Posted by
Michael on Thursday, January 18, 2007 4:38:26 PM
In response to an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquire entitled London Safer than Philly? Could be the guns. Posted on January 15, 2007.
The writer of the article mentioned above claims that Philadelphia has a higher violent crime rate than London. In addition, she focuses on the inanimate object (guns) as the source of violence, yet seems to place little responsibility on the people responsible for heinous acts.
First of all, London is not statistically safer than Philadelphia. According to the British Crime Survey, London had a crime rate of 13,400 crimes per 100,000 people in 2005. Philadelphia had a crime rate of 5,569 crimes per 100,000 people. In terms of violent crime, London had a violent crime rate of 3,400 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Philadelphia had a violent crime rate of 1,467 per 100,000 people.
Eliminating gun-related violence can be accomplished through measures that aim to incarcerate those responsible for heinous actions involving firearms. Unfortunately, gun control legislation takes the blame off the individual, and places it on an inanimate object.
There must be an increase in the number of law enforcement personnel, such as police and prosecutors, if we are to ever eradicate gun-related violence. The answer does not lie in more gun-control legislation, which only punishes those who cherish their freedom granted by the Second Amendment.