Two Madison Award Winners This Issue
‘Junk Guns’ and guns as a "public health" issue are several means of attack for anti-gun zealots. The Second Amendment Foundation is proud to announce two Madison Awards for successful counterpoints to these scandalous claims against gun ownership. Madison Awards are given in the spirit of James Madison, Fourth U.S. President and author of the Second Amendment.
Our first recipient is Mitch Dashiell, for his pro-gun portion of "Is A Handgun Ban A Real Necessity . . . Or Sadly Ineffective And Elitist?" The two part editorial ran in the San Diego Union Tribune on May 20, 1997.
The article began with a hard punch to anti-gun foes. Dashiell wrote, "It is always difficult to argue a point when those with opposing points of view see no need to be truthful with their statements." He highlighted how several police leaders claim to represent all law enforcement, when local rank and file officers are pro-gun.
Mr. Dashiell detailed the results from a recent San Diego Police Officers Association survey, which found that 84.9% of members support concealed carry, 87.1% believe gun ownership by private citizens increases public safety, and 94.2% believe recent gun control laws (gun bans, waiting periods) don’t reduce violent crime.
The ‘Saturday Night Special/Junk Gun’ issue was attacked on several fronts. According to Dashiell, "California Attorney General Dan Lungren has stated that they [32 local gun bans] will all be overturned because they are illegal." Furthermore, cheap guns are safe and useful for self defense. Dashiell stated that there is not one local case where one of these affordable guns have "Blown up and injured their operators. However, they do pose a definite threat to those intent on committing criminal acts on citizens armed with them."
Mr. Dashiell cited the University of Chicago study on concealed carry which found that, "If those states that do not have right-to-carry laws had enacted them in 1992, approximately 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes and more than 60,000 aggravated assaults per year would have been prevented."
Gun control began in the 1800s as a way to control newly freed slaves in the South maintained Dashiell. "The first gun control laws were aimed at them, and even today, those affected most by gun control laws are those who can least afford to buy guns. . .
"Gun control is not crime control. It’s people control," concluded Dashiell.
Our second Madison Award winner is Edgar A. Suter, M.D. for his letter to the editor entitled, "Guns Save Far More Lives Than They Cost." The letter ran on May 4, 1997 in the Review Journal & Sun of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Suter begins with, "Every year 180,000 Americans die from physician negligence -- nearly five times the number of Americans who die by gunshot. Careless doctors kill the equivalent of two jumbo jet crashes every three days."
"Are physicians an epidemic public health menace? Of course not, because physicians save so many more lives than they take -- and so it is with guns."
Dr. Suter continued by pointing out that, "Without exception, all 15 of the studies of the protective uses of firearms demonstrate one to four million -- or more! -- protective uses of guns . . . saving 400,000 lives annually. The benefits of guns far outweigh the combined detriment of criminal, suicidal and careless gun misuse."
This is especially true when Dr. Suter detailed how suicides and crime would not be reduced by gun control. Suicides in Japan and Europe, "far outstrip U.S. suicide rates," reminded Suter. As for crime, "By definition, criminals break laws. . . . It is only the innocent victims who respect and are impeded and disarmed by gun laws. Victim disarmament is not a policy that saves lives."
Dr. Suter, concluded that, "Guns offer an overwhelming net benefit in our society," and that treating, "Crime as a disease is as ridiculous as treating disease as a crime."