Reality Check: Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones, and the truth about gun homicide rates

[Jon Doe]

Posted: Jan 08, 2013 9:56 PM EST Updated: Jan 08, 2013 11:07 PM EST
By Ben Swann

(FOX19) -Over the past few weeks the argument over gun control has raged.

Among those demanding stricter gun laws is CNN host Piers Morgan.

There is one particular stat that Morgan has been citing for weeks, and it was the center of his argument while debating radio show host Alex Jones on Monday night.

Tonight, Ben investigates the truth behind it in Reality Check.

LINK to 4 minute Video: http://www.fox19.com/story/20538164/...homicide-rates

[Keith A]

Posted: Jan 08, 2013 9:56 PM EST Updated: Jan 08, 2013 11:07 PM EST
By Ben Swann

(FOX19) -Over the past few weeks the argument over gun control has raged.

Among those demanding stricter gun laws is CNN host Piers Morgan.

There is one particular stat that Morgan has been citing for weeks, and it was the center of his argument while debating radio show host Alex Jones on Monday night.

Tonight, Ben investigates the truth behind it in Reality Check.

LINK to 4 minute Video: http://www.fox19.com/story/20538164/pier...cide-rates

Link no worky

[schr8er2000]

Here is the link that works....

http://www.fox19.com/story/20538164/...homicide-rates

[rikilii]

The whole idea of focusing on "gun homicide rates" is morally and intellectually bankrupt. First, it assumes that gun homicides are somehow more important than non-gun homicides, and is therefore morally bankrupt. Second, it assumes that eliminating gun homicides equates to eliminating homicides in general, and is therefore intellectually bankrupt.

Here are some stats that actually matter if you insist on comparing the US to the UK (which really makes no sense in the first place, because the two countries have almost nothing relevant in common):

In 1919, before either the US or the UK had any major gun ownership restrictions, the homicide rate in the US was roughly 8 times that of the UK.

Today, the homicide rate is only 3.5 times that of the UK. The UK's current homicide rate is STILL higher than it was before they enacted ANY major gun control in 1920. And it is STILL higher than it was the year before they banned handguns 15 years ago.

[TSimonetti]

Should have had that guy on tonight against Morgan instead of Larry Pratt, who didn't do terrible, but he missed a great opportunity to bury Morgan with the truth about the statistics

Instead of hammering Morgan over and over on the issue of the violent crime rate in the UK versus the US, which the US wins hands down, he only mentioned it fleetingly, and otherwise allowed Morgan to make the debate only about the number of gun murders of the respective countries, which because of the ignorance of the average tv viewer, is a winning strategy for Morgan.

Pratt got sucked in, and happend to quote a number of gun murders for the UK far higher than Morgan's figure, then Pratt had to sit there for 2+ minutes of precious time in silence listening to Morgan re-cite the "Home Office" statistics, while calling him a liar.

[father-of-five]

Great clip! The facts, in context, speak for themselves. The problem is, the liberal mindset cares little for facts. The emotionally charged liberal response to each of the facts stated would be something like "...but I saw Sandy Hook on TV! 20 Children died! Ban guns!" Unfortunately some people choose to disregard the facts for mindless statements which they would never follow if it applied to things like cars and sports equipment. I hope our reps stick with the facts, which again, really speak for themselves when kept in context.

[BSH]

I'm disappointed that breakdown didn't go far enough. As noted above, it is bogus for Morgan to cite double-digit gun homicides, as if the hundreds that are stabbed and beaten to death don't count as homicide victims. There's more to the UK story than the Fox reporter said, as good as his report was.

First, while Britain banned guns, firearms remain the third leading means of homicide, after stabbings and beatings. Second, after the gun ban recorded gun crime double in five years (that's from Morgan's very own Home Office statistics, the SOB). The number of homicides also went up after the ban, before edging back down, as did the overall homicide rate. Morgan doesn't mention that, though does he? If Britain's gun laws are so great, how come their homicide rate has never again been as low as it was in 1970? What? The Firearms Act of 1988 didn't make a difference? Nor did the total ban from 1998? Just ask Mexico: gun laws do not drive homicide rates. Oh, by the way, the total number of homicides for 2011 from Morgan's Home Office is actually 648. 35??? What a moron.