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Women and open carry

andiewrites

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Hi everyone, I don’t know if you remember me, I’m a journalist working for a UK glossy women’s magazine on an article about women and Open Carry, and I posted here a few weeks ago. I’ve been talking to a lot of women over the last few weeks about why they carry, and why some are choosing to OC and my editor would now like me to look into crime statistics.
One female firearms instructor I interviewed mentioned that there’s a correlation between areas where you can carry and lower crime rates, and I would love to see if there are any stats to back that up. I thought you guys may be able to point me in the right direction? Any suggestions or links you can provide would be most welcome!
Also, if you’re a woman who would like to tell me why you choose to OC, what the pros and cons are for you, please post here, too!
Thanks for all your help,
Andreina
 
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John R. Lott, Jr., PhD 'More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, University of Chicago Press, chicago, 1998 (first edition. 3rd edition due 5 May with 168 more pages). ISBN: 0-226-49363-6

Data sets publicly available at http://www.johnlott.org/

Dr. Lott corresponds comfortably mailto:johnrlott@aol.com

and maintains a public 'blog at http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/

ETA since the NRA was mentioned
 

XD40coyote

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If you want to compare crime statistics, just compare a shall-issue/unlisc open carry/VT/AK area to a similar type area ( they both have similar demographics and racial mix, economic staus, etc) that is not shall-issue/unlisc OC/VT/AK.

To give you ideas- northeast New Jersey, central Maryland, southern California, and thesuburban countiesaround NYC, are some good places to look at for crime rates. These are in non shall-issue, and not so citizens-with-guns friendly places.

Even more fun is comparing crime rates in DC and Chicago with major cities in gun friendly states. You may need to seperate the data into drug related mayhem vs non drug related mayhem. Many major cities have terrible crime problems stemming from drug gang activity, and it tends to stay within certain neighborhoods and the murders and shootings are mostly all gang on gang, dealer on dealer type stuff. You are going to need to look at armed robberies, rapes, etcin "nicer" neighborhoods. You also need to sift out domestic violence incidents, as they will happen no matter wether the area is gun friendly or totally bans guns.

I can tell you right now, that if an area has a lot of OCers, that the crime rate for violent crimes will be a heck of alot lower than in states that don't allow anyone but police and special VIP people to carry. Compare Alexandria VA with Rockville MD, for instance. I know there are a bunch of people on here that live in that area of VA and OC regularly. There is NO citizen OC in Rockville MD.
 

MamaLiberty

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Also, if you’re a woman who would like to tell me why you choose to OC, what the pros and cons are for you, please post here, too!

I'm a certified NRA firearms and self defense instructor. I also carry openly at all times, everywhere I go.

The "why?" Because I own me and am the only one responsible for my life and safety.

I'd want to know a lot more about what you plan to do with any information you gather before I'd be willing to go into any detail. Send a PM and we can talk about it. :)
 

Tess

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andiewrites wrote:
Also, if you’re a woman who would like to tell me why you choose to OC, what the pros and cons are for you, please post here, too!
Thanks for all your help,
Andreina
Andreina, I can sum up my position in a few words ...

Criminals prey on the weak and unprotected. When I OC, they can see I am neither. I am no longer prey, thus half the battle is already won.

In self-defense courses, women are taught to walk tall, to look confident, to be aware of their surroundings. All these instructions are for the same purpose -- to convey the message that "I am not the prey you are looking for."

Open carrying is comfortable, it's convenient, and it suits the message.

Now, in addition to that, it sometimes makes people think. When they see me carrying, they realize it is not only bad guys who carry guns. Strong, confident women do so.

They realize ordinary Americans are concerned enough to care for themselves and their families. Sometimes it has opened up some wonderful conversations with complete strangers. Strong, confident women strike up conversations.

When they see those among us who have children, they realize we will protect our families and children. That is among the strongest of human values, not just American values. They realize we don't have to rely on the menfolk to protect us. Strong, confident women protect themselves.
 

Grapeshot

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May 21, 2006
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andiewrites wrote:
Thanks everybody! All really helpful.

Andreina
Hope that when the dust settles and the ink dries you'll provide us with a link to the finished product.

Yata hey
 

Rush Creek

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Sep 17, 2009
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Arlington, Texas, USA
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U.S. crime statistics for murder, rape, robbery, agravated assault began a steady downward trend from 1995 to 2009 after racking up yearly increasesfrom 1960 to 1995. The year 1995 was a benchmark year fortraction in most states for enactment ofshall issue concealed carrylaws.
 

okboomer

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Oct 18, 2009
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Location
Oklahoma, USA
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Woah, what happened ... did I step on someone's toes to get my post deleted?

Did the liberals sneak into the server room and delete all posts denigrating BradyBunchers and Anti-Gun Liberals?


I mean, all I did was point out that Grapeshot was using the liberal cable outlet to defeat their own argument ...

ETA - what's up, when I replied to this thread, I cannot scroll back through the other posts to check who/what/where/why stuff either ... is it an upgrade/new feature that isn't working right, or are features being taken out?
 
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