Opinion: Media makes misleading case for more control

<p>With headlines claiming “<a href="http://wonkwire.rollcall.com/2014/02/18/shoots/">Study Shows Gun Control Works</a>,” media outlets such as <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-gun-murders-rise-in-missouri-after-bac..., <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/after-background-checks-were-scr..., <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/study-claims-violence-surges-repeal-..., <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/18/study-repealin... Post</a>, and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26222578">BBC</a> were breathless over a soon-to-be-released study by Daniel Webster in the Journal of Urban Health. The claim is that when Missouri in 2007 made it easier to buy handguns, the murder rate went up relative to the U.S. murder rate.</p>
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Simply looking at whether murder rates were higher after the law was rescinded than before misses much of what was going on. Most likely, getting rid of the law slowed the growth rate in murders.

But there are other reasons not to accept the conclusion touted by the press.

Read the full article from Dr. Lott at http://fxn.ws/Penny022214