Gun Politics Exam 1
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Created the AK-47 easy to make, cheap to produce, easy to operate
NRA hires wayne la pierre
He knew squat about guns but he knew politics
In 1920's congress passed revolver act based loosely on Sullivan law
Provided restrictions for the carrying and transporting of revolvers
QUIZZES
QUIZZES
Extremism
Resurgence of white nationalism in US that coalesced around 2016 election
PEOPLE
PEOPLE
Firearms and violence - a critical review
Stepped back and looked at all studies done on both sides of the equation (more guns = reduction in crime, more guns in society = increase in crime) Recognize there might be a correlation but correlation does not prove causality - the data does not leads to a conclusion Crime was already going down in US
True or False: Dr. Richard Gatling invented his famous "Gatling gun" as a means to end warfare.
True
TRUE or FALSE: In Ohio, it is legal to openly carry a loaded firearm in public (unless in a designated "no carry" zone such as a hospital).
True
NICS
Where gun sales are done Where background checks take place Primary sales: gun stores that sell to consumer, have to do background check Secondary sales: person to person, 11 states require background checks for secondary sales Number of background checks have been going up over the last 8 years
Gun makers Smith & Wesson created The Volcanic, their first repeating firearm. It utilized a new bullet design called what?
a "rocket ball"
Which of the following developments in firearms technology was NOT a result of French innovation?
repeating rifles
Tonic immobility
found researching sharks - sharks can become catatonic where they look dead from shock - people can suffer the same thing
true or false: According to Dennis Henigan and others, the Consumer Product Safety Commission can regulate toy guns, but it has no regulatory authority over real arms or ammunition.
true
true or false: According to lecture, before Colt and Winchester armed American pioneers, their primary source of revenue was from foreign countries.
true
2 cohorts were constructed for comparison
1 -persons with at least one of the four types of mental health adjudications (involuntary commitment, incompetent to stand trial, insanity acquittal, conservatorship) Reasons why a court would put someone in an institution 2—persons with at least one voluntary psychiatric hospitalization but no mental health adjudications
Henry VIII
-1541-Barred anyone with an annual income less than ₤100 from owning a handgun or crossbow Repealed due to war with France -Ordered subjects to possess longbows, to practice with them, and to provide longbows for their children -Even under these statutes, British subjects were not precluded from armed home defense with long guns -"a man's home is his castle" being therefore "for his defense against injury and violence as for his repose."
Casimir Lefaucheaux
-1828--Frenchman Casimir Lefaucheaux invented the pinfire cartridge (patented in 1835) -Lefaucheaux's breech loading gun inspired British gun makers to copy and improve the design
Pinfire cartridges
-1828--Frenchman Casimir Lefaucheaux invented the pinfire cartridge (patented in 1835) -One of the earliest practical designs of a metallic cartridge -Pin is shoved into primer and creates explosion -Another piece that changes things - successful form of a metallic cartridge that lets us load from the breach end-earliest practical design of metallic cartridge. -His breech loading gun inspired British gun makers to copy and improve the design
The Future is Now-Ghost Guns
-3-D printing Cody Wilson's "The Liberator" The songbird - gun has to contain a certain amount of metal for it to be legal. The grip is hollow so you can go to hardwear store to get lead and insert it into the grip so gun meets weight requirement - one shot Run into free speech issues, commerce issues
Handguns (or "pistols") can be divided into two groups (difference is how you load them):
1. Pistols/Semi-automatics ("semi-autos") 2. Revolvers
American gun culture
-Strong idea of gun ownership starting in independence Lewis and clark went armed -Daniel Boone Tick licker Kentucky rifle = american technology -Civil war The crucible to try and develop better military tech Volley fire All people firing at same time standing next to each other How much of civil war was fought because firearms inaccurate -1871 - NRA
Guns
43% of American households possess guns, which has remained constant over the last 20 years 31% of adults own a gun These percentages have been relatively constant over the last 40 years Those who are lower income have less guns than those who are higher income More married people own firearms than unmarried people Steady increase in gun sales
Do guns deter criminals?
All states allow concealed handguns, and crime rates have dropped in SOME states However, crime rates also dropped in states without such laws A survey of imprisoned felons indicates that they consider the possibility of armed victims
Criminology
-Study guns used in crime -So then if we're thinking about interdiction, let's think about "Felon in possession" laws If you are a felon you cannot have a gun Felon - crimes punished by more than 1 year in prison -Aurora, IL shooter Gary Martin But keeping guns out of the hands of felons does not always work felon shooter who did not get denied on a background check -Probate court handles non compos mentis - adjudicated mentally defective in ohio When you go in to purchase a firearm and they do background check, they look at criminal court records They did not look at probate court records because that only has to do with mental After virginia tech they redid background check system in ohio Now when you purchase a firearm it accessing criminal and probate records
By the middle 1300s, the gun—primitive as it was—was a modest transcontinental commodity
-Technologically, the gun remained marginal in terms of military significance until, perhaps, the 18th century -One of the first recorded applications of gunpowder in European military history occurred in 1346 at the Battle of Crecy -English soldiers used little gunpowder "firepots"
McDonald v. Chicago
-The Court held that the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms" protected by the Second Amendment is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and applies to the states
Roth, Maltz & Eckberg, "Homicide Rates in the Old West": How did murder rates in the west compare with other areas of the United States?
-The West was extraordinarily violent in the mid nineteenth century, and it continued to be more homicidal than the rest of the United States until the 1930s. -The evidence shows that the mid-nineteenth-century West had extremely high homicide rates.
Force
-The force of a projectile is related to the kinetic energy (KE) imparted to it, given by the formula -projectile Rifle bullet (all copper) the core of the bullet is made out of led Copper (jacket) is there because without it bullet would explode because of the explosion Jacket is made to hold bullets together at higher velocities
Unrestricted
-The most permissive - constitutional carry states - means as long as you are of age, not a criminal, legal resident of state, you can carry concealed handgun without a permit - label this as constitutional carry because say that under 2nd amendment you have right to carry handgun for self defense -You need a permit issued by your home state if you are visiting one of these states
Epidemiology (Public Health)
-They describe gun violence as an "epidemic" - epidemics are when numbers keep increasing = number of Americans who are victims of gun violence has been relatively constant Or "endemic"? Smith suggests it is actually endemic Endemic is natural
Following American Revolution, 120,000 Loyalists fled into Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec
Called themselves United Empire Loyalists British that remained loyal to crown through revolutionary war and flee Canada Loyalists were not afraid of what government would do to them; more afraid of what would happen if the government collapsed
NRA 1871
Came into purpose to teach marksmanship to teach Yankees how to shoot Civilian marksmanship program so soldiers can effectively use firearms Lobbied congress to provide them with shooting grounds, weapons and ammunition NRA would not be in existence without congress and Teddy Roosevelt
More guns = less crime: the idea that was put forth by Lott and Mustard
Came out in 1997 - argued in locations that legalize the concealed carry of firearms, liberalize (loosen up so more people can take advantage of rule), there is a decrease in crime rates You can see noticeable reductions in homicide, assaut, armed robbery, armed sexual assault Argument: all we have to do is liberalize gun laws and we will have a liberal society (think about professor bellile - out of the woodwork comes academics) Academics found a lot of mistakes in the data that Lott used Did not account for many variables and spillover
1867-British North America Act created the Dominion of Canada
Can point to a definite division between united states and canada Canada become independent through parliament
Accuracy (of projectile)
Can tell how accurate guns are by military tactics Volley file - used by British and colonials
Politisization comes about through 1968 gun control act
Creates registration system, restrictions for people who are mentally ill ext A few years later congress creates alcohol, tobacco firearms to enforce 68 restrictions This is when NRA becomes concerned - when they see congress passing these restrictions they become worried that if they do not start getting a handle on laws coming out we won't have anyone to train and they won't have firearms to train with and hunt with
Minie balls
Claude-Étienne Minié Rifled muskets (still load from muzzle, but barrels are rifled) Very difficult to load a muzzle rifle because it is too large Came up with a hollow base bullet = smaller than the diameter of the rifle so it can easily go down inside the barrel, the concave base goes right over powder charge, it then expands and makes contact with the powder, maintains accuracy
Social scientific study of guns is dominated by
Criminological and epidemiological studies of gun violence Generally, academics have a disdain for studying firearms beyond the criminological and epidemiological (public health) spheres
Winkler
Don't have a lot of violence in the west Tombstone Arizona He only looked at towns. But actually when you get away from towns on the frontier it is violent, the only other area that saw higher rates of violence was american south
According to lecture, social science research involving guns in the United States has been primarily undertaken by researchers in two specific fields. One of those fields is Criminology. What is the other?
Epidemiology (aka public health)
True or False: The Consumer Product Safety Commission can order the recall of firearms if they have design defects that make the prone to accidental discharges
False
By the time the French gave up Canada and the Louisiana Territory, almost all of the tribes as far west as the Rockies were armed
Thanks to French enterprise and Indian wholesalers
1689 Bill of Rights
That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence [sic] suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law; Brings end to bloodless revolution As allowed by law: when parliament starts doing gun restrictions, people did not have protections against these when it comes to the law
According to lecture, the 3-D printing of firearms is fascinating because this issue spans several different areas of constitutional law. Which of the following was not one of those areas mentioned in class?
The 5th Amendment's "takings" clause
According lecture, the English 1689 Bill of Rights gave Protestants in England the right to have arms for their defense. Why, then, have British citizens lost their right to arms ownership?
The Bill of Rights conained the phrase "as allowed by law" which has given Parliament the authority to limit gun ownership
When purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer, the purchaser must declare that she or he has never been "adjudicated as a mental defective." Which piece of federal legislation is responsible for the use of this phrase with regard to gun purchases?
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
Matchlock - European
Powder goes down into the barrel, little hole in the side of the barrel and then there is a match on the side Rope has to be dry and always burning
In the U.S. ... Dr. Richard Gatling, MD, patented, in 1862, the Gatling gun
Rapid, continuous rate of fire (200 rounds/min) First global "weapon of mass destruction"? Designing boat propellers gave him inspo to design a firearm that you could fire by twisting the gun He wanted to end war - thought his creation would put an end to warfare as we know it Became the first weapon of mass destruction
Thompson and Kalashnikov
Rapid-fire "machine guns" now the staple of militaries, mercenaries, and organized crime The gun that made the twenties roar Machine gun law is the only gun restriction that has ever worked AK 47 - easy to make, cheap to produce, easy to operate - made by Kalashnikov
Homicide is elastic
Rates can expand or contract
Utilizing the new center fire cartridges, Colt introduced, in 1873, the Single Action Army
First practical repeating handgun Could not make firearms like this until the patent expired and the technology became free for all - so everyone started making guns with cylinders like S&W did 1869 forward (when S&W patent expired) that you see instances of gun suicide in US
Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA Why did the NRA "target" Al Gore in the election?
Ghore had said that he would push gun control legislation and he had already signed legislation into effect Fight over guns after Columbine triggered the involvement in the election
Think of a dividing line between what fed gov through armories (building things) and then domestic production (arms industrialists)
Guns developed independent from what the government was doing. Make tech better Out of arsenals comes Simeon North, Eli Whitney (came out of springfield arsenal), the bromford
According to lecture, the world's first "super gun" was Urban's monster which was used to great effect in 1453 during the siege of Constantinople. Urban designed the gun specifically to aid Sultan Mehmet II's attack against the city. What became of Urban?
He was killed by the gun the first time it was fired
Handguns
Increase in handguns in gun-owning households - particularly in 1990s and 2000s Most households that have a handgun also own rifle and/or shotguns Only 13% of gun owners state that their guns are for self-protection only Generational tradition
In Europe, rapid-fire military rifles were also being developed, but these rifles were based a bolt-action design, like the famous Mauser rifles
Indeed, when the Ordnance department finally gave in and adopted a rapid fire rifle for the U.S. Army, that rifle was the Norwegian-made Krag-Jorgensen rifle
Law came to the Canadian West before the people did
PM Alexander Mackenzie created the Mounted Police specifically to avoid the American pattern of frontier development
On 14 May 1812, as part of the preparation for the War of 1812, Congress established the Ordinance Department
Responsible for arms and ammunition production for the U.S. Army
Manchin in West Virginia who crossed NRA and they tore him to pieces
Wanted a democrat that the conservatives could work with When Manchin gets his name attached to the bill they treat him as a traitor Start running anti manchin adds
When British took Canada from France, new governor (Guy Carlton) decided not to exterminate French culture
Wanted peaceful coexistence
Agent (combines with vehicle)
What causes the harm? Ammunition
War of 1812
When Native Americans were found with British-made firearms, calls began for military action which leads to war of 1812 Proved the effectiveness of the "American style" of fighting and the utility of the Kentucky Rifle
Why are guns so lethal?
You can fire multiple rounds, gun can kill multiple people Other weapons can't do this Quick succession Guns are durable
Only place of the world that has records of who purchased firearms is the gun store in which you bought it. So how do you understand how many guns are out there?
You can use a proxy One proxy is gun magazines Social costs article: suicide rates with guns
Semi-automatic firearms (how they function)
Works off of Isaac Newton principal As the slide moves back instead of the rounds being held in a cylinder they are held in a magazine. Most of the pressure forces bullet out but some pushes the slide back and strips another round off of the top of the magazine Gun loads itself every time you pull the trigger
U.S. v. Emerson
a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) holding that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees individuals the right to bear arms.
U.S. v. Timothy Emerson
a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) holding that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees individuals the right to bear arms.
Hennigan = iron pipe line
Transportation of guns from more southern states (where it is easy to purchase firearm) to northern states (where it is more difficult) Cracking down on straw sales = FFL can take a look at your behavior in the shop and tell them that they will not sell them the gun
True or False: One can manufacture traditional "black" gun powder using components available at Walmart.
True
Because of Ordinance's obstinacy with respect to repeating arms technology, Winchester, Colt, and Remington were forced to look across the oceans for sales
US would not give them contracts Mexican revolution, Russia's war with turkey, the cretan revolt Eventually the Mexican Revolution ended and foreign rulers grew tired of warring against other foreign rulers Winchester, Colt, and Remington found themselves with stockpiles of arms but no buyers And with the reluctance, STILL, of Ordinance and the War Department to embrace advancements in gun design, the great American gun industrialists had to find a new market for their wares—the great American consumer!
Why was gun cotton worse than gun powder?
Very combustible and unstable, too dangerous to mass produce
"Black powder" consists of a FUEL (charcoal) and an OXIDIZER (saltpeter or potassium nitrate) plus a STABILIZER (sulfur)
Very different than our modern gunpowder, which is what the Chinese created They created a fuel source Different types of wood affect the explosive power Does not need outside source of oxygen Stabilizer reduces combustion point so it can be triggered easier
Homicides
Victims and perpetrators using guns in homicides tend to be male, African American and young Homicide is the leading cause of death for black males ages 15-34 (because of gangs and drugs), ten times higher than for white males, and 50 times higher than for white females This rate has increased significantly
New France (Quebec)
legacy of authoritarianism; under direct control of Paris; developed few customs of self-government
The first references to gunpowder in Europe were made by the Arab traveler Ibn al Baitar
said the Egyptians knew of it and called it "Chinese Snow," from the color of the earth were deposits of saltpeter are found
Red Flag Laws
allow law enforcement, without warrants, to search for and remove guns from persons they believe are dangerous to themselves or to others b/c of a mental illness, emotional instability, or a tendency to be violent If law enforcement has probable cause based on claims reports they can go and investigate and then remove the firearm if they see fit - there can be a timeline where the individual can go and have a hearing to determine that they really aren't a danger to themselves
Components of a modern metallic cartridge
casing (outside), bullet (tip), powder (inside near butt), primer (very back end)
The question they wanted to ask:
does mental health matter at all when we worry about people possessing firearms?
Michael Bellisles
fabricated research to argue that during the early period of US history, guns were uncommon during peacetime and that a culture of gun ownership did not arise until the mid-nineteenth century
Disqualification due to a criminal record
far more common than losing gun rights due to a mental health record (34.9% vs. 7.0%)
System of trade within Native American tribes
firearms make their way across southern part of Canada and come to the american south west, when americans push frontier towards pacific ocean, they encounter armed Native Americans
The Flintlock
flint striking ignition mechanism Percussion firearm The hammer hits the cap and that is what creates the spark
1450-German gunsmiths discovered that putting spiral grooves (riffeln) in the bore would impart a spin to the bullet that improved accuracy—Jägerrifles
grooves had originally been cut to reduce the problem of "fouling" from unburned powder residue All modern weapons have "rifling" in their barrels
David Yamane: "The sociology of U.S. gun culture."
gun culture research comes from mostly criminologists and epidemiologists
How is it that the number of guns has increased but the percentage owning guns remains constant?
gun owners now own more guns (gun-owning households average 4.5 guns, a major increase)
KTW rounds
handgun bullets developed for law enforcement, The KTW round consisted of a core of hardened brass alloy Bullets were coated with Teflon to protect barrel - green - to lubricate inside of barrel and not wear out barrels "cop killer" bullets
Open carry itself does not pertain only to
handguns
"The Sociology of U.S. Gun Culture" - David Yamane
there IS NO sociology of U.S. gun culture As Yamane commented, academic mistake an interest in "gun culture" with an interest in "gun violence" - they think one is more important than the other
When people arrived in the Americas...
they came from societies where the individuals had been largely disarmed and then arrive in a world where they are necessary for survival
According to lecture, German gunsmiths carved grooves (fiffeln) into the inside of musket barrels to reduce fouling in the barrel. What other important effect did these grooves have?
they caused the bullets to spin in the air which made the guns more accurate at a greater distance
The large majority (93.7%) of the participants who were convicted of a gun-disqualifying crime during the study period
were never involuntarily committed or otherwise disqualified due to a mental health record 60% do not qualify a disqualification
According to Dr. Randy Roth, which demographic group is most at risk for suicide?
white males
As the frontier moved west, Americans in the newly settled areas had few reasons to possess firearms
As the Army "pacified" the indigenous peoples, western ranchers had few reasons to possess firearms As law made its way west of the Pecos, frontiersmen had few reasons to possess firearms It wasn't until the gun industrialists, starved for sales, turned their attention to the settlers, ranchers and frontiersmen that a need was "created."
English artist Joshua Shaw designed what is recognized today as the percussion cap, which he patented in the United States in 1822
Became known as cap and ball firearms Originally made out of copper
Possession of Weapons in Britain
The right of citizens to be armed not only is unusual, but evolved in England in an unusual manner: it began as a duty because there was no police -Englishmen had a duty to be armed It was often resented -Civil responsibility to help keep the peace Posse comitatus -conscript able-bodied men to assist in keeping peace or pursue and arrest felon -extended beyond village and county Owed the sovereign service in the militia
proxy for gun use in crime
"violent crime conviction"
Vehicle/Vector (combines with agent)
How is the agent is delivered? Firearm
NOTES
NOTES
COURT CASES
COURT CASES
VIDEOS
VIDEOS
"Cop-killer Bullets"
"Cop killer" was the term used to describe handgun ammunition that could, supposedly, penetrate up to 18 layers of Kevlar, typical in "soft body armor" worn by law enforcement "KTW" rounds were named after the inventors: Dr. Paul Kopsch, Sgt. Dan Turcus, and Don Ward from Lorain County, OH (Dr. Kopsch was the Lorain County Coroner) NBC broadcast = Many viewers came away with the impression that these rounds had been designed specifically to kill cops They wanted to ban these bullets based on whether or not they could go through 3-4 layers of Kevlar but that would ban all rifles so they started banning based on shape instead
Common law "traveled" to North America
"carrying" -English colonists had to rely on memory; no trained lawyers amongst the early colonists; most common experience was with local manor or borough courts, not Royal court in London Colonial charters -extended common law, just changed language "reception" statutes -colonial "legislatures" mandated that common law would be adhered to
Spanish explorers introduce civil law into American Southwest and South America French explorers introduce civil law into Canada (Quebec) and Louisiana
(still only holdouts of civil law (code law) in North America) - very clear cut administrative law
Laws existed in Britain to control the use of weapons long before the appearance of firearms
-1181 -King Henry II's Statute of Assize of Arms (requiring people to be armed) All freemen (males 16 to 60) were required to bear arms befitting their rank for purpose of national defense also disarmed jews -1285 -King Edward I's Statute of Winchester Required every man (not just freemen!) to have arms (freeman are folks who can move around freely) -1328 -King Edward III's Statute of Northampton requiring people to bear arms but restricting where they can wear them
Proposed solutions to gunpowder problems led to:
-"Korning" the powder Developments in metallurgy; korned powder was more powerful than gunpowder; more of it ignited in the barrel More surface area to burn so because there is more surface area, more of the korn powder would ignite but firearms were not built to withstand new pressure Had to strengthen the metal to handle this = hardened steel -Gun cotton Became the basis for nitrocellulose which is used in all modern (smokeless) powder; also foundation for nitroglycerine, dynamite, and TNT Replacing gunpowder with fulminates -Fulminates did not replace gunpowder, but were experimented with to create "primers" which led to percussion firearms and all modern metallic cartridges
Sam Colt
-'Father of handguns in the US--1836-1860' -Created Colt Army Model before civil war.' Used by the union. -Longer barrel → increased accuracy. Colt's firearms were interchangeable. -1836 Sam Colt patented his famous Colt Paterson revolver -Shameless self promoter -1846 Colt collaborated with Capt. Sam Walker to create the Walker Colt -Whitney makes the machines that makes the parts for the guns -1848 -Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company founded in Hartford, CT -1860 Colt Army Model created just in time for Civil War Sam Colt demonstrated interchangeability of the Walker Colts - no one had ever seen this before
Filindra & Kaplan, "Testing Theories of Gun Policy ...": How does support for gun control proposals vary by race?
-Across all groups and in almost all models, the perception that crime is going up in the country correlates with stronger support for gun control measures. -Our results confirm that racial resentment is a significant predictor of whites' gun policy preferences and related beliefs. we find that old fashioned racism is a significant predictor of opposition to gun control among whites. -Furthermore, our models show that Latinos' gun policy preferences and related beliefs are indistinguishable from those of whites, influenced by racial resentment and stereotypical beliefs about group violence. -Racial resentment plays some role in shaping black attitudes as well but in the opposite direction: blacks who show low levels of in-group solidarity are more likely to support gun control. -two biggest predictors: gun ownership and political value
How did the Ordinance Office stymie efforts of The gun industrialists? How did they respond?
-At West Point, these officers had all been drilled on the importance of marksmanship; aim small, miss small No wasted rounds of ammunition This mentality would carry over to future leaders of Ordinance and, in a circumlocutions fashion, doom American society to levels of gun violence unheard of among developed nations -Because of Ordinance's obstinacy with respect to repeating arms technology, Winchester, Colt, and Remington were forced to look across the oceans for sales
B. Bruce-Briggs, "The Great American Gun War": Compare the arguments made by Bruce-Briggs in 1976 with arguments made today.
-Briggs: Interdiction and deterrence The latest innovation in local gun control is a sort of interdiction through deterrence.
French chemist Vielle perfected the first practical smokeless powder between 1882 and 1884
-Called Poudre V (later changed to "B") -Made from nitrocellulose and paraffin
Trauma
-Certain parts of your brain turn off, certain chemicals are released, causes certain things to turn off - like memory -Brain takes little disparate pieces and makes them into memory Chemicals released during trauma messes with brain memory coding - no way to group things - that is what happens after a traumatic event -Giving them 24/72 hours allows brain to put pieces back together again -Interesting part - chemicals released during trauma have a particular interaction with alcohol - that interaction is that nothing is encoded - there is no memory - it's the body's way or protecting them
Quilici v. Village of Morton Grove
-City ordinance banned the ownership of working handguns by anyone except: -Peace officers, prison officials, members of the armed forces and National Guard, and security guards as long as possession was in accordance with their official duties -Ordinance also exempted licensed gun collectors and owners of antique firearms -7th Circuit Court of Appeals: 2d Amend does not apply to the states
Discuss issues of public safety versus civil rights With regard to Red Flag laws
-Civil Libertarians have problems with "warrantless" searches United States v. Emerson Federal judge had problem with Dr. Emerson being stripped of his 2d Amendment right absent any finding of guilt in a court of law Later overturned on appeal -Questions of privacy; HIPPA laws protect medical records By requiring medical professional to disclose to NICS, does this violate patients' rights?
The Connecticut Study (2002-2009) - 8 years worth of data
-Connecticut began reporting mental health records to NICS via a black box
"Connecticut Study" from lecture
-Connecticut began reporting mental health records to NICS via a black box -23,292 adults met the following criteria: Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder Hospitalization in a state psychiatric hospital (voluntary or involuntary) during study period Had to be diagnosed and hospitalized
What was the Connecticut Study? What did it find?
-Connecticut began reporting mental health records to NICS via a black box -23,292 adults met the following criteria: Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder Hospitalization in a state psychiatric hospital (voluntary or involuntary) during study period Had to be diagnosed and hospitalized -Found: The large majority (93.7%) of the participants who were convicted of a gun-disqualifying crime during the study period Violent crime was associated with having a substance abuse disorder, being younger, male, of African American or Hispanic background, and having bipolar disorder (versus depression) These tend to be factors associated with crime in the population without mental disorders Bipolar disorder was positively associated with violent crime compared with depression Schizophrenia was negatively associated with violent crime compared with depression Depression is most closely correlated with suicide
United States versus Miller
-Did not explicitly say that there was no individual right to have guns or that the right guaranteed by the 2nd amendment only apply to state militias. Focused on fact that sawed off shot gun wasn't a regular weapon used by the militia and thus wasn't protected by 2nd amendment.
According to Adam Winkler, why did the NRA oppose Alan Gura's challenge to the D.C. gun ordinance? What did the NRA do to thwart Gura's efforts?
-Didn't want him to because he was inexperienced and thought he would lose -Concerned that it only applied to DC - wanted victory that would be nationwide -didn't think there were 5 individual rights justices on supreme court NRA tried to file their own lawsuit with their own lawyer Tried to lobby congress to overturn the law so the case would be thrown out
Headed by a "Commissary General of Ordinance" (later changed to "Chief of Ordinance")
-First Commissary General was Colonel Decius Wadsworth -Former Superintendent of West Point Military Academy At the academy soldiers are trained for marksmanship - one shot one kill - interested in precision They think rapid fire weapons are shell wasters -Staff was chosen from recent graduates of West Point -This would prove a problem for arms innovators such as Winchester, Colt, and Remington
1850 Henry repeating rifle
-First repeating rifle made -Downsides War department did not want repeating firearms because they thought they were shell wasters Barrel becomes super hot after shot fired Have to expose yourself to drop rounds down the tube
What you see with the french is a very different motivation between french trappers in nova scotia and the british that settle on the eastern seaboard
-French: The initial french came not wanting to stay, no plans for colonization, just wanted to collect beaver pelts. The easy way to get pelts was through trade with Native American tribes. The tribes liked firearms so in order to conduct business they had to trade with fire sticks. This created an arms race every bit as brutal than in Europe. -British: settlers planned to farm They wanted to stay They wanted to escape persecution, not just make money
Richards, "The Role of Interest Groups and Group Interests...": Discuss how lobby groups try to shift blame for public shootings away from guns. Who do they blame? What support do they show?
-Gun control activists call for stricter gun control policies, including more stringent background checks, restrictions on ammunition, and tougher regulations governing the acquisition of guns and gun permits. In response, the NRA and other gun rights supporters argue such proposals would trample the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. -public opinion polls show increased and widespread support for stricter gun control, but public policy does not change. -NRA contributions are more effective at intensifying support from legislators already committed to pro-gun policies, rather than convincing legislators to change their minds. -the distinction between interest groups and group interests is an important one. Organized groups tend to be elite-driven, so they do not necessarily represent the preferences of their members, much less a broader issue public or subconstituency
"Smart"guns
-Guns that can only be shot by one person -Armatix iP1 2 components 1. Actual handgun 2. Watch expensive Watch and gun have to be in proximity for one another for it to fire Came with a lot of issues Deterrents for bringing them in
Wayne LaPierre
-Hired by NRA after 1977 Cincinnati revolution -He knew squat about guns but he knew politics
Conventional Arms
-How recognizable would modern arms be to Urban? To Honoré le Blanc? very recognizable -All modern firearms make use of the metallic cartridge and use firing systems based on the designs of Colt, Gatling, Browning and Kalashnikov
Presser v. Illinois
-Illinois legislature passed a law that barred paramilitary organizations from drilling or parading in cities or towns without a license from the governor. -Supreme Court upheld the IL law -Reaffirmed that the Second Amendment did not apply to the states (a la Cruikshank) -In other words, militias exist only as defined and regulated by the state or federal government, which in Illinois at the time was the 8,000-member Illinois National Guard -The Court emphatically rejected the ideal that citizens could create their own militias, much less that the Second Amendment protected citizens' rights to own weapons for their own purposes
Richard Gatling
-In 1862 Patented the Gatling Gun rapid, continuous rate of fire (200 rounds/mins) -Crank it and it sprays bullets-- gun to end all wars
Ayres and Donohue, "Shooting Down the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis": Be able to discuss why in most states shall- issue concealed handgun laws have been associated with more crime
-In most states shall- issue laws have been associated with more crime and that the apparent stimulus to crime tends to be especially strong for those states that adopted in the last decade. -First, even if the adoption of a shall-issue law increased the riskiness of criminal activity and thereby dampened the number of criminals, it might also increase the number of criminals who decided to carry weapons themselves -Second, even when no criminal act is initially contemplated, the injection of a gun into an angry dispute, perhaps in lawful defense, might escalate a minor dispute into a criminal homicide or serious wounding -Third, with some estimates suggesting that as many as one million or more guns are stolen each year, we know that putting more guns in the hands of the law-abiding population necessarily means that more guns will end up in the hands of criminals -Fourth, allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons imposes burdens on police in that they must ascertain whether the gun is being carried legally. -Finally, accidental deaths and suicides are obviously aided by the presence of guns, and these costs could conceivably outweigh any benefits of shall-issue laws in reducing crime. -adoption of a shall-issue law was associated with an almost sixteen percent increase in robbery -For every crime type there are more states where shall-issues laws produce a positive and statistically significant coefficient than states that produce a negative and statistically significant coefficient. -Indeed, for the clear majority of states for all crime types, shall-issue laws are associated with increases in crime
Cook and Ludwig, "The Social Costs of Gun Ownership": What is the "elasticity of homicide"? Be able to discuss marginal external costs of handgun ownership
-In sum, gun prevalence is positively associated with overall homicide rates but not systematically related to assault or other types of crime. Together, these results suggest that an increase in gun prevalence may cause an intensification of criminal violence - a shift toward greater lethality, and hence greater harm to the community. Gun ownership also confers benefits to the owners and possibly other members of the household. The benefits are associated with the various private uses of guns - gun sports, collecting, protection of self and household against people and varmints. But the net external effects are negative. -the marginal social cost of acquiring a gun increases with the homicide rate. -These estimates imply a positive marginal external social cost of gun ownership; the lethality of criminal violence increases with gun prevalence. -effective law enforcement reduces the cost of gun ownership
Social costs
-Increase rates of criminality -Use of alcohol and drugs Studies out there of people who use firearms when they're drunk - addicts have a higher propensity for gun crime -Makes crime more deadly Can escalate a situation -Psychological consequences - aftermath of shooting/crime -Mass shooting copycats -Someone gets a hold of an unsecured gun -Downsizing inventory and selling guns -Children imitate their parents so if you have a blase attitude of gun ownership then the kids will have that too
Discuss Bruce-Biggs' "interdiction v. deterrence"
-Interdiction - making sure certain individuals don't get access to firearms (have to be 18 to hold x gun) -Deterrence is the punishment (the death penalty) If this actually works to deter people you would not see these types of crimes Are the punishments really having an effect on people?
Gunpowder had several drawbacks
-It is hygroscopic Gunpowder absorbs moisture and won't ignite War used to be a summer activity in Europe -When transported the components can separate Heavier components (charcoal) settle to the bottom; must be re-mixed -Not all powder ignites When powder is packed (especially into the barrel of a firearm or cannon) only that portion nearest the flash hole will ignite and create pressure; led to fouling in the barrel and, if uncleaned, can build up and explode the barrel
Why did Jaeger rifles become Kentucky rifles?
-Jaeger rifle used for large game, colonists needed something for smaller game -Lengthened barrel, smaller caliber → kentucky rifle
Proposed solutions to gunpowder problems included:
-Korning" the powder Adding small amounts of liquid to the process allows powder to be formed into cakes and broken up into granules ('Korn' is German for kernel) -Gun cotton (nitrocellulose) Mixing cotton fibers with nitric acid makes them extremely combustible and very unstable Schiavone was a chemist, he discovered ozone Combined cotton molecule with nitric acid More powerful/lighter than gunpowder, it can get wet So flammable that it was impossible to produce Nitrocellulose = made film too -Replacing gunpowder with fulminates Powdered metals can burn but were too powerful Way too dangerous and powerful
Most guns can be divided into:
-Long guns Include rifles and shotguns Called "long guns" because they contain a "stock"/butt and can be shoulder-braced -Hand guns Designed to be operated while held in the hand; no braced against the shoulder
Muzzle-loading v. breech loading firearms
-Muzzle loading (business end) Matchlocks, Wheel locks and flintlocks and "cap and ball" were all "muzzle-loading" firearms (aka "muzzle loaders"), meaning you had to load the powder and bullet from the "muzzle" (the business end) Problems: hard to get bullets inside, had to expose yourself as a soldier -breech loading (modern firearms that do not load by muzzle) Make use of the "metallic cartridge" Takes basic components - primer, bullet, powder - and put them all in one package The old cartridges with the muzzle loaders were paper cartridges Rimfire - primer is in rim of casing Centerfire - primer is in center of case head
Rocket ball ammunition
-New kind of ammunition (different from the minie ball) -They put gunpowder in the base of the bullet Spark generated by the primer -one of the earliest forms of metallic cartridge for firearms, containing bullet and powder in a single, metal-cased unit -smith and Wesson used this for the volcanic -1st attempt lever pistol
Canada
-Pal license (purchase acquisition license) -Allows you to purchase (gun shop) and acquire (will or estate) guns -3 categories for firearms Non restricted (most shotguns) Restricted (assault weapons) Prohibited firearms (fully automatic) -Includes asking if anyone in the house/family is not able to have access to guns -Asks much more about mental health and life triggers (job loss, divorce) May try to be reducing domestic assault, suicide, mass shooting -Have to tell about spouse you are living with and not living with Those are individuals that know you and could tell authorities whether or not there are problems with you -Have to provide a certificate for training -Have to provide 2 references -Provide current confirmed picture
Honoré le Blanc
-Pioneer of using interchangeable parts in muskets -Came into contact with Thomas Jefferson, who saw his system as a way to make america less dependent on european military equipment -Made gun parts to a standardized pattern. If a part broke it could be replaced by another part that would fit exactly
Wars are Transformational Events
-Politically Revolutions, civil wars, conquest -Economically War-ravaged areas have hard time rebuilding -Socially American women before, during, after WWII -Technologically Tea bags, wristwatches, stainless steel, duct tape, microwave ovens -Personally PTSD -The greatest stimulus for firearms development was (and continues to be) military use
Chemical company EI du Pont created competition for a new powder
-Pool balls were made of ivory, had to be made differently and they used nitrocellulose = they used to be explosive, they had to make a new substitute so that they would not explode -Soldiers went from wearing red (to see each other through gunsmoke) to camouflage in order to blend in = no more fog of war
Because firearms development has been driven by the needs of the military, major changes have been made to affect the LETHALITY of ammunition Bullet design affects lethality
-Round nose -Hollow Points Designed for lethality - the tip of it mushrooms up as it makes contact - this will do more interior damage and slows down progress of a bullet through a person's body (will not do overpenetration) -Jacketed bullet (9mm - diameter of barrel in between the grooves) -fragmentation rounds Open up like a flower when they hit something - too lethal
Bruce Briggs: Deterrence - laws designed to punish crimes after they've happened
-Set punishments for those who violate the law -Idea is that punishments will deter individuals from committing crimes -For deterrence to work, punishments must be 3 things... Certain Swift - punishment is meaningless if there is lag time Severe - really gotta sock it to them (ex: death penalty)
Taming the frontier
-Settlers of the American West staked their claims years before a government was around to protect their lives and property
1836 Sam Colt patented his famous Colt Paterson revolver
-Shameless self promoter -1846 Colt collaborated with Capt. Sam Walker to create the Walker Colt -Whitney makes the machines that makes the parts for the guns -1848 -Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company founded in Hartford, CT -1860 Colt Army Model created just in time for Civil War Sam Colt demonstrated interchangeability of the Walker Colts - no one had ever seen this before
Smith & Wesson's first repeater - started in a gun plant and broke off on their own
-Smith & Wesson's first attempt—the Smith & Wesson Lever Pistol -The Volcanic ("volition repeater") -Fired a "rocket ball" New kind of ammunition (different from the minie ball) They put gunpowder in the base of the bullet Spark generated by the primer
Accuracy
-Solved by using weapons with a longer "bore" or length of metal tube limits the size of weapon you could carry around
Bruce Briggs: Interdiction - restrictions to stop crimes before they have happened
-Try to stop crimes BEFORE they happen -Hear this term a lot in drug war By "interdicting" narcotics we limit supply and thus reduce drug sales -Keeping guns out of the hands of certain individuals can reduce gun violence -Who do we "target"? Criminals (look to criminology) Use background checks BUT gun show loophole: don't require background at gun shows/private sale Mentally ill (look to public health?) It's not just epidemiologists (wounds and stats), but also psychiatrists, psychologists (mental health issue)
Discuss the instrumentality effect from Henigan
-When committed with a gun, these crimes are far more likely to result in the victim's death than are similar violent crimes committed without a gun. For example, the likelihood that a victim will die when robbed by a firearm-wielding attacker is three times as high as when the victim faces an attacker bearing a knife and 10 times as high as when the attacker has another type of weapon. For victims injured in an assault, the likelihood of death is also greater when a gun is involved, especially in cases of domestic violence. -if public policy could reduce gun use in crime, the murder rate would go down -- even if the overall crime rate did not.
U.S. v. Cruikshank
-William Cruikshank and two others were charged as part of the Colfax Massacre -Charged with 32 counts of depriving blacks of their constitutional rights, including two claiming that defendants had deprived blacks of firearms possession which violated the 1870 Enforcement Act (aka "the Force Act"). 1. 2nd amendment simply does not afford any individual a right to bear arms free from government control 2. 2nd amendment is not incorporated 3. 14th equal protection and due process clauses applied only to state action, not to actions of individuals
Benjamin Tyler Henry
-Worked at a gun plant -.22 cartridges date from 1857 -Henry designed .44 rimfire - designs entire rifle to build around this cartridge -The first reliable lever-action repeating rifle
American "national character" had been shaped by... Canada has been shaped by...
-a violent, armed assertion of national independence -a reaction against the American tradition of armed violence
Randolph Roth
-author or American Homicide, detailing homicides in America since 1800's -poverty and trust 2 biggest factor -guns used for suicide most often
John Thompson
-developed Thompson automatic machine gun -known for its large .45 ACP cartridge, accuracy, and high volume of fully automatic fire.
Hiram Maxim
-developed first fully automatic gun -Designed based on John Browning's design for the 1911 handgun -first true machine gun
District of Colombia vs. Heller
-gives guns a protected constitutional status -gun lobby = good news is there is an established right to have guns in the home independent from the militia. Bad news = contains language suggesting a wide range of gun control laws do not violate this new right
Remington Under Fire: Discuss the issue and the proposed "fix"
-issue Had to clip off safety to remove bullets from the gun Gun discharged when safety was released Gun goes off without pulling trigger -fix: blocking mechanism to keep trigger from moving while safety is off - came to 5 and a half cents per gun so company decided to not make the fix
"apple greens"
-reference to the "cop killer" bullets -Bronze bullets coated in Teflon
How does Henigan respond to the assertion that "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns"?
-regulate gun sales by lawful gun owners -need national federal gun law since people will get guns from other states (iron pipe line) -licensing and registration makes it hard for straw buyers - distinction between criminal and legal -NRA does a gun control catch 22 -NFA suggests we should have stronger gun control laws -most gun violence has nothing to do with criminals (suicide, unintentional killings)
Martial needs for firearms
-reliability -accuracy -force of projectile -speed/rate of projectile
Revolvers (how they function)
-repeating handgun that has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing -revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading after every shot, unlike older single shot firearms -After a round is fired the hammer is either cocked by the shooter manually or by forward movement of the trigger to turn the next chamber in line with the barrel -Put ammo in cylinder and the cylinder revolves, in order for gun to fire (load) we have to put bullet in firing position - you have to do something to move cylinder to put bullet in firing position so they are loaded
Caliber
-the approximate internal diameter of the barrel -For example, a "45 caliber" firearm has a barrel diameter of.45 of an inch
Barriers to gun control (Spitzer)
-the nature of regulation: national government trying to regulate inevitably creates controversy (especially because it is a social regulation) -numerous gun control regulations already exist -prospect of controversy is high -seeks to control individual conduct -hunting/sports ethos, militia/frontier ethos -policy gridlock -outrage, action, reaction cycle
Gallup poll
-the people who want stricter, same or less strict regulations hasn't changed over time, peaks when there are mass shootings -The amount of people with guns in their homes hasn't changed except for a couple dips due to mass shootings. -Respondents to gallup (80-85%) favor gun control but they have different answers to what gun control means
Remington Under Fire: Where was the Consumer Product Safety Commission in all this?
-they cannot regulate guns Section 3 5 e: exemption from "any article which, if sold by the manufacturer, producer or importer, would be subject to the tax imposed by section 4181 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954" CPSA excludes from the CPSC's jurisdiction products that expressly lie in another agency's jurisdiction (ex: food, tobacco, guns) -but they can regulate toy guns
Urban's Monster
-world's first "supergun" - Urban's Monster, used to take Constantinople -Urban fired it once and the concussion killed him - lost to history we only have guns in Turkey that are similar in size -The 20-Inch Rodman Gun Modern version -Cannon the size of Urban's Monster were unruly devices, unrealistic for warfare especially if army travels -Size reduced for convenience Called "hand cannon" 10 shot hand cannon - handgonne - handgun Many chambers ignite each other and go off together
Rifle ignition systems
1) Matchlock--The shooter first had to light a matchcord which was secured in the jaws of a cock. When the shooter pulled the trigger the cock with the glowing match was released and hit an external priming pan filled with powder. A flash channel in the barrel, placed above the pan made sure that the sparks from the igniting priming powder set off the main charge 2) Wheelock--Before shooting the spring loaded wheel had to be wound up with a key, and powder was placed on the pan. The cock was placed on the wheel and when the shooter pulled the trigger the wheel got a quick spin. When the spinning wheel was in contact with the pyrite sparks were created. This ignited the priming powder and the main charge. 3) Flintlock--Over the priming pan it was mounted a steel, called frizzen. The frizzen also served as a lid for the powder in the priming pan. When the flint hit the steel a shower of sparks were created which ignited the priming powdre and main charge. The flintlock was in common use until about 1840 4) Percussion lock--A fulminating copper cap was placed on a hollow nipple, also called the piston. The nipple had a flash channel that lead into the main charge. When the hammer was released it hit the cap which ignited the cap which in turn ignited the powder. The percussion lock was a major improvement compared to the flintlock 5) Self-containing-- has case, primer, powder, bullet
The only real changes, technologically speaking for handguns, have been
1) new materials and 2) "smart gun" tech
Modern ammo has four components:
1. Casing 2. Primer 3. Powder charge 4. Bullet
The important needs, militarily speaking, for a firearm included the following:
1. reliability of firing That gun had better go off 2. accuracy of projectile The gun should hit what is aimed at 3. force of projectile What happens to what you're firing at? 4. speed/rate of firing How fast can the gun be reloaded?
4 basic forms of containment
1.Enclose powder in a container that is sealed except for a fuse (bombs) 2.Pack into a tube and leave one end of tube open ("eruptors"; fiery spray) = Incendiary 3.Let burning powder drive tube forward (rockets; "ground rats") 4.Put an object inside the open end of the tube on top of powder and let gas force object out (guns)
Reasons for game laws? According to Sir William Blackstone.....
1.Encouraged agriculture and improvement of land 2.Preserved different species of animal 3.Prevented idleness and dissipation in husbandmen *4.Prevented popular insurrections and resistance to the government by disarming the bulk of the people
We owe it to the french
A lot of firearms technology comes from the french
In the 17th century, Francis Bacon said that the three greatest achievements of humankind were printing, the magnet, and gunpowder
Actually wrote it down first and in code because the recipe was so precious
The Chinese maintained a monopoly on the manufacture of gunpowder until the 13th century when knowledge of its production passed along the trade route (the famous "Silk Road") to the Middle East and to Europe
After the Mongols conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty (1271), gun powder-based weapons were used in their attempted invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 Firearms did not reappear in Japan until 1542/43 because a warlord in Japan that seized all the weapons held by the people, wanted to make certain that there was not an uprising
Public Health Prevention Model - guns and mosquitos
Agent, vehicle, host
4 categories of violent crime associated with firearms
Aggravated assault Armed robbery Sexual assault homicide
What we see today as the great American gun culture is artificial; it was constructed by the industrialists to create a desire for their guns
Aided by showmen such as Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show, exhibition shooters such as Annie Oakley and Capt. Adam Bogardus. Also aided by Ned Buntline penny dreadfuls Penny dreadfuls, galleries, magazines
The French traded, so never had to fight with the Indians for control of the land
America: 69 Indian wars; Canada: none
So, we need to deal with access to firearms and ammunition
Ammunition regulation is a legitimate area of policy Possibly being able to implement policy that makes it easier to track bullets (unique identifier)
In a certain respect, the evolution of ammunition has lead to the development of firearms
Ammunition was improved for the ease of loading From muzzleloaders to breech loaders
The Ottoman Turks embraced gunpowder with enthusiasm, using it with spectacular effect during their assault on Constantinople in 1453
Called "helepoles" ("takers of cities")
Gun ownership rates in the Midwest (39%) and South (50%) far exceed gun ownership rates in the Northeast (22%)
As you move further west, as the frontier moved further west, those areas on the east became civilized so they were not needed as much for protection. Newly settled areas had less reason to own guns as the frontier moved towards the Pacific Ocean. Canada and US had very different old western times Great arms race started inn 17th century when british and french were trying to get land and the best way was to arm Native Americans against each other Violent crimes is down more in the Midwest and South than it is in the Northeast, according to the FBI
The very first weapons that we should identify as guns were developed in China approx. 1290
At the time, crossbows were already a widely used means of combat in East Asia
Frederick Jackson Turner--1893
At world's fair 1890 declared frontier closed, all land that could be settled Gave people a way to reinvent themselves - start over
Adam Winkler: Gun Fight Winkler reports that in America, guns and gun control have gone hand-in-hand. Discuss this bold statement and provide evidence
BIG GUNS AND LITTLE GUNS AT THE SC -Americans have always had gun control - we have a culture of gun control -self-defense, not hunting, is at the core of the right to bear arms GUN GRABBERS -idealism of gun control proponents is endless -disarmament is an unrealistic goal -gun problem is suicide and gang problem -Bellesiles - wrote bogus paper about how there were not many guns in wild west GUN NUTS -Emerson case made a profound shift in the law -NRA used to be more open minded, changed in 1977 and LaPierre -gun rights absolutists think the solution is more guns GUNS OF OUR FATHERS -having guns and militia is a way to protect against the government and the police -to the framers, we the people are the militia -founding generation thought people should have guns but also gun control CIVIL WAR -blacks were disarmed WILD WEST -filled with guns, but not as violent as we think, had very restrictive gun control laws -bans of concealed firearms -hard to assess the effectiveness of gun laws because there are already so many guns in circulation GANGSTERS, GUNS AND G-MEN -NRA on the side of gun control during gang times -cars and guns -national firearms act of 1934: legit sales of guns in this act dried up almost immediately -national firearms act of 1938: banned felons -sullivan's gun control law: anyone who wanted to own a handgun needed a permit BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY -black panthers inspired some of the strictest gun control laws in history -sacremanto invasion -> mulford law
1873 Winchester "short"
Bought out Benjamin Henry's rapid fire gun Becomes Winchester firearms corporation What Winchester did was in 1866 they added the forestalk (so you wouldn't get burned) and a loading gate on the side of the chamber.
John Moses Browning
Browning Automatic rifle (repeating rifle) M1911 pistol Putting rapid fire in your hand Greatest firearms designer that ever lived made many firearms and cartridges
Discuss mental health issues as they relate to guns
CDC reports that approx. 30,000 people die per year (about 80 per day) from gun violence in the United States Most do NOT die in a mass murder rampage committed by an individual with mental illness Mass shootings account for less than 1% of deaths and injuries each year due to gun violence Suicide, which is associated with mental illness, accounts for about 65% of firearms death (American Assoc. of Suicidology, 2015)
By the 13th century, the Chinese Bureau of Munitions was operating seven factories that produced 7,000 rockets and 21,000 bombs a day - now engaged in the arms industry
Chinese transformed fireworks into ammunitions to defend themselves from Huns During the later years of the 13th century, the Chinese invented cannon, using gunpowder to fire projectiles from metal barrels - Initially made out of wood then they put metal bands around it and then finally turned to metal casting, turned to ppl who knew how to make a church bell
Richard Hofstadter
Coined the term gun culture Talked about it in a negative sense
"God made men. Sam Colt made them equal!"
Colt made that up
Wheel lock - Germans
Combination of gun and watch making ability Put a key in the lock, wound up the string, then that friction creates a spark and ignites it - created for Calvarymen - could fire off of a horse Very expensive, tended to be owned by noblemen
Bellile
Cornerstones to gun control argument is that the US has a gun culture He sets up a research design Looked at probate records = when people died their estates were inventoried Data is bullshit = 2 researchers reproduced what he did (replicability) and they couldn't find what he mentioned and he did not have his files and basically everything he was said was disproved
Hunting
Declining interest in hunting Seen through hunting magazine subscriptions
Rather that talk about "mental defectives", why not talk about "Dangerous Persons"?
Determination of "dangerousness" not tied to any diagnosis of mental illness
According to B. Bruce-Biggs, gun control measures can be divided into two categories. One is INTERVENTION. What is the other?
Deterrence
Project Vulcan
During Vietnam, U.S. Military adapted both the Browning M2 and the M60 machine gun for use on helicopters as a "door gun" The problem with the M2 and M60 was that the barrel would become VERY hot So... how to keep the barrel cool when firing 1000s of rounds? Looked back at what Gatlan did which gave way to Vulcan machine gun Now a motorized machine gun, operator does not need to crank it Can be mounted on helicopter, they can turn trees into flames
During the 1860s, manufacturers re-designed the pinfire cartridge and created the center fire cartridge
Edward M. Boxer (Royal Arsenal, Woolrich, England) patented the Boxer Primer in Oct. 1866 Hiram Berdan of New York patented the Berdan Primer in March 1866
In 1678 Christian Huygens designed the monteur à explosion (gunpowder engine)
Employs gunpowder to produce a vacuum inside the piston and cylinder causing the atmospheric pressure to perform work in driving the piston downward to eliminate the vacuum Closed cylinder, explosive charge at bottom, two one way valves at top, creates pressure One shot wonder, had to take it apart to refuel
Liberalizing the carry of firearms
Every state now allow individual citizens to carry concealed handguns (Illinois last hold out) The way the states can do it can vary state by state
Rev. Alexander John Forsyth
Flintlock scared the ducks "The Forsyth Scent-bottle Lock" Used fulminate of mercury rather than gunpowder first percussion lock = Priming material detonated by direct hammer strike
Why is there so much misunderstanding about the relationship between mental illness and violence?
Focusing attention on those with mental illness and their access to firearms makes it appear that action is being taken "to do something about gun violence" But they are not the problem
Rapid fire
French Montigny mitrailleuse was a multi-shot crank-operated machine gun built between 1859
Henigan: Guns don't kill people, people kill people
GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE -we can regulate toy guns but not real guns through the CPSC -gun owners own their guns as weapons - that is why they should be subject to regulations - deadlier than other weapons -guns don't kill people - they enable people to kill people more effectively WHEN GUNS ARE OUTLAWED ONLY OUTLAWS WILL HAVE GUNS -regulate gun sales by lawful gun owners -need national federal gun law since people will get guns from other states (iron pipe line) -licensing and registration makes it hard for straw buyers - distinction between criminal and legal -NRA does a gun control catch 22 -NFA suggests we should have stronger gun control laws -most gun violence has nothing to do with criminals (suicide, unintentional killings) IS BUDWEISER RESPONSIBLE FOR DRUNK DRIVERS -gun manufacturers and sellers have made choices, in the ways that guns are designed and sold, that increase the risk of injury and death -manufacturers exempt from regulation -small # of gun sellers feed supply of illegal guns THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS THE FIRST FREEDOM -NRA says 2nd amendment is foundation of all other freedoms -NRA pretends well regulated militia language isn't there -Heller was judicial activism - also helps gun control activists in the long run fight the slippery slope argument -not a threat to existing gun laws -Americans believe in broad gun control and broad 2nd amendment interpretation
GUNS IN AMERICA
GUNS IN AMERICA
Cincinnati Revolt
Group of hardliners within NRA that are more political than the old mainstream who want to make a stand now They stage a floor fight for control of the NRA Well staged coup When it is all over the hardliners have the exec positions within the NRA It's from 77 forward where they become a political powerhouse
Richard Hofstadter
Gun culture Start of american gun culture is fault of US military when they ignored American tech for rapid firearms 19th century
Remington 700 rifle
Gun made by Remington that misfired and caused accidental fatal wounds and deaths
The NRA is not the only org out there advocating for gun rights
Gun owners of America Jews for the preservation of firearms ownership The Pink Pistols Their attitude toward this is a little bit more to the right of the NRA
Conflicting Groups
Gun owners tend to be older white males, as are many NRA members Victims of gun violence tend to be young urban black males Different concerns at stake
How is America's gun culture "artificial"?
Had the gun industry not have looked to American citizens for sales, gun sales would have likely gone down
Two points historically where NRA could have been written out of the gun story
Had they not decided to lobby congress Had they not become a political powerhouse in 77
Lott: Has a whole bunch of negative numbers
His argument is he related homicide rates to gun ownership Since his numbers are neg, as gun rates go up, homicide rates should go down His argument is: in states that liberalize gun ownership, as those rates go up, crimes associated with guns go down Others have problems trying to replicate his study
Historians
Historians have an easier time examining firearms use, but it tends to be a by-product of studying some other historical event or process (e.g., wars, frontier settlement) Look at history and then tie in firearms to that
Speed (rate) of fire
How fast can we get the gun reloaded and back into action? Used to have to load barrel from muzzle but this exposed yourself Try to figure out ways to get around the muzzle loading slowness (old)
Spillover - you may liberalize guns in one area but how does that affect crime rates in other areas?
If you put more restrictions on gun rates in one area how does that affect crime in local vacinities?
Remington Under Fire: Why didn't Remington "fix" the issue?
In 82 they changed feature that required you to undo safety before you unload Kept changed quiet for 20 years Barber sued and company settled - they notified customers that for 20 bucks they could change their gun so didn't have to undo safety Fundamental design of 700 stayed the same and the complaints persisted Whole new trigger system in 2007 - safety blocks entire firing mechanism Still contends the old mechanism is safe so they sell both Nobody can force Remington to recall The gun industry polices itself - no federal agency out there to say that gun is dangerous and should not be sold
From 1607 forward there are 2 avenues of development
In Britain they will pass the bill of rights in 1689, restrictions on firearms in 300 years Other side: ratification of 2nd amendment, jump to 1930s to start limiting access to firearms
assault on Constantinople in 1453
In preparation for the attack, Sultan Mehmet II hired a European craftsman, Urban, to manufacture seven huge cannon, including "Urban's Monster"
In 1934 national firearms act
In response to machine guns and mob uses of those as well as robbers Initial draft places limits of shotguns, silencers, shotguns and handguns This is where NRA gets first taste of lobbying to remove handguns from this act and they are successful Only federal firearms act that has worked - these types of weapons are not used for criminal purposes because they are too expensive to possess
Preventing gun violence
Initially, firearms violence intervention and research focused on either reducing the demand for illegally obtained guns or reducing the supply More than 20 years of intervention programs, however, have shown that a single approach is not likely to work. To reduce gun violence, a sustained program that addresses both demand and supply is needed A successful intervention will have elements of federal local law enforcement collaboration, community involvement, targeted intervention tactics and continuous program evaluation
Sears & Roebuck
It is so important that we not lose sight, also, of the government's role in bolstering the gun culture The NRA's Civilian Marksmanship Program was subsidized by Congress Congress opened federal land for use as rifle ranges The War Department, via Ordnance, stymied the efforts of gun industrialists They refused to give them contracts for products and forced them to look to the civilian market for sales
Le Blanc approached U.S. Ambassador Thomas Jefferson and told him of his idea
Jefferson saw Le Blanc's method as a way to rid America of its dependence for arms from countries with which it might be at war Jefferson wrote Sec. of War about idea and, when he returned to America, set about persuading Congress to adopt the principal in the nation's armories Jefferson had an ally, George Washington, and by 1798 a contract had been given to Eli Whitney (cotton gin) for 12,000 muskets made by the new system which Whitney claimed for his own! Two other gun manufacturers, John Hall and Simeon North, were producing guns by the same method at the same time Over the next 50 years the factory system in Lowell, MA and the interchangeable parts combined to create the American System of Manufacture soon to used for other items like sewing machines, locomotives, bicycles and cars Jefferson wanted to get Le Blanc to America because he did not want to have to rely on allies (maybe enemies) for guns
According to Spitzer, what common assumptions about firearms are held by folks on both sides of the issue?
Large number of guns in circulation, guns used disproportionally in certain types of crimes, gun suicide more prevalent than gun homicide, 2nd amendment provision for self-defense, handguns are most commonly used for self-defense and are thefore protected, history of gun use, gun culture à developed by gun industry, hunting on decline
According to lecture, one of the chief failings of the Ordinance Department was that, in its early years, ...............
Leadership adhered to the West Point mindset that repeating firearms were wasteful and should be avoided
1851 London Exhibition
Lefaucheaux's breech loading gun inspired British gun makers to copy and improve the design Sam Colt demonstrated interchangeability of the Walker Colts - no one had ever seen this before Became exposed to pinfire cartridge Still muzzle loading
Economist Dr. John Lott is credited with what bold claim about firearms possession?
Liberalizing gun possession laws results in lower rates of violent crime
Why was gun cotton better than gun powder?
Lighter, more powerful
Italian Sobrero used Schoenbein's technique on glycerin and created Nitroglycerine
Liquid explosive
According to lecture, gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists that were attempting to create an elixir that would do what?
Make the Chinese immortal.
Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA What was Joe Manchin's role in gun legislation following Sandy Hook? What was the result?
Manchin - A rated NRA member - was shaken by Sandy Hook Wanted simple bill that would require background checks at gun shows - just wanted to close a loophole and thought NRA would embrace it Polls showed widespread approval for extending background checks Smaller gun rights groups circulated stuff saying that the NRA was compromising with Manchin NRA main need is to not look soft to its own members The NRA pulled out of the talks and Pierre launched a full scale assault on the legislation and went after Manchin It was voted down by 5 votes - ended any talk of national effort for gun control
According to the documentary Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA, why did the NRA turn on and run campaign advertisements against West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a man they previously endorsed?
Manchin was a co-sponsor of legislation to renew the assault weapons ban
John R Lott
More Guns Less Crime Made the assertion that everytime state liberalizes gun policies you see a resulting decrease in murder/robbery/assault/rape Does not take into consideration unemployment rates, spillover (if you make guns harder to get in one state you'll start seeing guns flow across the border from places where it is easier to get a gun)
Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA What was the NRA's impact on 2000 presidential election?
Most aggressive political campaign they had ever run against Ghore because he voted against them Bush wins In Washington they said that the NRA played a major role in the results
Colonial Arms
Most arms were supplied by the corporations or proprietors; chartists had to come up with own supply, typically purchased from arms dealers in either Britain or France By the eve of the Revolution,there were enough British soldiers stationed in the colonies that a ready supply of arms and power was available to revolutionaries Smugglers like John Hancock managed to get arms and powder from France via British West Indies There was no gun industry in the Colonies except for individual gunsmiths
Do people successfully defend themselves?
NCVS indicates it is unusual, < 1% of violent crimes 3% against intruders in the home One problem: self-defense usually is used to refer to a law-abiding person who is preyed upon Surveys may include people engaged in delinquent and criminal acts who carry in self defense
American Colonial Experience
No market for guns during this Arms were necessary for defense against native Americans as well as French and Spanish incursions Arms also necessary for food British Colonists experienced a freedom in arms that did not exist in Britain Britain had long since abandoned the fyrd system in favor of a standing army Colonies had extensive arms caches and rules to control them as long as we have had arms we have had gun regulations: Mostly on storage of gunpowder which was very dangerous
Gun show loophole
No such thing as a gun show loophole - there is just no requirement for secondary sales Buying guns without a background check can happen anywhere They use this example because gun sellers at gun show can either sell from personal or store inventory, depending on which one, they have to do a background check
Injuries
Not all gunshot wounds end in a fatality However what impact does it still bring? 6 times as many are shot and are wounded Unknown how many are shot at but not wounded
Up through 50's and 60's the NRA was about marksmanship training and conservation (protecting hunting areas)
Not until late 60's early 70's that you see this change in the NRA
Federal Firearms laws refer to people with mental illness as "mental defectives" and bar some of them from gun ownership in the mistaken belief that this makes us safer
One of the destructive outcomes of the focus on people with mental illness is the increase in stigma—stigma that is activated and reinforced every time a mass shooting occurs, often before any information regarding the shooter's mental health history becomes available Further bars the ability for people with mental health issues to get help
Although the database is limited, the number of people with serious mental illness who use firearms to kill strangers is minute
Only 3%-5% of ALL violent acts are committed by people with serious mental illness (Fazel & Grann 2006) About 1% of ALL violence appears to be committed by people with serious mental illness using firearms to kill strangers (Swanson et al. 2015) Even if guns were removed from all individuals with serious mental disorders, hardly a dent would be made in the number of firearm homicides, including mass shootings They are more likely to kill someone they know or themselves *Demonizing and scapegoating an entire group
American gun industrialists were at the forefront of rapid fire firearms
Other manufacturers, such as Marlin and Spencer, tried to get in on the act Lever-action rifles were an American invention
Spitzer: the politics of gun control
POLICY DEFINITION AND GUN CONTROL -American gun culture, military/frontier ethos -outrage, action, reaction cycle 2ND AMENDMENT -heller ruling played fast and loose with history - individualistic view that relies on quotes pulled out of context -Mcdonald case extended individual gun rights to states CRIMINOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF GUNS -Nra got congress to stop funding cdc gun research -America reigns supreme for violence in developed nations -if guns were less available then there would be fewer deaths and injury -white males most likely to commit suicide - presence of guns has a profound effect on youth suicide - presence of guns results in moderate increase in overall suicide rates -gun accidents attributed to three things: gun availability, accessibility to guns and conduct -presence of guns in home increased risk of homocide -homocide rates rose after liberalization of gun laws -more guns in an area = more criminal access -when Lott's coding errors were corrected the positive results of concealed carry laws he found disappeared -campuses have voted to bar firearms -stand your ground claims are racially biased -guns rarely used in self defense -handguns account for disproportionate amount of gun harm
Most affected by gun violence?
People between the ages of 15 and 24 are most likely to be targeted by gun violence as opposed to other forms of violence Gun Homicide OFFENDERS were 18 -24 years old (65.9%) Teens and young adults are more likely than persons of other ages to be murdered with a gun Most violent gun crime, especially homicide, occurs in cities and urban communities Intimate partner violence can be fatal when a gun is involved
Red flag laws
Permit law enforcement to temporarily seize firearms with reasonable suspicion that the owner is a threat to themselves or others (no warrant needed)
One survey (Saad 2013) found that 80% of respondents identified failure of the mental health system was top cause of gun violence
Pew Research (2013) found that 80% of American supported laws to prevent individuals with mental illness from purchasing guns
In ohio if you're a concealed carry person and you get in trouble
Pulled over for traffic violation and you did not promptly inform officer you have a firearm and permit You've been in an altercation with someone and you told them you have a gun
READINGS
READINGS
Criminology
Recent work by Carlson (2015) and Stroud (2016) focus on gun use by law abiding citizens (what Carlson calls "citizen protectors") Because the vast majority of guns will never be used to commit crimes and the vast majority of gun owners will never commit or be the victim of gun violence,they simply offer a partial perspective
Chicago = super strict gun laws
Resulting increase in crime in Chicago and then also happened in DC When you have city ordinances trying to get a handle on gun crime and the cities latch onto the free access for guns. Wanted to reduce amount of firearms in circulation to make an impact. So make it tougher for people to get firearms. Tougher for people to get firearms = tougher for sellers to sell = market dries up = fewer people with federal firearms license This worked in DC = by the time Heller came around there was only one federal firearms license in DC
In Gun Fight, Adam Winkler writes about the Black Panthers and their demonstration against passage of California's Mulford Act (1967) which would prohibit the carrying of loaded firearms in public spaces. At the time, the Governor of California publically spoke out in support of the act and questioned why anyone would want to carry a loaded firearm in public. Who was the Governor of California at the time?
Ronald Reagan
Gaston Glock - designed glock handgun
Safest gun you could ever own Surveyed soldiers and police man to understand what they wanted in a gun Would not misfire Added metal to guns so it could be imported to US and then taken off
Permitless carry
Same as constitutional carry Only for handguns - CHL permits - refers to the legal carrying of a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a license or permit - same as constitutional carry
1609 Game Act - intended to disarm british population
Set the income to hunt at £40 per year from the land
According to Dennis Henigan in Guns Don't Kill People, People Kill People, in the 1990s, which gun manufacturer implemented a "code of ethics" and told dealers that it would terminate sales to them if they did not agree to stop making sales to straw purchasers?
Smith and Wesson
"Law" expands into areas of exploration
Spanish explorers introduce civil law into American Southwest and South America French explorers introduce civil law into Canada (Quebec) and Louisiana (still only holdouts of civil law (code law) in North America) - very clear cut administrative law
When Washington became president they established first cabinet The war department in order to help arm newly emerging US they created 2 federal arsenals
Springfield armory (Mass) Federal arsenal harpers ferry (virginia)
The NRA owes its existence to congress
Started in 1871 as an org for marksmanship In order to facilitate this they lobbied heavily for congress to get supplies for civilian marksmanship program (supported by Teddy Roosevelt). Wanted to give NRA surplus firearms, ammunition and give them federal land to train people. Origin from congress
State of ohio permits open carrying of a firearm
State of ohio permits open carrying of a firearm
Guns in particular areas
States with more liberal gun laws have higher rates of per capita gun death and vice versa
Age, sex, race, primary psychiatric diagnosis and co-occurring substance use diagnoses were included as covariates
Substance abuse diagnosis problematic If people have been adjudicated it is likely they have some sort of addiction problem
According to lecture, mental illness is most strongly correlated with what?
Suicide
Do guns make a difference?
Suicide - could reduce suicides by 70% Every state allows people to carry concealed firearms Lethality of crime - hot burglary versus cold burglary
Do more guns mean more crime?
Suicides and homicides more likely in homes with guns More guns, more homicides committed with guns Prevalence of gun ownership highly correlated with the percentage of homicides and suicides Criminals tend to obtain guns from people they know rather than from gun dealers— easier in a place where there are more guns Loans and temporary arrangements may be very common A high percentage of crimes involving guns are stolen—again the # of guns
New Materials
Switch from steel to lighter weight metals such as aluminum (like the M-16 using aircraft aluminum) and titanium Polymers (plastics) for frames of semi automatics
TERMS
TERMS
THEMES/CONCEPTS
THEMES/CONCEPTS
How many shots is this gun? Ultimate revolver
The answer is 20, this is The Ultimate Revolver, Patented in France in 1844. Caliber unknown. Casimir Lefaucheux was a French gunsmith who died in 1852.
Post revolutionary war
The new States had extensive supply of arms Gunpowder was manufactured domestically State militias were still the norm British agents operating from Canada began to re-arm Native American groups; skirmishes along the Canadian border became common
Reliability
The reliability issue sparked the development of a number of mechanisms to ignite the powder
According to the documentary Remington Under Fire, what was the design flaw in the Remington model 700 rifle?
The rifle could fire without pulling the trigger
According to Adam Winkler (Gun Fight), towns in the old west adopted gun control measures. Why?
The towns wanted people to think they were safe so that they were attractive to new settlers. The residents of the towns wanted more businesses to relocate there and knew that businessmen would not want to settle in towns that were dangerous. The towns wanted the new railroads to build depots which would bring in more people and goods. The railroads wouldn't build in the towns if they were not safe.
NRA did not move to Co they stayed in DC
They have changed the motto over the entrance Old building had full text of second amendment, the new building deletes the militia part
Have you ever been adjudicated (court) as a mental defective?
This does not mean voluntary commitment Has not been changed since 1968 Has no meaning in current mental health community If it takes a long time to get background check done you still get gun while waiting Since 2015 two systems that need to be checked - under certain situations if it takes more time for central facility to issue an answer will come back as being delayed - if you have CHL permit issues after 2015 they can continue with the sale
In the middle of the 18th century, a French gunsmith named Honoré le Blanc had worked out a system for making gun parts to a standardized pattern
Up until this time firearms were made one at a time by a gunsmith, gunsmiths did not want things to be made out of a pattern because it would take away their work If a part broke it could be replaced by another part that would fit exactly
Smith & Wesson
Using Henry's basic design and incorporating the Boxer primer, Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson created a new, center fire cartridge... the .44 S&W First centerfire cartridge to rival Henry's rimfire gun
Categorical variables:
Was a gun-disqualifying mental health record present in a given month? Was a criminal disqualifier in effect (record of felony conviction, misdemeanor drug crime, misdemeanor domestic violence offence)? Did the observation month occur before or after NICS reporting began?
Browning's M2 .50 caliber machine gun
Went through a sustained fire test to be used by the military Maxim: fire multiple rounds through same barrel it gets hot and could fire on its own - Browning swapped out barrels so he wouldn't have this problem. Constructed one belt so it could fire continuously without being reloaded. Fired 150,000 rounds without one glitch it sold the military. US military adopted this design over the maxim design.
Firearms owe their existence to the invention of gunpowder by the Chinese in the 9th century
Were trying to find an elixir for eternal life and the british were trying to... Chinese alchemists started playing around with different common materials, they then heated it and created gunpowder They then found different ways to use it
Host
Who is affected? Victim of gun violence
The most important trade in France's Canadian colony was muskets for beaver pelts
Wholesalers, cheap guns
castle doctrine
a philosophical cornerstone of the American concept of the right to privacy ad the right to freedom from searches without probable cause
Gun powder/gun cotton/smokeless gun powder
contains fuel, oxidizer, and stabilizer Stored energy, produces thermal and mechanical energy We can divide these into the explosives (they explode) and the incendiary (they burn) Greek fire was a liquid incendiary, created by the greeks, that was a mixture that they were able to ignite and then blow onto their enemies
Agent and Vector
combined constitute the universal link What we need to focus on (the agent and vector)
Rifling
consists of a series of "lands and grooves" cut into the inside of the barrel More accurate guns Colonists did not use volley fire, they shot officers from trees This is what allows bullets to be matched to firearms, because of the grooves put into the barrels Twist rate = how long bullet to take one rotation
Mike Walker
designer of the remington 700
CAP laws
hold parents legally responsible if their child uses their gun to commit a crime
Center-fire ammunition
primer is in center of case head
Shall issue
if you meet the requirements set down in law (you are not legally disallowed to possess a firearm), they shall issue you a permit to conceal carry - local law enforcement has no say in the matter
May issue
it is up to local law enforcement whether you get the permit Then you have to explain to local law enforcement why you need the permit and you need to explain to them what training you have (looking for need and ability) Restrictive may issue - there is no discrepancy allowed with local law enforcement Local may issue - even within the state it varies (california)
States responsibility to makes laws for guns
municipality can't - can't have local gun ordinances
Accroding to Dr. Randy Roth, 74.8% of suicides committed between 1999 and 2005 can be attributed to what variable?
presence of a firearm in the home
Fill in the blank: According to lecture, "guncotton" was developed to replace ________________?
primer
In their article "Testing Theories of Gun Policy Preferences," Filindra and Kaplan found an increased support for gun control measures among African Americans. According to the authors, what explains this?
racial resentment
Smooth bore v. rifled barrels
smooth metal, no rifling, less accurate shot
Law enforcement officer cannot be questioned for 24/48 hours after the shooting because of
trauma
True of False: According to Adam Winkler (Gun Fight), Americans have always had guns AND Americans have always had gun control.
true