Drizzt
July 16, 2003, 02:49 PM
Gun ads worthless
By The Journal Editorial Board
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Sioux Falls is launching a statewide program this week to promote gun safety and educate people about the consequences of illegal gun use. The U.S. Attorney's Office received $720,000 as part of a federal program to reduce illegal gun use. Radio and television ads in the South Dakota GunWise program will remind people about safe use of guns and that gun crimes can result in long prison sentences.
Forgive us for being cynical, but aren't most people already aware that guns can be dangerous if mishandled and that the illegal use of guns is wrong? Does anyone have to be told in a radio or TV ad that using a gun to commit a crime is illegal? Do defense lawyers argue in court that it's the state's fault for not educating the accused that using a gun to commit a crime is not allowed?
An Associated Press story on the program quoted the state's U.S. attorney as saying a gun is used to commit a crime in South Dakota every 48 hours. That would be about 182.5 gun crimes a year on average. With 144,278 resident hunters, according to the state Game, Fish & Parks Department, that means at least 99.9 percent of gun owners are lawful users of guns - assuming that those people who commit gun crimes are also lawful gun owners and hunters, whom many are not.
Anyone who owns a gun ought to be instructed in its safe use, and there are gun safety classes taught in most areas of the state - just ask the GF&P.
The U.S. attorney may have $720,000 in federal funds to educate the public about the illegal use of guns, but the radio and TV ad campaign is a waste of money. The people who commit crimes with guns already know they're breaking the law. If the U.S. Attorney's Office really wants to reduce gun crimes in South Dakota, it should use more of its GunWise dollars to prosecute people for the illegal use of guns.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2003/07/16/news/opinion/top/news01.txt
By The Journal Editorial Board
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Sioux Falls is launching a statewide program this week to promote gun safety and educate people about the consequences of illegal gun use. The U.S. Attorney's Office received $720,000 as part of a federal program to reduce illegal gun use. Radio and television ads in the South Dakota GunWise program will remind people about safe use of guns and that gun crimes can result in long prison sentences.
Forgive us for being cynical, but aren't most people already aware that guns can be dangerous if mishandled and that the illegal use of guns is wrong? Does anyone have to be told in a radio or TV ad that using a gun to commit a crime is illegal? Do defense lawyers argue in court that it's the state's fault for not educating the accused that using a gun to commit a crime is not allowed?
An Associated Press story on the program quoted the state's U.S. attorney as saying a gun is used to commit a crime in South Dakota every 48 hours. That would be about 182.5 gun crimes a year on average. With 144,278 resident hunters, according to the state Game, Fish & Parks Department, that means at least 99.9 percent of gun owners are lawful users of guns - assuming that those people who commit gun crimes are also lawful gun owners and hunters, whom many are not.
Anyone who owns a gun ought to be instructed in its safe use, and there are gun safety classes taught in most areas of the state - just ask the GF&P.
The U.S. attorney may have $720,000 in federal funds to educate the public about the illegal use of guns, but the radio and TV ad campaign is a waste of money. The people who commit crimes with guns already know they're breaking the law. If the U.S. Attorney's Office really wants to reduce gun crimes in South Dakota, it should use more of its GunWise dollars to prosecute people for the illegal use of guns.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2003/07/16/news/opinion/top/news01.txt
