Sebastian’s Mad Muay Thai Skillz
As I eloquently sliced and diced Kleck, a commenter, JDFAR, uses a common gunloon myth:
Furthermore, criminologist Marvin E. Wolfgang, who has researched guns and violence for more than 25 years and is one of the most outspoken opponents of private gun ownership, after reading this study, praised the methodology that was used, in a paper titled “A Tribute to a View I Have Opposed,” published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 86, Issue 1 (Fall 1995), p. 188.
In that article, Wolfgang begins by saying:
“I am as strong a gun-control advocate as can be found among the criminologists in this country. If I were Mustapha Mond of Brave New World, I would eliminate all guns from the civilian population and maybe even from the police.”
Those are certainly not the views of your ordinary anti-gun type. This is a man represents the ultimate in anti-gun philosophy. But to his credit as a researcher, he was not so proud that he would deny the excellent methodology employed by Kleck and Gertz. He went on to say:
“What troubles me is the article by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz. The reason I am troubled is that they have provided an almost clear-cut case of methodologically sound research in support of something I have theoretically opposed for years, namely, the use of a gun in defense against a criminal perpetrator… I have to admit my admiration for the care and caution expressed in this article and this research.”
Wolfgang concludes by saying:
“The Kleck and Gertz study impresses me for the caution the authors exercise and the elaborate nuances they examine methodologically. I do not like their conclusions that having a gun can be useful, but I cannot fault their methodology. They have tried earnestly to meet all objections in advance and have done exceedingly well.”
Two problems. First, JDFAR has plagiarized the comments of one John Gaver, word for word. Bad form, this. If you insist on parroting others, at least have the common decency to attribute the work of others.
Second problem, JDFAR (and the man he plagiarized) omit certain statements from Wolfgang. Why? Because those words change the entire tone. Marvin Wofgang:
“The usual criticisms of survey research, such as that done by Kleck and Gertz, also apply to their research. The problems of small numbers and extrapolating from relatively small samples to the universe are common criticisms of all survey research, including theirs. I did not mention this specifically in my printed comments because I thought that this was obvious; within the specific limitations of their research is what I meant by a lack of criticism methodologically.” (J of Criminal Law and Criminology 86:2 p617-8)
