Ray,
The antis often point to higher murder rates in southern states compared with northern states with strict gun laws. The truth of the matter is that southerners are more violent overall. What they often fail to include in the discussion is the simple fact that in northern states with free gun laws, the murder rate is usually even lower.
Spend some time looking this over:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/uc...n_geographic_division_and_state_2011-2012.xls
You will see data showing what seems obvious. Places like NH and VT have less murder than MA or CT. But that places like Arkansas, MS, TN, AL,and KY have murder rates 2x what MA has, but also have 3 to 5x what NH and VT have.
Yup. It all amounts to no correlation between the level of gun control laws in a given state and violent crime rates.