A tenuous link to gun sales

Re: “Gun crime drops in Va. as gun sales rise,” Aug. 4 news story.

Improvements to gun safety laws were proposed to stop criminals from being able to obtain guns. If we have speed limits, but enforce them only Monday through Thursday, speeders know exactly when to do their speeding — and that is during the 40 percent of time the law is not enforced.

The law-abiding driver does not impact the outcome.

Criminals who already have a weapon don’t need another one to commit a crime, so the number of new gun purchases (which does not necessarily equal new gun owners) does not impact the crime rate. I would like to see the number of gun owners, instead of gun purchases, used in the study. If a person adds two guns to his collection, does that mean he’ll be able to stop more criminals?

As the news story stated, unless other factors are eliminated, this study is not meaningful and leaves more questions than it answers. It disregards any efforts by law enforcement, youth outreach programs, re-entry programs, technological advances and other steps taken to reduce the crime rate, and simply attributes it all to gun sales.

Do those newly purchased guns remain in Virginia? New York City recently reported that Virginia guns are the biggest source of out-of-state guns used in crimes. If more guns mean less crime, why are Wyoming, Alabama, Montana, etc., not the states with the fewest gun deaths or injuries per capita?

I agree with some of the statement of gun-rights supporter Philip Van Cleave. However, I disagree when he says, “extra guns can actually work to lower crime because those are going into the hands of [concealed] permit holders or people using them to defend their homes.”

To find out if that statement is true, we would need to see a study that examines if guns owned are more likely to be used in self-defense vs. harming yourself or someone in your home.

Weather Journal

6 hours ago

1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County 

2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day

3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys

4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping 

5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football 

6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen

7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust

8. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli 

9. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible

10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area