TM Funk

Bio: TM Funk is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Gun control & Poison control. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 15 citations.

Gun Control and Economic Discrimination: The Melting-Point Case-in-Point

Abstract: Ever since the beginning of the modern gun control debate, in the 1960s, prohibitions on small, inexpensive handguns -- so-called "Saturday Night Specials" -- has been a central issue. In this article, Markus Funk examines unique characteristics of "Saturday Night Specials" which are said to make them more appropriate for prohibition than other firearms. In addition, he makes the case that ban on low-cost handguns may amount to unconstitutional discrimination against the poor or minorities. A slightly different version of this article was originally published in 1995 in volume 8 of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, beginning at page 764; this article is reprinted with permission.

The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States.

Abstract: The RAND Corporation's Gun Policy in America initiative is a unique attempt to systematically and transparently assess available scientific evidence on the real effects of firearm laws and policies. Good gun policies require consideration of many factors, including the law and constitutional rights, the interests of various stakeholder groups, and information about the likely effects of different laws or policies on a range of outcomes. This study seeks to provide the third-objective information about what the scientific literature examining gun policy can tell us about the likely effects of laws. The study synthesizes the available scientific data on the effects of various firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, the gun industry, participation in hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes. By highlighting where scientific evidence is accumulating, the authors hope to build consensus around a shared set of facts that have been established through a transparent, nonpartisan, and impartial review process. In so doing, they also illuminate areas where more and better information could make important contributions to establishing fair and effective gun policies.

Packing Heat: Attitudes Regarding Concealed Weapons on College Campuses

Abstract: Gun violence at American colleges and universities has rekindled the debate surrounding concealed weapons on campus. This study examined college student and faculty opinions on two college campuses, focusing on their attitudes towards private citizens carrying concealed guns on campus. Data were collected during the fall 2008 and spring 2009, and over 2,100 students, staff, faculty, and administrators on the two campuses participated in the research. The results indicate over 70 % of respondents oppose the option of carrying concealed guns on campus. In addition, the idea of more guns on campus makes the majority of students and faculty feel less safe, and allowing concealed weapons serves to decrease the sense of campus safety. This study continues to empirically advance the argument that those who live, work, and study do not want more guns on campus. Further research in this area, including an expanded range of the nation’s college campuses, should be explored.

Community firearms, community fear.

Abstract: To examine how perceptions of safety are influenced as more people in a community acquire firearms, we conducted a nationally representative random-digit-dial survey of 2,500 adults and asked whether respondents would feel more safe, less safe, or equally safe if more people in their community were to acquire guns. We used multivariable logistic regression to explore correlates of perceived safety while taking into account various confounders. Fifty percent of respondents reported that they would feel less safe if more people in their community were to own guns; 14% reported they would feel more safe. Women and minorities were more likely than were men and Whites to feel less safe as others acquire guns, with Odds ratios of 1.7 and 1.5, respectively. Our findings suggest that most Americans are not impervious to the psychological effects of guns in their community, and that, by a margin or more than 3 to 1, more guns make others in the community feel less safe rather than more safe.

Examining the Arsenal of Juvenile Gunslingers: Trends and Policy Implications

Abstract: Using the National Institute of Justice body armor threat-level scale, this study classified 1,055 firearms confiscated by police officers from juveniles in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1992 to 1999. The authors found that for this city, the lethal capacity of juveniles’ firearms has remained relatively constant over time. Examination of the different types of firearms recovered also found that the sophistication of firearms used by juveniles did not increase throughout the 1990s. By disaggregating firearm types, the authors were able to demonstrate that the police are likely to confiscate relatively unsophisticated firearms from juveniles, such as Saturday night specials, .22 caliber and nonpowder weapons. In St. Louis, juveniles were very unlikely to have an assault weapon confiscated. More troubling, however, were the relatively high numbers of illegally sawed-off rifles and shotguns recovered from youths.

Lost and Found: Researching the Second Amendment

Abstract: This Article proceeds, first, with a brief explication of the meaning of the Second Amendment. It then examines the manner in which the debate over this Amendment has been depicted in recent news accounts and proceeds to the two chief emergent critiques of Second Amendment analysis: the individualist view and the so-called right of revolution. Following that, four collateral claims arising from and connected with the individualist and revolutionist perspectives are examined in light of an assessment of the provenance of Second Amendment writings in law journals, as is the reputed role of the Fourteenth Amendment. Finally, three explanations are offered for the emergence of this new body of writing on the Second Amendment.