More Legal Guns Reduced Crime in Brazil
By John R. Lott Jr., June 26, 2022, WSJ

“Lives are on the line,” Biden said after the Supreme Court held New York state’s restrictive gun-permit regime unconstitutional last week. Gov. Hochul warned: “This could place millions of New Yorkers in harm’s way.” Brazil’s experience
suggests otherwise.

In 2018, the year before Jair Bolsonaro became president, Brazil had one of the highest homicide rates among developed countries: 27.8 per 100,000 people, compared with 5 per 100,000 in the U.S. Bolsonaro’s solution: “Give guns to good people. Let
people have guns so that they have the chance to defend themselves.”

In Brazil black-market firearms are widely available to criminals, and 70% of murders in 2019 involved guns. When Mr. Bolsonaro took office, there were about 330,000 licensed firearm owners in Brazil. At the time, according to the BBC, “only strictly
defined groups of people, including police and security officials are able to obtain a gun license.” In 2019, when Bolsonaro’s many changes began taking effect, Brazil added more than 400,000 licensed firearm owners.

During his presidential campaign, critics said he had it dangerously wrong. A Bloomberg Opinion writer scoffed: “It’s hard to buy the current proposals championed by gun lobbyists and a few political yahoos who aim to make Brazil safer by slackening
controls.” The New York Times wrote in a news story that his proposals were “worrying some experts who argue that more guns fuel more violence.”

Brazil’s pre-2019 laws looked like the wish list of American gun-control advocates. Owning a gun without a license carries a four-year prison sentence. By comparison, almost no state in the U.S. requires a license to own a gun, and 25 states don’t
require a license to carry a gun.

In Brazil aspiring gun owners have to be at least 25, undergo psychological and technical aptitude screening, show proof of employment, and explain why they want a firearm. Bolsonaro eliminated the psychological and other screening requirements.

By November 2021, Bolsonaro had made 32 changes to ease Brazil’s gun laws. Brazilians were allowed to own more and more-powerful guns—up to six guns and up to .50 caliber, the same maximum caliber as the U.S. He raised the maximum annual ammunition
purchase to 5,000 rounds a year from 50. He made it easier to carry concealed handguns in public.

Before Bolsonaro, Brazilians had to pay $260 for a new gun license and $25 every 3 years to renew it. This put legal gun ownership out of reach of the poor. The initial license fee has fallen to around $18.50, and licenses are good for 10 years.

Instead of surging, crime declined sharply in Brazil. In three years under Bolsonaro, the homicide rate has fallen 34%, to 18.5 per 100,000.

The media and gun-control advocates were wrong about Brazil. Mr. Biden and Ms. Hochul should take note.

Mr. Lott is president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and author of “More Guns, Less Crime.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-legal-gun-control-regulation-reduce-violent-crime-shooting-murder-brazil-semi-automatic-permit-supremep-court-new-york-decision-11656268995

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On Friday, July 1, 2022 at 7:28:35 AM UTC+8, David P. wrote:

More Legal Guns Reduced Crime in Brazil
By John R. Lott Jr., June 26, 2022, WSJ

“Lives are on the line,” Biden said after the Supreme Court held New York state’s restrictive gun-permit regime unconstitutional last week. Gov. Hochul warned: “This could place millions of New Yorkers in harm’s way.” Brazil’s experience

suggests otherwise.

In 2018, the year before Jair Bolsonaro became president, Brazil had one of the highest homicide rates among developed countries: 27.8 per 100,000 people, compared with 5 per 100,000 in the U.S. Bolsonaro’s solution: “Give guns to good people. Let

people have guns so that they have the chance to defend themselves.”

In Brazil black-market firearms are widely available to criminals, and 70% of murders in 2019 involved guns. When Mr. Bolsonaro took office, there were about 330,000 licensed firearm owners in Brazil. At the time, according to the BBC, “only strictly

defined groups of people, including police and security officials are able to obtain a gun license.” In 2019, when Bolsonaro’s many changes began taking effect, Brazil added more than 400,000 licensed firearm owners.

During his presidential campaign, critics said he had it dangerously wrong. A Bloomberg Opinion writer scoffed: “It’s hard to buy the current proposals championed by gun lobbyists and a few political yahoos who aim to make Brazil safer by

slackening controls.” The New York Times wrote in a news story that his proposals were “worrying some experts who argue that more guns fuel more violence.”

Brazil’s pre-2019 laws looked like the wish list of American gun-control advocates. Owning a gun without a license carries a four-year prison sentence. By comparison, almost no state in the U.S. requires a license to own a gun, and 25 states don’t

require a license to carry a gun.

In Brazil aspiring gun owners have to be at least 25, undergo psychological and technical aptitude screening, show proof of employment, and explain why they want a firearm. Bolsonaro eliminated the psychological and other screening requirements.

By November 2021, Bolsonaro had made 32 changes to ease Brazil’s gun laws. Brazilians were allowed to own more and more-powerful guns—up to six guns and up to .50 caliber, the same maximum caliber as the U.S. He raised the maximum annual ammunition

purchase to 5,000 rounds a year from 50. He made it easier to carry concealed handguns in public.

Before Bolsonaro, Brazilians had to pay $260 for a new gun license and $25 every 3 years to renew it. This put legal gun ownership out of reach of the poor. The initial license fee has fallen to around $18.50, and licenses are good for 10 years.

Instead of surging, crime declined sharply in Brazil. In three years under Bolsonaro, the homicide rate has fallen 34%, to 18.5 per 100,000.

The media and gun-control advocates were wrong about Brazil. Mr. Biden and Ms. Hochul should take note.

Mr. Lott is president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and author of “More Guns, Less Crime.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-legal-gun-control-regulation-reduce-violent-crime-shooting-murder-brazil-semi-automatic-permit-supremep-court-new-york-decision-11656268995

This is not a good comparison. If it is for Trump, it will be a good comparison. A gun no matter how much it is controlled whether by way of starting age or psychologically sound or cheap fee to keep everyone affordable for it, will not change the fact
the bullet can hit at anyone at any time known and unknown at its target by a vengeful or reckless or threatening person.

Carrying or firing gun creates fear of being shot at whether directly or accidentally. Every time, one hears a crackle sound, they have to turn and dart, dive or run to hide as if someone is shooting at them. Every time when one is walking, they have to
look over their shoulder and scan their eyes around into the building, vehicles and bushes and trees to look for any sign of people putting pointing their gun at you. The fear of being shot and killed and worse not even knowing why you were killed is
scary to everyone except the shooter.

Why majority of people have to live in fear of being shot?. Why people have to live in fear from robbed and raped or blackmailed by someone with a shooter? Why should unarmed people have to fear from armed people? If the law enforcement cannot take their
investigation or arrived on time, it will encourage society to breakdown and hate each other from fear of gunning at each other instead.

If more people are buying guns, it actually help to grow the gun industry into a big billion dollar revenue for the business owners only. If gun is banned, everyone will trust each other and will not fear each other. They will not look over their
shoulder even a cracker sound is heard. They will not have to look at the hands of other people around whether in their pockets or eyes covered with glasses or a hat to cover the head, or wearing a dark hooded coverall. If gun is banned, the gun
industries will go bankrupt. People in China and India and many other countries do not carry guns; they have no fear of walking in the night, eating and enjoying themselves safely into the night, too.

Hence gun should be banned and removed from homes. Even the poor and rich will feel safe too. Regardless whether a gun is fired or possession, make possession or firing of gun with a death sentence. This way means no one does not to feel entitled to it.

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