failure.THE GUN CONTROL ACT HAS PROFOUNDLY DECREASED LEGAL GUN OWNERSHIP IN MASSACHUSETTS
The Gun Control Act has resulted in a dramatic decrease in legal gun ownership in Massachusetts since 1998 - a significant sacrifice of civil rights.
According to a July 2002 House Post Audit and Oversight Committee report on firearm license numbers, there were approximately 1,500,000 licensed gun owners in the Commonwealth before the Gun Control Act was passed.
Today, this number has been reduced to approximately 240,000 - a decrease of 84%.
Some people point to this statistic as evidence that the Gun Control Act is working. But, the increase in gun-related crime since the Act shows otherwise.
Mostly, the Gun Control Act has resulted in a confusing and overly-regulated system that impinges on citizens' Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.