Flipper
Campaign Veteran
I believe WAVE will be counting on the Police Chiefs Association being in their corner with the Milwaukee legislative delegation running blocking and delay maneuvers in the legislature while offering weakening language in the name of "officer safety" and "reasonable common sense regulation."
Remember in the governor campaign when Barrett said how important it was to listen to law enforcement when gun control (his version of concealed carry legislation) legislation is being considered. I suspect that if WAVE hasn't had meetings with The Hand and his Prone Em Danno police chief to plot their legislative battle plan, they soon will.
WAVE is already talking about up domestic violence, highlighting murders of women by an intimate partner or family member. November 16, 2010 posting http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wisconsin-Anti-Violence-Effort/273516596235
I guess they are trying to infer that there is no need for women to carry a firearm for protection becuse a woman is more likely to be murdered by someone she knows.
Here is what the Joyce Foundation and WAVE will never say at a legislative hearing:
From http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvmurd.html
"Crimes of Passion" Homicides
Just as not all crimes are detected by police, the same holds true for domestic violence. Family violence rates "are many times greater than rates based on cases known to child welfare professionals, the police, shelters, or the National Crime Survey..." (Straus, Murray A. 2000. "Family violence." [pdf] P. 982 in Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd Ed., vol 2. edited by E.F. Borgatta and M. L. Borgatta. NY: Macmillian Publishing Co.) However, even with only what's known to law-enforcement and case-workers, there is substantial evidence showing "the day-to-day reality is that most family murders are preceded by a long history of assaults." (Straus, Murray A. 1986 "Domestic Violence and Homicide Antecedents" [pdf], 62 Bull. N.Y. Acad. Med. P. 454).
However, this report claims about half of the incidents of intimate violence experienced by women are reported to the police. (Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook (Rev 5/98) (pdf) P. v.)
Again quoting from Straus (1986, p.457):
"A tabulation of homicide cases in Kansas city [sic] found that '... police had responded to disturbance calls at the address of homicide victims or suspects at least once in the two years before the homicide in 90 percent of the cases, and five or more times in the 2 years before the homicide in 50 percent of the cases.'"
Straus (p.457) also cites a study of 42 battered women who had killed their husbands, finding that there had been "a long history of serious assaults and many injuries, including threats of being killed by the husband."
"The majority (67%–80%) of intimate partner homicides involve physical abuse of the female by the male before the murder, no matter which partner is killed." (Campbell, Jacquelyn C. et al. July 2003. "Risk Factors for Femicide in Abusive Realtionships: Results from a Multisite Case Control Study." American Journal of Public Health. Vol 93, No. 7. P. 1089)
A sample of findings from several domestic homicide studies follows:
Florida - After conducting an analysis of multi-agency case files Florida in 1994, Neil Websdale found that almost 87 percent of the women killed by their intimate male partners had experienced prior battering at the hands of their eventual killers. 28 percent of the victims had obtained at least one restraining order against their male perpetrator at some point prior to the homicide. Websdale also writes, "Some files contain no evidence of a history of woman battering, but it would be foolhardy to conclude that no such violence took place." (Neil Websdale, Understanding Domestic Homicide, Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1999, p. 81.)
New York State - "In most of the cases reviewed by the Commission, a pattern of domestic violence preceded the homicide; in half of the cases, a prior criminal record preceded the homicide as well. In 40 (70%) of the 57 cases reviewed, the offender had a history of physical abuse of the victim. In 26 (65%) of these 40 cases, the offender also had a prior criminal record of one or more arrests. In 22 (85%) of these 26 cases, the offenders had prior arrests for incidents of domestic violence. Of the 57 cases, however, there were 6 with no history of abuse and 11 with a history of non-physical abuse only, giving a combined total of 17 (30%) of the cases with no known violent behavior prior to the homicide." Summary of Findings and Recommendations Commission On Domestic Violence Fatalities: October 1997
Massachusetts - "Three-quarters of perpetrators had a prior criminal history in Massachusetts, and slightly over half had a prior history of violence. Close to a quarter of perpetrators were under an active restraining order at the time of the homicide; the vast majority of these orders had been taken out by the partner who was killed or targeted (even if an Other Victim was the person actually killed). A number of victims had restraining orders that had recently expired." (Source [pdf])
Oklahoma - "23% of victims and 40% of offenders had criminal convictions. 23% of victims and 64% of perpetrators had a history of committing domestic violence." (Source, p. 15.)
Contra Costa County, California - For years 1997 thru 1999: "In fifteen of the twenty domestic violence deaths, there was a clear history of prior domestic violence between the intimate partners involved in the incidents leading to deaths. (Source[pdf], p. 9)
Minneapolis - Between 1985 and 1989, residences with a domestic disturbance call were five to thirteen times more likely (depending on the year) to have a homicide than residences not having a call. (This doesn't mean that this factor alone makes it easier to predict which homes will have a domestic homicide since there are a far larger number of addresses with calls where no homicides occur.) (Sherman, L.W. 1992. Policing Domestic Violence: Experiments and Dilemmas. New York: Free Press. Pp. 233-34.)
Conclusion
This page has provided strong evidence that, indeed, most of our homicide problem is a result of criminals misusing guns. We already have laws prohibiting felons and juveniles from possessing firearms. What has been missing is swift, certain and severe punishment for violating these laws. (For example there is a 10 year penalty for a felon found in possession of a firearm, yet how often is this law enforced?) Obviously gun rights proponents prefer criminal control to more gun control. To see where enforcement of the numerous, already existing laws is working and achieving dramatic results in reducing gun related violence and homicide, and intervention programs attempting to strike at "root causes," see enforcing the laws we already have.
Remember in the governor campaign when Barrett said how important it was to listen to law enforcement when gun control (his version of concealed carry legislation) legislation is being considered. I suspect that if WAVE hasn't had meetings with The Hand and his Prone Em Danno police chief to plot their legislative battle plan, they soon will.
WAVE is already talking about up domestic violence, highlighting murders of women by an intimate partner or family member. November 16, 2010 posting http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wisconsin-Anti-Violence-Effort/273516596235
I guess they are trying to infer that there is no need for women to carry a firearm for protection becuse a woman is more likely to be murdered by someone she knows.
Here is what the Joyce Foundation and WAVE will never say at a legislative hearing:
From http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvmurd.html
"Crimes of Passion" Homicides
Just as not all crimes are detected by police, the same holds true for domestic violence. Family violence rates "are many times greater than rates based on cases known to child welfare professionals, the police, shelters, or the National Crime Survey..." (Straus, Murray A. 2000. "Family violence." [pdf] P. 982 in Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd Ed., vol 2. edited by E.F. Borgatta and M. L. Borgatta. NY: Macmillian Publishing Co.) However, even with only what's known to law-enforcement and case-workers, there is substantial evidence showing "the day-to-day reality is that most family murders are preceded by a long history of assaults." (Straus, Murray A. 1986 "Domestic Violence and Homicide Antecedents" [pdf], 62 Bull. N.Y. Acad. Med. P. 454).
However, this report claims about half of the incidents of intimate violence experienced by women are reported to the police. (Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Bureau of Justice Statistics Factbook (Rev 5/98) (pdf) P. v.)
Again quoting from Straus (1986, p.457):
"A tabulation of homicide cases in Kansas city [sic] found that '... police had responded to disturbance calls at the address of homicide victims or suspects at least once in the two years before the homicide in 90 percent of the cases, and five or more times in the 2 years before the homicide in 50 percent of the cases.'"
Straus (p.457) also cites a study of 42 battered women who had killed their husbands, finding that there had been "a long history of serious assaults and many injuries, including threats of being killed by the husband."
"The majority (67%–80%) of intimate partner homicides involve physical abuse of the female by the male before the murder, no matter which partner is killed." (Campbell, Jacquelyn C. et al. July 2003. "Risk Factors for Femicide in Abusive Realtionships: Results from a Multisite Case Control Study." American Journal of Public Health. Vol 93, No. 7. P. 1089)
A sample of findings from several domestic homicide studies follows:
Florida - After conducting an analysis of multi-agency case files Florida in 1994, Neil Websdale found that almost 87 percent of the women killed by their intimate male partners had experienced prior battering at the hands of their eventual killers. 28 percent of the victims had obtained at least one restraining order against their male perpetrator at some point prior to the homicide. Websdale also writes, "Some files contain no evidence of a history of woman battering, but it would be foolhardy to conclude that no such violence took place." (Neil Websdale, Understanding Domestic Homicide, Northeastern University Press, Boston, 1999, p. 81.)
New York State - "In most of the cases reviewed by the Commission, a pattern of domestic violence preceded the homicide; in half of the cases, a prior criminal record preceded the homicide as well. In 40 (70%) of the 57 cases reviewed, the offender had a history of physical abuse of the victim. In 26 (65%) of these 40 cases, the offender also had a prior criminal record of one or more arrests. In 22 (85%) of these 26 cases, the offenders had prior arrests for incidents of domestic violence. Of the 57 cases, however, there were 6 with no history of abuse and 11 with a history of non-physical abuse only, giving a combined total of 17 (30%) of the cases with no known violent behavior prior to the homicide." Summary of Findings and Recommendations Commission On Domestic Violence Fatalities: October 1997
Massachusetts - "Three-quarters of perpetrators had a prior criminal history in Massachusetts, and slightly over half had a prior history of violence. Close to a quarter of perpetrators were under an active restraining order at the time of the homicide; the vast majority of these orders had been taken out by the partner who was killed or targeted (even if an Other Victim was the person actually killed). A number of victims had restraining orders that had recently expired." (Source [pdf])
Oklahoma - "23% of victims and 40% of offenders had criminal convictions. 23% of victims and 64% of perpetrators had a history of committing domestic violence." (Source, p. 15.)
Contra Costa County, California - For years 1997 thru 1999: "In fifteen of the twenty domestic violence deaths, there was a clear history of prior domestic violence between the intimate partners involved in the incidents leading to deaths. (Source[pdf], p. 9)
Minneapolis - Between 1985 and 1989, residences with a domestic disturbance call were five to thirteen times more likely (depending on the year) to have a homicide than residences not having a call. (This doesn't mean that this factor alone makes it easier to predict which homes will have a domestic homicide since there are a far larger number of addresses with calls where no homicides occur.) (Sherman, L.W. 1992. Policing Domestic Violence: Experiments and Dilemmas. New York: Free Press. Pp. 233-34.)
Conclusion
This page has provided strong evidence that, indeed, most of our homicide problem is a result of criminals misusing guns. We already have laws prohibiting felons and juveniles from possessing firearms. What has been missing is swift, certain and severe punishment for violating these laws. (For example there is a 10 year penalty for a felon found in possession of a firearm, yet how often is this law enforced?) Obviously gun rights proponents prefer criminal control to more gun control. To see where enforcement of the numerous, already existing laws is working and achieving dramatic results in reducing gun related violence and homicide, and intervention programs attempting to strike at "root causes," see enforcing the laws we already have.
Last edited: