Firearms with thought instead of what feels good.

There are statements made day in and day out about firearms that have nothing to do with reality. The "traditional" media (they are having trouble maintaining that title, but they still may) and politicians continue to make statements that may project a "warm fuzzy feeling" but have nothing to do with logic, truth or what is actually happening around the world. They continue to repeat these statements, that go right to the listeners heart because they improve rating and/or increase votes.
That isn't to say that some don't believe these statements; often they truly do but only because they haven't looked (never mind studied) the available information.
Which shouldn't actually be a reason or "good excuse." What are people who claim to be our "leaders" and those keeping us informed doing making statements that have not been properly researched?
Below is some information that has been researched and verified. This isn't the first time I've posted this information but apparently I have to keep doing it until it is read and repeated by others.

Firearm statistics from 2012

 In the US Guns are used 80 times more often to protect a life than to take one. This is comparing self defence against suicide, homicide and accident combined.

There are approximately 270 million privately owned firearms in the USA

Each year in the USA a gun is used about 200 thousand times by a woman to avoid sexual abuse.

3 out of 5 felons say they will not mess with an armed person.

 Gun ownership rate per 100 residents

USA            88.8

Yemen         54.8

Switzerland  45.7

Finland        45.3

Highest Homicide rates per 100 thousand residents

Honduras              91.6

El Salvador            69.2

Côte d'Ivoire         56.9

Jamaica                 52.2

The USA is way down this list at #103 with 4.8 per 100 thousand.

A recent study published in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy concluded that there is a negative correlation between gun ownership and violent crime in countries internationally (more guns = less crime).

Nations with strict gun control laws have substantially higher murder rates than those who do not in general. In fact, the 9 European nations with the lowest gun ownership rate have a combined murder rate 3x that of the 9 European nations with the highest gun ownership rate!

In the UK where handgun ownership is illegal, there have been 2034 violent crimes per 100 thousand versus the USA where there were 466 violent crimes per 100 thousand during the same period.

An analysis of FBI crime statistics reveals that those states which have adopted conceal carry laws have reduced

Murders by 8.5%

Rapes by 5%

Aggravated assaults by 7%

Robberies by 3%

With few exceptions, most public mass shootings in the USA since 1950 have taken place where citizens are banned from carrying guns. Despite strict gun regulations, Europe has had 3 of the worst 6 school shootings.

 US Police                                      VS     US Armed Citizen

794,300                                             80,000,000 gun owning          
police officers13                                            citizens
  

11%  error rate                                                         2%error rate

14.3                                                            2.3 average deaths
avg. deaths of a shooting                           of a shooting rampage
rampage stopped by police15                                                         stopped by citizens

606                                                             1,527
criminals killed each year                           criminals killed each year

In 1982, Kennesaw, Georgia passed a law requiring heads of households to keep at least one firearm in the house. The residential burglary rate subsequently dropped 89% in Kennesaw, compared to just 10.4% drop in Georgia as a whole

Today, the violent crime rate in Kennesaw is still 85% lower than Georgia's or the national average.

Press Release for GLW (2)

Strategic has finally sent out a press release for the re-release of my first novel from 1998 which now has the new look and a new source. It's in PDF and looks a bit different than what I'm posting here -- a picture of the book cover which is over to the right and a pic of me which also appears on the back of the book. What I'm posting here is just the text.
What do you think of it?

Contact: Ellen Green, Press Manager, Strategic Book Group - PressManager@SBPRA.net

PRESS RELEASE WITH VIDEO TRAILER EMBEDDED

Ex-Gold Miner Caught in Power Struggle in Exciting Western

In the 1880s, prospective gold miners flooded the
West trying to find the motherlode. Realizing that the
life of a miner isn’t as rewarding or romantic as he
expected, Hank James is ready to quit panning for
gold in British Columbia and look for other
opportunities.
When he hears a prizefight will be fought in town, he
attends, and with the help of the fight referee, wins big
betting on the bout. Hank takes his winnings and
heads for a new job, hauling freight with pack horses
for contractors building the transcontinental railroad.
As two opposing factions of the police fight for
control of the project, including the liquor sales, Hank
tries to steer clear of their turf war.
While the police are fighting their own battles, no one
is looking for the real crooks, particularly those
stealing Hank’s horses. Does he need to take the law
into his own hands? This action-packed Western really
delivers.
“This Western hits all the right notes for fans of the popular genre. We are thrilled to announce
its release,” said Robert Fletcher, CEO of Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency.

Watch the video at: https://youtu.be/rG21_mUJc4w

About the Author: After a variety of work experiences, D.M. McGowan has
now returned to work as a commercial driver and lives near Mile “0” of the
world-famous Alaska Highway. His stories bring Canadian history to life. “I
believe in seeing morality and societal responsibility rewarded. Too much of
today’s fiction seems to lead into the dark instead of the light.”
Author websites: www.dmmcgowan.blogspot.com and
d.mcgowan99@gmail.com

THE GREAT LIQUOR WAR (ISBN: 978-1-68181-085-0) is now available for $13.95 

and can be ordered through the publisher’s website:
http://sbprabooks.com/davidmmcgowan or at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com.
WHOLESALERS: This book is distributed by Ingram Books and other wholesale distributors.
Contact your representative with the ISBN for purchase. Wholesale purchase for retailers,
universities, libraries, and other organizations is also available through the publisher; please email
bookorder@sbpra.net
Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co, LLC
www.SBPRA.net www.AuthorMarketingIdeas.com www.PublishOnDemandGlobal.com

A peek at Jake

“The Great Liquor War” is available once again and now we are working on “The Making of Jake McTavish”. It was going to be “Jake’s Justice” but there are at least two efforts out there with that title and one of them is a SF or perhaps fantasy which might upset a reader who got something he wasn’t expecting.

Perhaps another four weeks and you’ll be able to read about Jake and what happened to him after he ran away from home in Upper Canada.

Here is a little clipping from Chapter 6

Southern Manitoba, 1887

 It was May 16, 1887 when Egan and four other men rode up to the cabin. Jake had just finished having lunch and was on his way out, intending to ride around the cattle.

Jake was feeling cocky and proud of himself. Of the hundred and fifty cows he first started out with he still had one hundred and four. They had also increased their numbers with sixty-three calves, which was not a great rate of reproduction, but considering that the cows were all malnourished and many had wounds, it was a good number. Besides, other people Jake had talked with had lost far more. Some had lost most of their herds.

When the five men rode up Egan opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but the man riding beside him, the only one with a full beard, spoke first. “You get out of here saddle tramp, and be damn careful what you take with you. Everything here is mine.”

Jake hung his jacket on the saddle horn, turned slowly, jacked a round into his rifle and fired a round under the man’s horse. A dirt geyser peppered the horse’s belly slightly. The mount liked neither the blast nor the geyser, reared slightly and then bucked. By the time it hit the ground Jake had chambered another round and fired again. When Jake fired the third round the horse took off bucking across the prairie. The other four horses were backing, humping, and dancing. Jake’s mount, used to him shooting wolves, coyotes and wounded cattle turned his head to watch the antics of his equine brethren with some interest.

“Damn it, Jake,” Egan complained. “Settle down. I lost everything to him in a poker game. It’s his.”

Jake looked over to see if the other three riders were close enough to hear, then asked, “Everything? What about the pay you promised me? If I’m lookin’ fer a place t’ live, I’d say I’m in a bit of a pickle.”

“Now just settle down and keep quiet. I’ve a plan for that, but don’t interrupt. I expect it’ll take me a few minutes, now that you’ve upset Carter.”

They sat in silence for a few moments as the other men brought their mounts under control.

“As far as that goes, you could have had no place to live over the winter,” Egan pointed out.

“Now that’s true,” Jake admitted. “But I did a damn fine job on these cows an’ figure I deserve some recognition.”

“Well, you won’t get any from Hal Carter. As for me, I certainly appreciate it as I’ve already said. Not that your efforts will help me much now.

“My own fault. I know better than to gamble. I’m a good card player, but when I take chances, I lose. If I had followed my own rules I’d still own this herd.”

The other four riders returned with jumpy, snorting, head-shaking mounts. Jake still held a loaded rifle in his hands so they came up in such a way as to keep Egan between them and the wild man with the weapon.

“Now, Hal, you just take it easy for a minute,” Egan said. “Jake here has managed to make it through the winter with about three quarters of the animals he started out with and that’s a lot better than many have done.”

“Cattle ‘r damn thin,” Carter observed.

“They’re alive,” Jake said.

“That’s enough,” Egan said, glancing at Jake. “He’s right, though, they’re alive. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

“As for you owning everything, Hal, I put up the cattle and horses I own out here. That includes anything wearing an E C connected brand and most of the horses are wearing Bar 2. There are four horses here aren’t wearing either brand. Jake’ll be taking them when he leaves. And there are several other things around here that aren’t wearing those two brands I mentioned, like the food in the cabin.”

Egan paused, turned his gaze and unreadable expression from Hal to Jake, and then looked back at Hal. “What do you say you and your men take a look at the cattle and I’ll help Jake pack up?”

Hal chewed on the ends of his moustache for a moment and then nodded. He let his eyes flicker to the Winchester Jake still held under his arm, nodded again and said, “Reckon that sounds like a good idea.” He turned his mount away and the three other men followed.

 And here is a look at Tracy's work:

Check here out at www.tracywandling.com