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Your Objections Answered

Guns in responsible hands prevent crime and save many lives

1. With more legal guns, there are fewer defenseless citizens

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Evidence-based gun policies protect people from violent crime and rape, just as evidence-based food policies have solved hunger and malnutrition in much of the world Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Encouraging armed self-defense is unique, if someone doesn't follow the ordinance, the penalty is zero! Objectors are specifically excluded - nobody is forced to have a gun. You still need to meet all local requirements for a firearms license and gun safety training. The ACLU challenged UGO in Federal Court, and it was found to be entirely legal, see the ordinance text here Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

It was first implemented by the City of Kennesaw many years ago. It caused a direct and substantial reduction in their crime rate - violent crime went down by 79% and property crime by a third. Despite some mendacious negative publicity Open Page in a new Tab or Window, these improvements have continued for over thirty years. The City of Nelson is now enjoying equally impressive crime reductions.

3. Objections to encouraging armed self-defense

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> a. Does it work for everyone?
Encouraging armed self-defense worked really well for Kennesaw, but does it work for everyone?

A very good question, with a very clear (and easy to research) answer: It depends! Find your violent crime rate here Open Page in a new Tab or Window. How many violent career criminals live in your community?
Kennesaw's violent crime rate is just a third of US National Average, which suggests they have no violent career criminals, although they do have crimes of passion.

Is your community's violent crime rate much lower than National? If not, you probably have at least one if not several violent criminals who are committing your violent crimes.
Kennesaw has so little violent crime today because, thirty years ago, they encouraged their responsible citizens to be armed which convinced their predatory criminals they'd get injured if they attacked their people. It continues to work its magic for their city today.
Although politicians sometimes have guns yet say they don't believe in protective guns, people believe and vote for them. It's sad that so many people can be manipulated into jeopardizing the safety of their loved ones by believing disingenuous political rhetoric. But who nurtures the fiction that law-abiding guns cause crime? Open Page in a new Tab or Window

The evidence is overwhelming. Research by the tenured university professor who reviewed John Lott's book Open Page in a new Tab or Window had already brought him to the conclusion that More Guns, Less Crime:

"If you're anti-gun ... you either did not read the book with an open mind, or you do not know how to distinguish a precisely-reasoned argument from a merely political one."

Translation: Either you have been programmed to ignore well-proven facts, or you've been taught what to think Open Page in a new Tab or Window rather than how to think Open Page in a new Tab or Window - a very real problem nowadays. A government education Open Page in a new Tab or Window seems to neglect teaching people how to think, it instead focuses on teaching what to think instead.

They don't see the manipulation by politicians, some of whom own guns or have armed guards for protection! Such people believe you should be made to do what they say, yet they themselves are above petty restrictions. You must: Do as I say, not as I do. Pure hypocrisy.
We don't pass ordinances or laws. "While the Sheriff does have the constitutional authority to protect and serve all citizens in our County, we defer to each city's police to enforce the law."

Yes, but encouraging armed self-defense is not about enforcing the law, it’s persuading criminals not to break the law by changing their motivation. Since violent criminals fear being injured, they decide not to attack once they know all their victims can protect themselves.

Encouraging armed self-defense provides such amazing reductions in crime that your crime fighting professionals should help enact this strategy benefitting everyone in your community. Does it protect and serve your citizens if they ignore UGO? No, the evidence unequivocally proves there's no better way to protect and serve your voters. Only criminals and criminal kingpins lose. Open Page in a new Tab

Some say that violent criminals preying on peaceable citizens are just animals. Since it seems that both cities and counties can pass ordinances such as animal control, is there any reason not to pass this animal control ordinance to protect citizens against all violent animals - including those with two legs.
A very good question, congestion and demographics certainly help to create violent criminals Open Page in a new Tab or Window. But once someone's become a violent criminal, you need to stop him assaulting your citizens. How? by convincing him he'll get shot and injured preying on any of your people. Just like the rest of us, career criminals don't want to be shot and injured.

That's why publicity for the ordinance is so important. You want it widely known that all your citizens can resist criminal assault. Gun-grabbers will publicize guns ownership as dangerous, and they are indeed for criminals, but guns are not dangerous for responsible citizens Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Publicity tells your violent criminals that violent crime is unsafe for them in your city, yet it actually doesn't matter if this is portrayed as positive or not. It lets people and businesses know that yours is a really safe environment. People like feeling safe...
> e. Will it Still Work Today?
Discouraging criminals worked really well for Kennesaw - 79% decrease in violent crime - when implemented years ago, but will it still work today?

Yes. It also produced large decreases in both rape and violent crime in the ten year Concealed Carry study Open Page in a new Tab. It produces such impressive reductions in violent crime by letting all your violent criminals know they'll get shot if they attack one of your citizens. Since, just like the rest of us, career criminals don't like being injured, the publicity persuades them to stop violently assaulting your people - or live somewhere all their victims are not armed.

The gun-grabbers will generate all sorts of negative publicity - which is actually desirable, you want publicity for your strategy. It tells your predatory criminals that they'll get shot if they attack your people while people as well as businesses learn that your city is a very safe place. People find safe environments attractive Open Page in a new Tab or Window ...

Encouraging armed self-defense dramatically improves your economic development, Open Page in a new Tab or Window it'll put your city on the map for businesses and people looking to relocate. So get your economic growth people to publicize your city's improved safety and enjoy the extra revenue along with the praise from your citizens.
> f. Gun Control stops Accidents
Do you worry about your kid swimming with a friend? Yet what's riskier: a gun or a swimming pool? If you let little Johnny go to Bobby's house to swim, he's 10 times more likely to have a fatal accident swimming versus going to little Timmy's where dad has a gun. [link now bad: smartparentshealthykids.com/blog/?p=11]

14-year-old Jessica Carpenter needed a gun to defend her siblings against the home invader Open Page in a new Tab or Window. But her parents' guns were locked up and by the time police arrived, 7-year-old John and 9-year-old Ashley had been murdered. With gun control your children are defenseless!

When the home invader opened the cupboard door where 12-year-old Kendra St. Clair was hiding Open Page in a new Tab or Window, she shot him with her parents' gun. Gun-grabbers insist a young girl shouldn't be taught to defend herself, but without a gun...

Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung had no gun, so she died lunging at Adam Lanza Open Page in a new Tab or Window who killed twenty children and six unarmed adults in the Newton CO school massacre.

But a gun thwarted a massacre at the 1997 high school shooting spree at Pearl, Mississipi Open Page in a new Tab or Window. Assistant principal Joel Myrick ran to his car and retrieved his gun, immobilizing the shooter until the police arrived. And the guns of the two students stopped the slaughter in the 2002 mass shooting at the Appalachian School of Law Open Page in a new Tab or Window in Virginia.
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When a shooting rampage is stopped by police, there are 14.3 deaths on average. When stopped by armed civilians, there are just 2.3 casualties Open Page in a new Tab or Window. The reason is simple, the police have to be called and travel to the crime scene, armed civilians are right there when it starts.

Children as young as four have been taught to use a gun responsibly Open Page in a new Tab or Window. But what's the risk of having a defensive gun? What's the downside of not having one when your family needs it? Although accidents can happen, you need the freedom to come up with your own answers...
> g. Yet Another Law is Unnecessary
A few police - and even a few sheriffs - see encouraging armed self-defense as unnecessary. They believe there are too many laws on the books anyway and one more law simply exacerbates the problem. But any crime rate not a lot lower than the US National Average shows how much their citizens would enjoy much less crime.

The crucial difference they're missing is the motivation widespread gun ownership gives to hardened violent criminals . When more or less everyone is armed, the knowledge that they could get killed or injured drives them out of town. They go where their victims are less able to fight back...
> h. It causes too much Adverse Publicity
It's said that there's no such thing as bad publicity. Your ordinance tells everybody you're making your city safer - except for violent criminals and those who profit from crime.

Your city actually wants publicity to tell your violent criminals they'll get shot if they assault or rape any of your citizens. So once you've received enough, then implement the Brady settlement agreement Open Page in a new Tab or Window and there'll be nothing more to complain about. You want businesses, people and visitors to know that your city is becoming much, much safer...

Yes, the City of Nelson had enormous amounts of negative publicity about their ordinance encouraging armed self-defense. But some if not much of it comes from criminals who don't like their victims being armed.

Unfortunately, they both neglected to remove the penalty for non-compliance and failed to educate their people about the immense value of defensive guns. Such problems are simple to overcome: enact the settlement clause and provide the focussed information needed to educate your citizens. Such implementation pitfalls are easy to avoid Open Page in a new Tab or Window...
> i. We already have LOTS of Guns, so Discouraging Criminals won't Decrease our Crime Rate
"Nearly all our people already have guns - we have lax gun laws - so encouraging gun ownership won't decrease our crime rate."

Because criminals prefer unarmed victims and stop violent attacks once they know everyone is armed, this is just not so. Indisputable evidence has proved that even more guns cause even less crime. Discouraging criminals encourages EVERYONE to be armed - rather than just many people - and the publicity persuades your violent criminals to leave town. Violent criminals also commit property crime...

If your violent crime rate is NOT much lower than the National Average, you have violent criminals attacking your people. Crime rates all across the USA prove that more guns carried by your citizens deter criminals more. How does your crime rate compare to Kennesaw's? Open Page in a new Tab or Window

Why argue with the facts? Unless your violent crime rate is a third of the National Average and you have half the property crime like Kennesaw, you can do lots more to deter your criminals. Encouraging ALL their potential victims to be armed is the strongest deterrent there is. Encouraging gun ownership will reduce your violent crime as well as your property crime.

How can you lose when the publicity tells the whole world that your community is a outstandingly safe place to live and work? Both people and companies look for low crime when moving... Discouraging your rriminals will improve your economic growth!
To the contrary, the evidence proves that firearms protect you. A gun ensures a law-abiding citizen can fight back whereas unarmed victims are easy to prey for a fit young violent criminal.

The first misunderstanding here is in not appreciating the value of a gun to defend yourself against attack Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

The second ignores the enormous deterrence that knowing their victim is armed has on violent criminals. Yet there's overwhelming proof, see the "devastating to gun control advocates" review of More Guns, Less Crime Open Page in a new Tab or Window and the Harvard University academic study Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

The third focuses on the far less common gun violence - the offensive use of a firearm Open Page in a new Tab or Window and ignores the far more common DEFENSIVE GUN USES Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Lastly, gun control advocates don't think you have a right to defend yourself against attack Open Page in a new Tab or Window. Some even pretend that a gun ban ensures nobody has a gun, rather than seeing it ensures that only criminals have guns.

Violent criminals are not stupid, they fear attacking armed citizens who can shoot back. They don't like being injured, just like the rest of us.
> k. I'm Too Busy Fighting Crime to Investigate Discouraging Criminals or Talk to Salesmen
But would your citizens benefit more if you were willing to investigate new strategies proven to dramatically reduce crime rather than focus on where you heard about those strategies? There are large benefits to be made by looking at the message rather than the messenger.

Our time and expertise are free, we have nothing to sell you. So why do we do this?

Like the college professor who reviewed More Guns, Less Crime Open Page in a new Tab or Window, we know that many who oppose your right to defend yourself with a gun simply believe their politicians and haven't yet investigated the evidence. Mind you, some haven't been taught the enormous difference between a well-reasoned argument and a political one...

We create Special Reports such as The Right Response, How to Reduce Violent Crime which are specially designed - and can be individually customized - to convince your skeptical voters that encouraging gun ownership will drastically reduce violent crime. And property crime. And forcible rape...

We've reserved one for you to evaluate, use the 100% discount code "Mayor", get your free copy here.
> l. We're Too Busy with Other Priorities
Yes, there are lots of different sorts of crime and it's a difficult ongoing task to balance all the claims on your time along with your responsibilities. Yet your sheriff is elected to protect and serve your citizens, which includes reducing violent crime and that's also the police chief's job.

If you were to ask your citizens how high should reducing violent crime be on your city's priority list, what would they tell you? Would many if not most of them say it's a very high priority?

So put discouraging criminals on your schedule to investigate, and let us know when you'd like to start enjoying the major reductions in violent crime it brings...
> m. It's Coercion - Discouraging Criminals Forces People to Have Guns
Although objectors are specifically excluded, some object to encouraging armed self-defense thinking it's coercive. But there's no penalty and anyone who objects is exempt! And you still need to meet all local requirements such as gun safety training. So Discouraging Criminals is neither Mandatory Gun Ownership nor Compulsory Gun Ownership, it's simply your choice.

Don't you need the freedom to make your own decision about your own defense? Isn't freedom important, should you be forced to follow anyone else's idea about what is right for them? You only become armed if you so choose.

So why bother?

For several very good reasons, listen to the 2 minute explanation to the skeptical Police Chief here. Open Page in a new Tab It works! Encouraging armed self-defense dramatically reduces violent crime by warning your violent criminals they'll be injured if they attack your people!

The default changes for any unarmed people holding the middle ground. If they don't feel strongly about being armed, responsible citizens don't have a gun without Discouraging Criminals. Whereas all law-abiding citizens who have absolutely no objection get a gun with Discouraging Criminals - including those who couldn't be bothered previously.

You still have your local requirements for a Concealed Handgun License and gun safety training. With the outcry exacerbated by all the criminals, the enormous FREE publicity turbocharges your economic development by getting rid of your violent predators...
> n. I don't find the Results at Kennesaw Convincing
The FBI total each city's crime numbers from their monthly SLED submissions, and then validate those numbers before publishing each one's total crime later the following year. CityRating then analyze the FBI numbers...

The City of Kennesaw continue to have a tiny violent crime rate thirty years after encouraging gun ownership - just a third of the National Average. Their property crime rate is two-thirds, considerably lower than the rest of Georgia.

The publicity surrounding the discouragement of criminals persuades criminals to live somewhere else, therefore violent crime and rape significantly decrease. This is not just a theory, Kennesaw's violent crime dropped by 79% once they passed their ordinance Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

There's so much evidence proving More Guns cause Less Crime that failure to appreciate the value of guns in responsible hands suggests, in one professional reviewer's damning words Open Page in a new Tab or Window:

"you either did not [explore the evidence] with an open mind, or you do not know how to distinguish a precisely-reasoned argument from a merely political one."

> o. I don't Believe the Dollar Savings
These dollar savings are actually understated Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Counting Kennesaw's population as just 30,000 people ignores the 25,000 students in the university for much of the year. If these were included, the number of officers per 1,000 citizens would be a lot lower and so the savings on fewer officers - estimated at over a million dollars a year - would be a lot higher.

There are savings in court costs. The fewer crimes committed, the fewer people to arrest and charge with crime in court which also gives manpower savings. Savings all round which have not been estimated.

Jail savings. Each inmate in jail costs money every day, and fewer crimes means fewer people receiving jail sentences - one study showed each inmate costs $36,286 per year Open Page in a new Tab. Then there are capital savings on new jails not needed for expanding numbers of inmates. Neither running cost nor capital cost savings have been estimated.

Less crime decreases the costs of crime for your citizens. There are fewer victims and the cost of each crime to the victim are substantial Open Page in a new Tab or Window. Also not estimated.

Justice is swifter and more accurate. Since the courts have less crimes to try, the backlog decreases. The shorter time between the crime and its court hearing is also beneficial, memories are more accurate. As the saying goes: Justice delayed is justice denied.
> p. I just Can't Be Bothered
"It's just not worth the bother. Since nearly all our citizens already have guns, the decrease in crime would be marginal."

The decrease in unarmed households may indeed be marginal, but that's not the point. The publicity discourages your violent criminals, it says they'll likely be shot and injured whenever they attack any of your citizens. Since criminals are afraid of armed victims, guns discourage violent crime! see above - click on heading m. Coercion.

Just as more armed police patrols discourage crime, more armed responsible citizens discourage violent criminals. Convince a violent criminal he can be shot by his prey - and he won't attack.. There's unequivocal proof that more guns cause less crime - and even more guns cause even less crime. There's lot of evidence, see more here, here, and here. all Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Still not totally convinced? Listen to this brief (2:10) audio response to the skeptical Police Chief's questions here. Open Page in a new Tab

Yet despite the significant dollar and manpower savings arising from a serious decrease in crime, one police lieutenant delegated to investigate encouraging gun ownership was, er, unenthusiastic. "We just follow the law" he said. Unlike public servants elected by their voters, it seems that some employees have little or no incentive to be interested in their citizens well-being, no matter how legitimate.

4. Conclusion

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Encourage all your citizens to be able to defend their families and loved ones from violent attack, you'll find many of the benefits explained here... Open Page in a new Tab

Encouraging gun ownership is a proven crime-reducing strategy which benefits not only you, your police and your citizens. It deters nearby criminals in your state. It reduces the costs of fighting crime and saves substantial amounts of money. Your voters both want and like the results. What's not to like? ...

Since all citizens have guns, criminals and rapists are discouraged, deterred from even thinking about committing a violent crime. The publicity convinces hardened criminals to stop preying on your citizens and leave town! Security and safety encourage economic development: Initially the same size, Kennesaw has seen eight times MORE growth than Childress Open Page in a new Tab or Window.

Food for Thought

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170 million new guns, 51% decrease in violent crime since 1991

"Fear of the unknown gun carrier who is going to punch his ticket to hell... has an immediate effect on reducing violent criminal activity."

– Ron Avery, former police officer with many years of street experience.
Firearms trainer for top level federal agencies and special operations military. His training methodology is used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

http://www.policeone.com/Gun-Legislation-Law-Enforcement/articles/6186552-PoliceOne-Gun-Control-Survey-Are-legally-armed-citizens-the-best-solution-to-gun-violence Open Page in a new Tab or Window

"Criminals are lazy by nature, they go to where it's less resistance, criminal activity is easier."

– Police Chief Jimmy Carter, City of Brunswick, Georgia


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DC16 Objections page6