John Lott Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Truth About Guns

Scientific American: Socialism Stops Gun Deaths

January 28, 2011 by ttag

It’s not very scientific and it sure ain’t American. But John Horgan at scientificamerican.com just up and goes for it in a rant entitled A modest proposal for curbing homicides: Socialism. Well, not at first. At first, the author admits that his previous belief in a cause and effect relationship between gun control and crime control may have been a tad hasty. “The link between homicides and easy access to guns—like the link between real violence and media violence—is tenuous. You can make the cause [sic] for or against a causal relation, depending on what society or time period you examine. Complexities like these lead to complaints that ‘social science’ is an oxymoron.” Hey, you said it. Needless to say, Horgan’s polemic goes downhill from there . . .

A Whole Lott of European Spree Killings

June 11, 2010 by Robert Farago

More Guns, Less Crime author John Lott may not be the most compelling writer. In fact, his prose makes ibuprofen directions read like an Ian Fleming novel. It’s a testimony to the power of Lott’s logic that any mainstream media outlet publishes his toast-dry editorials. You gotta feel for the editors over at Fox; they know that entertainment is their primary mission, yet realize that Lott’s arguments score a direct hit on their core audience’s sensibilities. Lucky for you, bloggers are under no obligation to republish boring bits, and can provide high-concept interpretations of esoteric information. In other words, Lott reminds readers that the U.K.’s gun ban does nothing to stop armed spree killings. And the same non-lesson applies to the rest of Europe. Here’s the list . . .

TTAG’s Bias Against Bias Against Guns Doesn’t Bias Us Against John Lott’s Anti-Bias Bias

June 1, 2010 by Robert Farago

Here’s your Lott, mate:

As I have discussed in The Bias Against Guns, relying on news stories to document defensive gun uses has its limits, but it still gives you a very minimum estimate on how frequently they occur. One example of the bias is this claim [after the jump]: “in 14 percent of documented cases, no shots were fired.” Note that the 14 percent number obviously misrepresents the actual rate because those cases where a gun doesn’t have to be fired are much less likely to be newsworthy. In any case, this is still a useful exercise.

Do I detect a hint of NCE (Number Crunching Envy)? Include me out of that one . . .

Sunday Book Review: The Bias Against Guns

May 30, 2010 by Robert Farago

The Bias Against Guns aims to tell us “Why Almost Everything You’ve Heard About Gun Control is Wrong.” Huh? Anyone who’s even glanced at More Guns, Less Crime knows that SpongeBob SquarePants is more likely to call Squidward Tentacles a bad motherfucker than John Lott is to use the word “almost” to describe a trend. “Why 76.78 Percent of Everything You’ve Heard About Gun Control is Wrong.” Now that’s John Lott. Or not. The Bias Against Guns is nothing more than more More Guns, Less Crime. It highlights the mainstream media’s lies and misdirections on the gun show loophole, the assault rifle ban, etc., and then buries the reader in stats proving that jobbing journos are dead wrong. Lott never even touches on the “why” of the matter. Shame. The mainstream media’s bias against guns springs from all the three major areas of American society: technology, economics and culture.

John R. Lott, Jr: Calderon’s False Statements On Guns

May 26, 2010 by William C. Montgomery

In an editorial for Investors Business Daily, “More Guns, Less Crime” author John R. Lott, Jr. responds to Mexican President Felipe Calerdon’s ridiculous and insulting comments regarding Arizona’s new illegal alien law. Some of Lott’s arguments bear consideration. {Ed: All Americans have the right to bear consideration.] For example, Lott points out that the “real” military weapons (as opposed to military “style” assault rifles) the drug lords are using are already banned in America. As always, the academician (Lott) pummels misleading pro-gun control statements with facts. Facts. And more facts.

DC Pol: “Nobody thinks we would have fewer shootings and fewer homicides if we had more relaxed gun laws”

May 18, 2010 by Robert Farago

Paging John Lott. John Lott. Will gun stat cruncher John Lott please report to The Truth About Guns to provide an exclusive quote to fact-slap non-voting D.C. rep Eleanor Holmes Norton. Apparently, Ms. Norton hasn’t heard of Mr. Lott or his death-by-numbers magnum opus More Guns, Less Crime. Otherwise, she would know that when the firearms-oriented academician sings “Take that back, Or I will attack. And you don’t want that,” he’s got the power. Anyway, The Wall Street Journal quote highlights the fact that bureaucrats are still dedicated to making it as difficult as possible to buy a weapon legally in the District of Colombia—despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Heller decision struck down Washington’s handgun ban. And this is news? The only real surprise here: the Journal trots out a .22 rifle buyer to prove their point. Oh wait, lawsuit launching biathlete Mark Snyder is the new poster boy for unfettered access to firearms in the nation’s capital. Well, one of the poster boys for the NRA legal action. The one the Journal chose because . . . he’s non-threatening. Anyway, here are those hurdles that need jumping:

Why Did the New York Times Report This Story?

May 10, 2010 by Robert Farago

I’m currently reading John Lott Jr.’s More Guns, WAY Too Many Statistics. Wait. That’s not it. I’m reading the sequel, I’m Right About Guns, The Media’s Wrong, So Why Don’t They Just Admit It? Hang on. I’m going up to the smallest room in the house to check the actual title . . . The Bias Against Guns; Why Almost Everything You’ve Heard About Gun Control is Wrong. Almost? Spoken like a true statistician. Anyway, Lott Jr. reckons the media is fucking with people’s minds [paraphrasing] by reporting only gun violence, rather than gun defense. (Go to LearnAboutGuns.com for that action.) Lott Jr. excoriates the Times for pointless pandering to purient interest in firearms fatalities. Here’s a relevant example from yesterday’s regional Times. Two Teenagers Killed by Party Intruders . . .

Latest DC Gun Ruling Doesn’t Get a Whole Lott A Love

February 2, 2025March 30, 2010 by Robert Farago

Anyone remember the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat? Aside from the title, Neurologist Oliver Sacks’ tome was virtually unreadable, suffused as it was with enough medical terminology to pad seven seasons of ER. And only a fraction as interesting. And yet TMWMHWFAH became a best-seller. Same deal for More Guns, Less Crime. I mean, I have every reason to read John Lott’s seminal work on why gun control doesn’t prevent or reduce crime, while carrying guns does. But Lott’s exhaustively researched, statistic-laden text is as impenetrable to a math-aversive blogger as a White House soiree to a couple of invitation-less social climbers. Oh wait. Anyway, the preface to MGLC is a whole ‘nother matter (and an excellent stopping point for those of us who equate statistics with water boarding). As is Lott’s most recent anti anti-gun opus, published by the left-leaning liberals bastards at Fox News. In case you don’t want to hit MORE for some choice excerpts, here’s the 411. Lott’s got a Nikita Khrushchev-like message for judicial activists who think gun control is a good thing: we will bury you. With logic, reason and, if you really piss us off, MORE STATISTICS.

Obama: “I Don’t Believe People Should Be Able to Have Guns”

February 2, 2025March 15, 2010 by Robert Farago

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