Frankly Speaking

Police Chief Boisee Correa saw the carnage of the NIU shooting and moved into swift action to prevent similar attrocities from happening in Hawaii. What was his solution, you ask? He is asking the legislature to ban .50-caliber sniper rifles.

Those 28-pound rifles -- the most common manufactured by Barrett Co. -- were described in a 1999 congressional Government Accountability Office as "among the most destructive and powerful firearms sold legally in the United States." They are banned only in California.

The article goes on to describe all the horrific things that can be accomplished with one of these rifles, including bringing down planes, destroying jeeps, and hitting a target up to 1 1/2 miles away. What the reporter fails to mention even once in the article is that this weapon has never.. take a moment and digest that word.. never been used in a murder in the United States.

Never. As in, zero, no murders in all of recorded history using this weapon. .50-caliber have been used in murders, but they have been muzzle loaders (that's pretty much a musket, if you don't know), and .50-caliber Smith and Wesson.

However, the evil, black guns are currently owned by several people in the islands, so we know it's only a matter of time.

Registered owners of the .50-caliber rifles number 125 statewide and 90 on Oahu, according to police. They are just as available to purchase as any other hunting rifle. Hawaii legislators shouldn't wait for the carnage to occur. emphasis mine

You get that last part? Even though no one has ever used one of these rifles to kill someone, and we know exactly how many of them are owned and by whom, we should definitely move to outlaw them, because their mere existence will prove to be more temptation than the average person can handle and someone is going to cause carnage with one.

You know what else most people in Hawaii own? Knives. And fists. Which do you think is more dangerous in Hawaii?

Take a look at this document (.pdf) for some stats on crime in Hawaii from 1998.

In 1998 there were 24 murders in Hawaii
Firearm = 25%
Knife = 25%
Strongarm = 42%
Other or Unknown = 8%

So, of the 24 murders in 1998, 67% were committed with a knife or by strongarm.

Robberies = 1225

Firearm = 12%
Knife = 7%
Strongarm = 78%
Other or Unknown = 3%

Weapons used in Violent Crimes (Murders, Robberies, and Aggravated Assaults) in Hawaii from 1993 to 1998

Total = 17090

Firearm = 13%
Knife = 9%
Strongarm = 66%
Other or unknown = 12%

So from these statistics here are some conclusions I have made.

1. Knives are used at almost the same rate as firearms to commit crimes in Hawaii, but no one is moving to ban knives


2. The number one method of murder, robbery and aggravated assault on the islands is "strongarm"


3. We should ban gyms in Hawaii

Obviously the most dangerous thing in Hawaii are the thugs roving the streets, beating people up and/or killing them with their bare hands. I think they should first move to expel all Gold's Gyms, followed by the closing of all fitness centers, and the banning of recess in school. We should probably ban surfing, too. There is way too much physical activity involved there, and we can't chance someone accidentally getting in shape by surfing. Next thing you know they'll be beating someone to death with their board.

Next we need to make sure everyone is eating as unhealthy as possible; lots of carbs, and lots of pig roasts. Hell, I think they should mandate nightly luaus every night of the year. Get these people fat and lazy so they'll stop beating each other to death.

Yes, all of this is ridiculous. Just like banning a weapon that has never been used to commit murder merely because you think it is scary looking.

H/T John Lott

Labels: gun control, inconvenient truth, liberty