(NY, NY) New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV), the statewide organization devoted to reducing gun violence, denounced lawmakers who placed the gun lobby's agenda over basic common sense by allowing citizens to use guns or other deadly force to defend themselves in public places without trying to escape.

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said: "Trained law enforcement officers should be the ones responsible for maintaining order in our society. Bringing back the 'good ole days' of shootouts just defies common sense. There are many reasons for everyday citizens to fear the inevitable results of this Wild West law. The fate of innocent bystanders just became more dangerous, because this law gives anyone the right to use deadly force whenever he or she feels threatened at all. The danger is more pronounced when disagreements occur between people under the influence of alcohol or drugs or just plain tired."

Barbara Hohlt, NYAGV Boardmember said: "This law is guaranteed to do two things: Put more money in the pockets of gun makers and raise the handgun homicide rate. Is this what Florida legislators intend? In his book Private Guns, Public Health, David Hemenway states that "Within the United States, a wide array of empirical evidence indicates that more guns in a community lead to more homicides." He cites study after study that find higher gun homicides for all ages in cities, states and countries with higher gun ownership.

Looking at children, the impact of high gun ownership is even more alarming. According to a 2003 study by the Harvard School of Public Health including, the firearm death rate for children age 5-14 was 6 times higher in the five states with the highest rates of gun ownership than the rate in the five states with the lowest gun ownership rate. In the 10-year period covered by the study (1988-1997), 704 children age 5-14 died firearm-related deaths in the high gun ownership states compared to 123 in the low gun ownership states, even though the populations of the two groups were approximately the same. On the other hand, non-gun homicides and non-gun suicides in the high gun states and low gun states were comparable.

Statistically, teens and young adults are at far greater risk of bodily harm than adults in their forties and fifties. (The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention report a gun homicide rate for Florida in 2002 of 6.33 per 100,000 for teens 15-19 and a rate of less than 3 per 100,000 for those in their forties and fifties. In New York State, the respective numbers show a similar disparity between youth (5.26 per 100,000) and older folks (1.29 per 100,000).

Pelosi closed: "More guns and a law encouraging folks to use them will not make people, especially youngsters safer. That should be clear to everyone. NYAGV, therefore, calls on legislators and voters in all states to reject such dangerous measures."

iDuggan, M, 2001, "More Guns, More Crime," Journal of Political Economy, 109:1086-1114; Miller, M., Azrael, D. and Hemenway; D., 2002, "Household Firearm Ownership Levels and Homicide Across U.S. States and Regions, 1988-1997," American Journal of Public Health, 92:1988-93; Lester, D, 1990, "Relationship between Firearm Availability and Primary and Secondary Murder," Psychological Reports, 67:490; to name just a few.