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http://www.dukereview.org/viewarticle.asp?id=3D5

Study Proves Ineffectiveness of Brady Act
Chris Freiman, Staff Writer

In July 1999, neo-Nazi Benjamin Nathaniel Smith went on a shooting spree =
in the Chicago area. Four years prior to this massacre, Illinois =
implemented the Brady Act, which imposed strict regulations on gun =
transactions. At first, Smith tried to buy guns from a licensed dealer, =
but was denied. His background check showed that he was under a court =
order to stay away from his girlfriend. Smith sidestepped this obstacle =
by visiting a black market dealer who furnished him with the .22-caliber =
semiautomatic weapon he used to kill two men and wound nine others.=20

The gun control measures mandated by the Brady Act had no effect on =
Smith and others like him. Duke professor Philip Cook's recent =
statistical study has now confirmed the impotence of the Brady Act. =
Working with Dr. Jens Ludwig, Dr. Cook found that America's most famous =
gun control measure does not prevent homicides.=20

Beginning in 1994, the Brady Act required federally licensed firearms =
dealers in all states to initiate a background check on would-be handgun =
buyers, and to observe a waiting period of one week before transferring =
the handgun. 18 states already had similar gun control laws in place, so =
they were exempt from the Brady Act. Cook set these 18 states as a =
control group to compare against the 32 "experimental" states that had =
to implement the new gun control measures.=20

Cook states, "We found that the before-and-after trends in homicide were =
virtually identical in the "experimental" and "control" states. So we =
concluded that whatever effect the Brady Act had on homicide was =
negligible in a statistical sense." Unfortunately, the Brady Act is not =
simply ineffectual, but pernicious. John Lott, a senior research scholar =
at Yale Law School, found that the national waiting period on guns was =
associated with a small increase in rape and aggravated assault rates. =
The blood of innocent people is being spilled because stalking victims =
cannot always wait seven days for a gun. The Brady Act cripples the rape =
victim, not the rapist. More "gun control" gives criminals more power =
over the American public.=20

Cook believes that the Brady Act failed because would-be criminals don't =
buy their guns through federally licensed dealers - the only dealers =
regulated by the Brady Act. His solution is to channel all gun =
transactions through these federally licensed dealers so that the =
government can perform background checks and keep the records of all gun =
owners. This solution is as solid as a fistful of smoke.=20

Of course it would be nice if the police could track criminals through =
their gun records. That is why no competent criminal - a person that =
breaks the law for a living - will buy a gun from a federally licensed =
dealer.=20

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 93 percent of =
the guns obtained by violent criminals are not obtained through lawful =
purchase. Federally licensing more dealers will not prevent criminals =
from getting firearms. Rather, they will just buy their guns on the =
black market, which doesn't require forms, background checks, or waiting =
periods. What's more, the litany of forms and fees will discourage =
honest, law-abiding citizens from owning guns. In essence, "gun control" =
disarms the victims while leaving criminals unscathed.=20

It is the proper role of government to protect the rights of its =
citizens. The government, however, is not omnipresent or omnipotent. =
When a man is assaulted in an alley or when a woman is raped by an =
intruder in her apartment, the police cannot be counted upon to get =
there in time. This is why people need a personal means of self-defense: =
a gun. When the government denies its citizens the right to bear arms, =
it denies them the right to protect their lives.=20

Unfortunately, criminals can see and hear the news reports detailing the =
latest restrictions on guns just as well as the rest of us. They know =
when the government is disarming the public. It stands to reason that a =
criminal is more likely to commit crimes when fewer people have guns; =
his job is made safer. The government might as well erect signs outside =
of homes that read "Gun-free zone" and ask criminals nicely if they will =
please refrain from committing crimes. Rather than curb violence, "gun =
control" promotes it. America will be a safe nation when it learns that =
it needs protection not from gun owners, but from politicians who can't =
shoot straight.





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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.dukereview.org/viewarticle.asp?id=3D5">http://www.duke=
review.org/viewarticle.asp?id=3D5</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<P><B><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" color=3D#006600>Study =
Proves=20
Ineffectiveness of Brady Act</B></FONT><BR><FONT size=3D1><A=20
href=3D"mailto:cf15@duke.edu">Chris Freiman</A>, Staff Writer</P></FONT>
<P>In July 1999, neo-Nazi Benjamin Nathaniel Smith went on a shooting =
spree in=20
the Chicago area. Four years prior to this massacre, Illinois =
implemented the=20
Brady Act, which imposed strict regulations on gun transactions. At =
first, Smith=20
tried to buy guns from a licensed dealer, but was denied. His background =
check=20
showed that he was under a court order to stay away from his girlfriend. =
Smith=20
sidestepped this obstacle by visiting a black market dealer who =
furnished him=20
with the .22-caliber semiautomatic weapon he used to kill two men and =
wound nine=20
others.=20
<P>The gun control measures mandated by the Brady Act had no effect on =
Smith and=20
others like him. Duke professor Philip Cook&#8217;s recent statistical =
study has now=20
confirmed the impotence of the Brady Act. Working with Dr. Jens Ludwig, =
Dr. Cook=20
found that America&#8217;s most famous gun control measure does not =
prevent homicides.=20

<P>Beginning in 1994, the Brady Act required federally licensed firearms =
dealers=20
in all states to initiate a background check on would-be handgun buyers, =
and to=20
observe a waiting period of one week before transferring the handgun. 18 =
states=20
already had similar gun control laws in place, so they were exempt from =
the=20
Brady Act. Cook set these 18 states as a control group to compare =
against the 32=20
&#8220;experimental&#8221; states that had to implement the new gun =
control measures.=20
<P>Cook states, &#8220;We found that the before-and-after trends in =
homicide were=20
virtually identical in the &#8220;experimental&#8221; and =
&#8220;control&#8221; states. So we concluded=20
that whatever effect the Brady Act had on homicide was negligible in a=20
statistical sense.&#8221; Unfortunately, the Brady Act is not simply =
ineffectual, but=20
pernicious. John Lott, a senior research scholar at Yale Law School, =
found that=20
the national waiting period on guns was associated with a small increase =
in rape=20
and aggravated assault rates. The blood of innocent people is being =
spilled=20
because stalking victims cannot always wait seven days for a gun. The =
Brady Act=20
cripples the rape victim, not the rapist. More &#8220;gun control&#8221; =
gives criminals=20
more power over the American public.=20
<P>Cook believes that the Brady Act failed because would-be criminals =
don&#8217;t buy=20
their guns through federally licensed dealers - the only dealers =
regulated by=20
the Brady Act. His solution is to channel all gun transactions through =
these=20
federally licensed dealers so that the government can perform background =
checks=20
and keep the records of all gun owners. This solution is as solid as a =
fistful=20
of smoke.=20
<P>Of course it would be nice if the police could track criminals =
through their=20
gun records. That is why no competent criminal - a person that breaks =
the law=20
for a living - will buy a gun from a federally licensed dealer.=20
<P>According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 93 percent =
of the=20
guns obtained by violent criminals are not obtained through lawful =
purchase.=20
Federally licensing more dealers will not prevent criminals from getting =

firearms. Rather, they will just buy their guns on the black market, =
which=20
doesn&#8217;t require forms, background checks, or waiting periods. =
What&#8217;s more, the=20
litany of forms and fees will discourage honest, law-abiding citizens =
from=20
owning guns. In essence, &#8220;gun control&#8221; disarms the victims =
while leaving=20
criminals unscathed.=20
<P>It is the proper role of government to protect the rights of its =
citizens.=20
The government, however, is not omnipresent or omnipotent. When a man is =

assaulted in an alley or when a woman is raped by an intruder in her =
apartment,=20
the police cannot be counted upon to get there in time. This is why =
people need=20
a personal means of self-defense: a gun. When the government denies its =
citizens=20
the right to bear arms, it denies them the right to protect their lives. =

<P>Unfortunately, criminals can see and hear the news reports detailing =
the=20
latest restrictions on guns just as well as the rest of us. They know =
when the=20
government is disarming the public. It stands to reason that a criminal =
is more=20
likely to commit crimes when fewer people have guns; his job is made =
safer. The=20
government might as well erect signs outside of homes that read =
&#8220;Gun-free zone&#8221;=20
and ask criminals nicely if they will please refrain from committing =
crimes.=20
Rather than curb violence, &#8220;gun control&#8221; promotes it. =
America will be a safe=20
nation when it learns that it needs protection not from gun owners, but =
from=20
politicians who can&#8217;t shoot straight.<BR></P>
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