Group Report
Society today is experiencing a high increase in violent crime. Thus as a group we had have an
interest in violent crime because we wanted to educate others about the types, causes and ways
to prevent violent crimes. In doing this we could find solutions to curd the ever growing problem
In order to obtain the information needed for this SBA, each member researched and collected
data via the internet. The group contributed in choosing the artifacts of the cause, effect and
also the prevention methods of violent crimes which includes murder, rape, robberies, and
domestic violence. The artifacts consist of a new article by Philip J. Cook (1983), a song called
‘Where is the Love’ by Black Eyed Peas (2003), and also a poem by Dillion Ollivaire called ‘Time
To Stand Against crime’ (2011).
The artifacts chosen focuses on the cause effect and prevention methods of violent crimes. The
article by Philip J. Cook (1983) argues that the availability of firearems contributr to the
increase and result of murder, rape, robberies and domestic violence. The second artifact, a song
‘Where is the Love’ by Black Eyed Peas (2003) emphasized the fact many lives in fear,
nevertheless, the artist begs the need to come together regardless of their background and
differences to solve violence and to work towards sollivere a better world. The final artifact, a
poem ‘Time To Stand Against Crime’(2011) by Dillion Olavairre encourages people to stand up
and speak out against violent crimes.
To conclude, the artifacts showed that even though firearms are the reasons for the increase of
violent crimes, there are more ways to prevent violent crimes. Even violent crimes made us
fearful of our lives, we have to stand up, come together and work towards a better violence free
world.
Bibliography
Artifact 1:
Peas, B.E. (2003) Where is the Love, YouTube. Available at:
[Link]
%E2%80%99%2BBlack%2BEyed%2BPeas%2B%282003%29 (Accessed: 23 November 2023)
Artifact: 2
Cook, P.J., Braga, A.A. and Moore, M.H. (2001) Gun control, SSRN. Available at:
[Link]
ID=49908412710207211207706610610703102800405406800606901612406712211000112510
00480370400120970170250640800960300981090480300620760291200820100731101230900
31006038087094116081115082108030103069108101006027085107026082074108021071102
080067096005005&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE (Accessed: 23 November 2023)
Artifact: 3
Ollivair, D. (2011) Poem: Time to stand against crime and violence, Dominica News
Online. Available at: [Link]
time-to-stand-against-crime-and-violence/ (Accessed: 23 November 2023)
Appendix
Title: where is the Love’
Writer: Black Eyed Peas (2003)
Link:[Link]
What's wrong with the world, mama?
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world's addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we tryna stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate, then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt, hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?
It just ain't the same, old ways have changed
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace are so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself, is the lovin' really gone?
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on? (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on? (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all?
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt, hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema, yo'
Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality?
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found
Now ask yourself
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?
Sing with me y'all (one world, one world)
We only got (one world, one world)
That's all we got (one world, one world)
And something's wrong with it (yeah)
Something's wrong with it (yeah)
Something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got (one world, one world)
That's all we got (one world, one world)
Artifact 2:
Title: Gun Control
Author: Phil Cook
Link:[Link]
ID=499084127102072112077066106107031028004054068006069016124067122110
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107026082074108021071102080067096005005&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE
Thing more stringent controls on gun commerce and use has the broad support of the
American public. Thousands are killed by gunfire each year (including almost 12,000
homicides in 1998) and hundreds of thousands more are threatened or injured in
robberies and assaults. Developing and implementing government programs to make
guns less readily available, especially to those inclined toward violence, deserve a high
priority in the quest to save lives and reduce the burden of crime on our society. But not
everyone accepts this perspective on guns. Some argue that guns are the mere
instruments of criminal intent, with no more importance than the brand of shoes the
criminal wears. If the weapon type does not matter, then policy interventions focused on
guns are futile. Another path leading to the same conclusion of futility posits that in a
society already saturated with guns, it is simply not feasible to prevent determined
criminals from obtaining a gun if they want one. Furthermore, if guns provide law-
abiding citizens with an important means of self-defense against crime, then
government attempts to restrict gun availability may be perverse rather than merely
futile. Of course each of these assertions about the actual or potential consequences of
gun control has been extensively debated. But the debate over gun control is not only
concerned with factual issues. If this were true, empirical research might, in principle at
least, resolve the matter, and the proper choice of gun-control measures would become
clear. In reality, however, there are important value conflicts as well, conflicts
concerning the proper relationship between the individual, the community, and the state.
Even a definitive empirical demonstration that a gun-control measure would save lives
will not persuade someone who believes in an absolute individual right to keep and bear
arms. The purpose of this essay is to provide a foundation for understanding the “Great
American Gun War,” and to consider the next steps that could be taken in the search for
an effective gun-control policy. We begin with a review of the more-or-less
uncontroversial facts about trends in gun ownership and 4 use, and the reasons why
Americans are inclined to arm themselves. A discussion follows of the more
contentious issues, whether and how guns influence levels or seriousness of crime. We
then identify the important values at stake in adopting any gun-control policy, and go on
to describe the existing policies and the mechanisms by which they and other such
measures have their effect. Finally, we make recommendations about promising next
steps. Gun Ownership, Use, and Misuse Guns are versatile tools, useful in providing
meat for the table, eliminating varmints and pests, providing entertainment for those
who have learned to enjoy the sporting uses, and protecting life and property against
criminal predators. They are an especially common feature of rural life, where wild
animals provide both a threat and an opportunity for sport. As America has become
more urban and more violent, however, the demand for guns has become increasingly
motivated by the need for protection against other people. Patterns of Gun Ownership
The annual General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center,
has long included questions on gun ownership. In 1999 just 36 percent of American
households owned at least one firearm, down from near 50 percent in 1980 (Smith
2000, p. 55). Surprisingly, there is no such trend in the prevalence of individual
ownership among adults, which has remained near 30 percent since 1980. The drop in
household ownership reflects the trend in household composition during this period;
households are less likely to include a gun because they have become smaller and, in
particular, less likely to include a man. The number of guns in private hands has been
increasing rapidly. Since 1970, total sales of new guns have accounted for over half of
all the guns sold during the 20th Century, and the total now in circulation is on the order
of 200 million (Cook and Ludwig 1996). The influx of new guns has been more than
needed to equip the expanding population. The “extra” guns have gone to 5 increase the
number of guns in the average owner’s arsenal (Wright 1981). The most detailed
national survey on the subject (the National Survey of the Private Ownership of
Firearms, or NSPOF) found that gun owning households average 4.4 guns in 1994, up
substantially from the 1970s (Cook and Ludwig, 1996).1 One addition for many gun-
owning households has been a handgun. The significance of this trend toward
increased handgun ownership lies in the fact that while rifles and shotguns are acquired
primarily for sporting purposes, handguns are primarily intended for use against people,
either in crime or selfdefense. The increase in handgun prevalence corresponds to a
large increase in the relative importance of handguns in retail sales: The Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) estimated that half of the new guns sold in the
United States in the early 1990s were handguns, up from one-third in the early 1970s. In
the late 1990s, however, the handgun share of all new gun sales fell back to about 40
percent (ATF, 2000a). Some of the increased handgun sales have been to urban
residents who have no experience with guns but are convinced they need one for
selfprotection, as suggested by the surges in handgun sales after the Los Angeles riots
and other such events (Kellermann and Cook, 1999). But while the prevalence of
handgun ownership has increased substantially over the past three decades, it remains
true now as earlier that most who possess a handgun also own one or more rifles and
shotguns. The 1994 NSPOF found that just 20 percent of gun-owning individuals have
only handguns, while 36 percent have only long guns and 44 percent have both. These
statistics suggest that people who have acquired guns for selfprotection are for the
most part also hunters and target shooters. Indeed, only 46 percent of gun owners say
that they own a gun primarily for self-protection against crime and only 26 percent keep
a gun loaded. Most (80 percent) grew up in a household with a gun. The demographic
patterns of gun ownership are no surprise: most owners are men, and the men who are
most likely to own a gun reside in rural areas or small towns and were reared in such
places (Kleck 1991). Blacks are 6 less likely to own guns than whites, in part because
the black population is more urban.2 The likelihood of gun ownership increases with
income and peaks in middle age. The fact that guns fit much more comfortably into
rural life than urban life raises a question. In 1940, 49 percent of teenagers were living in
rural areas; by 1960 that percentage had dropped to 34 and by 1990, to 27. What will
happen to gun ownership patterns as new generations with less connection to rural life
come along? Hunting is already on the decline: the absolute number of hunting licenses
issued in 1990 was about the same as in 1970 despite the growth in population,
indicating a decline in the percentage of people who hunt (U.S. Department of the
Interior, 1991). Confirming evidence comes from the National Survey of Wildlife-
Associated Recreation, which found that 7 percent of adults age sixteen and over were
hunters in 1997, compared with 9 percent in 1970.3 This trend may eventually erode the
importance of the rural sporting culture that has dominated the gun "scene." In its place
is greater focus on the criminal and self-defense uses of guns. Uses of Guns against
People A great many Americans die by gunfire. The gun death counts from suicide,
homicide, and accident have totaled over 30,000 for every year from 1972 to 1998. In
1998 there were approximately 30,700 firearms deaths, a rate of 11.4 per 100,000 U.S.
residents. All but 1,500 were either suicides or homicides. While homicides make the
headlines, there were actually 5,600 more gun suicides than homicides. The remainder
were classified as accidents, legal interventions, or unknown ([Link]). Various
points of reference help calibrate these numbers. In terms of Americans killed, a year of
gun killing in the United States is the equivalent of the Korean War. Another familiar
reference is the highway fatality rate, which is about 25 percent higher nationwide. It is
criminal homicide and other criminal uses of guns that cause the greatest public
concern. Gun accident rates are an order-of-magnitude lower4 7 and suicide seems
more a private concern than a public risk. Fortunately the homicide rate (both gun and
non-gun) has been dropping rapidly in recent years, but from 20th Century highs in 1980
and 1991 of over 10 per 100,000. The rate was just 6.6 in 1998. Between 60 and 70
percent of homicides are committed with guns, mostly (80 percent) handguns.
Homicide is not a democratic crime. Both victims and perpetrators are vastly
disproportionately male, black, and quite young. With respect to the victims, homicide is
the leading cause of death for black male youths. The gun homicide rate in 1997 for
Hispanic men ages 18-29 was seven times the rate for non-Hispanic white men of the
same age; the gun homicide rate for black men 18-29 was 133 per 100,000, around 25
times the rate for white males in that age group (Cook and Ludwig, 2000). (Most male
victims in the high-risk category are killed by people of the same race, sex, and age
group.) About 75 percent of the homicide victims in this group were killed with firearms.
The disparity between the demography of gun sports and of gun crime is telling:
sportsmen are disproportionately older white males from small towns and rural areas,
while the criminal misuse of guns is concentrated among young urban males, especially
minorities.5 Of course, most gun crimes are not fatal. For every gun homicide victim
there are roughly six gun-crime victims who receive a less-than-mortal wound (Cook
1985) and many more who are not wounded at all. Indeed, the most common criminal
use of guns is to threaten, with the objective of robbing, raping, or otherwise gaining the
victim's compliance; relatively few of these victims are physically injured, but the threat
of lethal violence and the potential for escalation necessarily make these crimes
serious. According to the 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), there were
150,000 gun robberies, 394,000 aggravated assaults (of which 52,000 caused injury)
and 13,000 rapes in that year, for a total estimated volume of gun crimes of about
557,000. And these gun crimes are only a fraction of all robberies, aggravated assaults,
and rapes, as shown in Figure 1. When a gun is used, it is most likely (85 percent) a
handgun. 8 While guns do enormous damage in crime they also provide some crime
victims with the means of escaping serious injury or property loss. The National Crime
Victimization Survey is generally considered the most reliable source of information on
predatory crime, since it has been in the field since 1973 and incorporates the best
thinking of survey methodologists. From this source it would appear that use of guns in
self-defense against criminal predation occurs approximately100,000 times per year
(Cook, Ludwig, and Hemenway, 1997).6 Of particular interest is the likelihood that a gun
will be used in self-defense against an intruder. Cook (1991), using the NCVS data for
the mid 1980s, found that only 3 percent of victims were able to deploy a gun against
someone who broke in (or attempted to do so) while they were at home. Since about 45
percent of all households possessed a gun during that period, we conclude that it is
relatively unusual for victims to be able to deploy a gun against intruders even when
they have one nearby. Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz (1995) have reported far higher
estimates of 2.5 million self-defense uses each year, based on their own nationwide
telephone survey. Indeed, on the basis of comparing this estimate of selfdefense uses
with the gun-crime victimization rate from the NCVS, they conclude that guns are used
more commonly in self-defense than in crime. But other authors have noted that when
the comparison is made using NCVS data alone for both victimization and self-defense,
the criminal uses predominate (see above). The same is true in other surveys that have
asked about both victimization and self-defense (Hemenway, in press). Kleck and
Gertzs’ high estimate may result from a relatively high falsepositive rate (Hemenway,
1997). Of course, even if we had reliable estimates on the volume of such events, we
would want to know more before reaching any conclusion. It is quite possible that most
"self-defense" uses occur in circumstances that are normatively ambiguous: chronic
violence within a marriage, gang fights, robberies of drug dealers, encounters with
groups of young men who simply appear threatening. Indeed, drug dealers and
predatory criminals do face extraordinarily high risks of being assaulted (Levitt 9 and
Venkatesh 2000; Cook and Ludwig 2000). In one survey of convicted felons in prison,
the most common reason offered for carrying a gun was selfdefense (Wright and Rossi
1994); a similar finding emerged from a study of juveniles incarcerated for serious
criminal offenses (Smith 1996). Self-defense conjures up an image of the innocent
victim using a gun to fend off an unprovoked criminal assault, but in fact many "self-
defense" cases are not so commendable.
Artifact 3
Name: Time to stand against crime and violence
Writer: Dillon Ollivierre
Site:[Link]
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090031006038087094116081115082108030103069108101006027085107026082074108021
071102080067096005005&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE
Time to stand!
Time to counteract the crime and violence which seems to hold our country at ransom
Time to unite in numbers, time to replace the negativity with positivity
Time to join forces with visionaries like Nailah John and Shari Osborne, Time to save
our country
Time to stand together against crime and violence
Time to end the silence!
Another one gone this morning
A brother brutalized this evening
My sister has gone missing
Mother’s and father’s are stressing
Crime and violence continues to escalate
The image of a beautiful Dominica these perpetrators penetrate
Stop! Before you decide to stand or not walk in the shoes of those who suffer
How would you feel if you lost your daughter?
How would you feel if someone endangered the life of your sister?
How would you feel if someone brutalize your brother or father?
How would you feel if it all happened before your eyes?
I ask again how would you feel if it all happened before your eyes?
Dominicans let us stand united as one
With the theme “together as one we can”
Let us stand regardless of political affiliation
Let us stand as we exceed our very own limitations
Let us combat the negativity that flows like a river within our country
Let us replace the hate with love, let us rebuild our country
I Dillon Ollivierre is taking a stand
Extending my hand
Friends and family we must stand together as one
Supporters of my poetry, supporters of a better Dominica we must stand together as
one
Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Opposition the time is now for a joint effort, please I beg you!
Together as one we can
