tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post4994555331795034433..comments2024-03-14T09:08:19.035-04:00Comments on OR in an OB World: How Not to Debate Gun ControlPaul A. Rubinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801891157261357482noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-51260848407452603802012-12-22T13:53:29.480-05:002012-12-22T13:53:29.480-05:00I don't recall "accepting" increased...I don't recall "accepting" increased security when I fly; I seem to recall having it imposed on me. It's somewhat better of late, in that I get a free MRI every time I pass through an airport.<br /><br />I think you (and Rahm Emanuel and the Gray Lady) are right that we need an emotional push to get us past the usual yack-yack-deadlock-repeat cycle. Maybe the best thing is for the current emotional surge to get a non-/bi-/multi-partisan commission formed to come up with proposals, the commission to be staffed by relatively analytical and relatively level-headed types. Then again, we tried that with the Simpson-Bowles commission, and that's worked out just peachy so far.Paul A. Rubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801891157261357482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-66724435656254335392012-12-22T10:30:08.591-05:002012-12-22T10:30:08.591-05:00Your points regarding rational decision making are...Your points regarding rational decision making are certainly well-taken. I’m not optimistic however, given the current social and political climate in the U.S., that we have the wherewithal to approach the gun control/gun rights decision rationally and deliberately. At times, it seems the only way any decision gets made is emotionally, in the heat of the moment.<br /><br />In that regard, I found a December 18 New York Times editorial on the Newtown shootings and subsequent political responses interesting. Their point seems to be largely akin to Rahm Emanuel’s admonition not to let a good crisis go to waste – and they argue forcefully that we should follow our gut to enact needed gun control reforms ASAP.<br /><br />The Times’ position is not surprising. Their own words however, drove home for me the potential downside in making hasty, emotional decisions in the face of a tragedy. They point to the country’s willingness to make sacrifices in a crisis: “Americans are ready to shoulder burdens — as we did after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by accepting increased security when we travel and military actions we might previously have avoided.” <br /><br />Were these burdens appropriate ones to accept in the wake of 9/11? Have they been effective? If so, at what cost? With eleven years of hindsight, would we support the same decisions?<br />GLRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-19401830388617279172012-12-21T11:50:56.228-05:002012-12-21T11:50:56.228-05:00Thanks, Cameron. I'm pretty sure you and I wil...Thanks, Cameron. I'm pretty sure you and I will find ourselves on opposite sides of the gun debate, although my views are not fully formed. Both sides can produce statistics, charts and studies, but I'm not sure the interpretation of them is always on point. I also think there are important questions for which data has not yet been analyzed (at least I've not seen any analyses in print). Perhaps most importantly, because both sides are emotional, the debate fairly quickly devolves into something close to ban all guns vs. no regulation whatsoever, and opportunities for meaningful compromise are missed. We'll never stop all crimes of violence (unless we manage to depopulate the planet, which I don't rule out, especially since today is Mayan Extinction Day), but I think we can reduce some amount of it -- by a variety of measures, including but not limited to gun (or ammo) control.Paul A. Rubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801891157261357482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-20953861181915564592012-12-20T20:54:18.524-05:002012-12-20T20:54:18.524-05:00Very nice article Paul. Well written. I do appreci...Very nice article Paul. Well written. I do appreciate how you wrote the article from an unbiased perspective. I for one am against stricter gun control. My reasons aren't important as I can argue them with gun control advocates all day and provide studies such as the one from Harvard that analyzed gun control in Western Europe in relation to violent crime rates and still get nowhere. I think emotional decisions are being made that in the end will not protect anybody any more then existing laws already do. Enforcement, access to mental health facilities, and less blaming everything on guns.Cameron Hinkleyhttp://2ndamendmentjournal.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-59363915067261741142012-12-18T11:21:43.424-05:002012-12-18T11:21:43.424-05:00Thanks. I think that this graph and several relate...Thanks. I think that this graph and several related ones can be seen at http://mark.reid.name/iem/gun-deaths-vs-gun-ownership.html (except that, as I post this, the site is unavailable due to bandwith limit).Paul A. Rubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801891157261357482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-66679996087982192282012-12-17T04:35:50.050-05:002012-12-17T04:35:50.050-05:00I would like you to take a look at this graph
http...I would like you to take a look at this graph<br />https://dl.dropbox.com/u/38668/deaths-vs-guns.png<br /><br />Notice the empty right quadrant? Christiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8781383461061929571.post-52741412244091140202012-12-16T20:49:19.746-05:002012-12-16T20:49:19.746-05:00very timely piece of writing. thanks.very timely piece of writing. thanks.Shivahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05571015480979394896noreply@blogger.com