1. Guns and Crime The dark side of America?

2. Is America dangerous?  History of America History of America (from “Bowling for Columbine” 2002, Michael Moore)  I was born and raised in Los Angeles and –NEVER saw or HEARD of a gun (except in one case—a suicide), –NEVER saw or heard of a robbery, –and only knew one girl who had been raped.  BUT I have been robbed in Japan!  =Japan is more dangerous than America??!

3. Three Famous School Massacres  Columbine 1999 Columbine – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold  Virginia Tech 2007 –Seung Hui Cho  Ikeda Elementary School 2001 –Mamoru Takuma

4. Why are there guns in the US? 1. Many people use guns for hunting. 2. The second amendment to the Constitution (in the Bill of Rights) “The Right to Bear Arms” 3. The NRA (National Rifle Association)

5. How many guns?  over 200 million privately-owned guns  More owned by military, police and museums,  probably about 1 gun per person in the country.  But…  WHY????

6. How many guns do you own?  http://www.hk94.com/hk/topic/7440-how- many-guns-do-you-own/page__st__40 http://www.hk94.com/hk/topic/7440-how- many-guns-do-you-own/page__st__40

7. Guns and Race

8. Gun Control Laws: Yoshihiro Hattori and the Brady Bill  The Brady Bill (1994) –background checks –5-day waiting period (still true in some states)

9. How much crime?  Crime rates depend on where you are  Violent crime by city (per 100,000 people) Burbank 293.4Los Angeles 1353.0 National average of violent crime: 763 (1991)  506 (2001)  454.5(2008) per 100,000 people

10. Crime rates are going down ！

11. SO… IS America dangerous? –It depends on where you are –Bigger cities have higher crime rates –Poorer areas in bigger cities have higher crime rates –The moral: “Look where you leap”

12. A final story: –My student went to Disneyland. He came back and complained that his wallet was stolen. He was carrying $200 in cash. –In a few hours, I got a call from Disneyland. They said they had found a wallet with his name on one of their rides. –It had his identification, credit cards, and yes— –all $200 in cash.