Antony Altbeker's report: "Are South Africans Responsible Firearm Owners?"

Commissioned by Gunfree South Africa and paid for by the Open Foundation. The benefactor of the Open Foundation is George Sorros a major contributor to GFSA funding.

This fatally flawed research is best examined by its own conclusions since it failed to provide the answers requested by the sponsors.

Research although conducted specifically to find evidence of irresponsibility of firearms owners, was not able to provide that evidence.

• ["To this question we are unable to provide an unqualified answer." ¹]
• ["Although unable to provide a definitive answer to the question of the owner's culpability in the loss of his weapon.." ²]

The specific brief was to show that controlling legal firearms would reduce crime, based on the premise that legal firearms are somehow a contributing factor to crime. The reasoning being that reducing the number of legally held firearms would therefor reduce crime. A belief of Gunfree South Africa that can not be shown to have any evidential basis in the world.

Besides the fact that this belief is foolish to say the least. As criminals will obtain firearms from any readily available source as evidenced by the huge increases of criminally held firearms in Britain. Despite Britain's almost total ban on handguns. Also as evidenced in South Africa by the huge losses of State controlled firearms as a major source of criminal firearms. The research found no such evidence that crime would be reduced by increased control of legally licenced firearm owners. Once again proving what is already known by all, except those with a mission, that firearm owners are responsible owners, deserving the public trust placed in them.

So as not to displease the sponsors, Altbeker sets about providing junk evidence to make them happy.

With police dockets that show only reported failed attempts by firearms owners to defend their lives or property. Altbeker concludes that they are targets for criminals and had little chance of retaining their firearm. This is like examining 1000 one-legged chickens and finding that they have only one leg. Then making the remarkable conclusion that all chickens have one leg.

Building upon this obviously flawed premise made without evidence of a single successful defense of property. Altbeker suggests that ["..criminals want guns and are prepared to take some chances to get them." ³] Concluding that if this is the case there is little to be done if criminals want guns.

What Antony Albeker has done is prove that Gunfree South Africa and the government have an ideological agenda in gun control, that is not based upon any evidence presented or that could be found. A result not unsurprising in light of the mounting evidence so well exemplified by Professor John Lott's research and presented in his book, More Guns Less Crime.

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Altbeker: Are South Africans Responsible Firearms Owners? Evidence from 1,000 dockets, September 2000
¹ Altbeker, Page 20, par 4
² Altbeker, Page 20, par 8
³ Altbeker, page 20, par 9
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