Nice To Know Democratic Officials Promote Rape

Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh quoted The Weekly Standard quoting Vice-President Joe Biden noting

In 2008 when Flint had 265 sworn officers on the police force, there were 35 murders and 91 rapes in this city. In 2010, when Flint had only 144 police officers, the murder rate climbed to 65 and rapes, just to pick two categories, climbed to 229. In 2011 you now only have 125 shields. God only knows what the numbers will be this year for Flint if we don't rectify it. And God only knows what that number would have been had we not been able to get a little bit of help to you.

While there are many factors affecting the violent crime rate, the prevalence of law enforcement officers in crime-ridden areas is one of them. The American people know it, Joe Biden knows it, and presumably God knows it also. That would be practically everyone- except Limbaugh, who commented

Rush complained that the federal government would be funding the police officer slots for only one year, an odd complaint from someone opposed to the federal government assisting states in funding any public sector jobs. He accuses the Vice-President, arguing that cops on the beat deter crime, with "fear-mongering" and argues

Has anybody ever considered that there might be so many rapes in Flint, Michigan, because there are so many Democrats there elected by Democrats? Anybody ever considered that?

Well, no, no one with any sense. Nor does Rush present any evidence, though he rarely does. What the evidence does, suggest, however, is that the incidence of death by gun is higher in states which vote Republican, on the congressional, state, and national levels, than in states which usually vote Democratic.

According to opposingviews.com (emphasis theirs) from statistics provided by the Violence Policy Center

States with the Five HIGHEST Per Capita Gun Death Rates

-- Louisiana--Rank: 1; Household Gun Ownership: 45.6 percent; Gun Death Rate: 19.87 per 100,000.

-- Mississippi--Rank: 2; Household Gun Ownership: 54.3 percent; Gun Death Rate: 18.32 per 100,000.

-- Alaska--Rank: 3; Household Gun Ownership: 60.6 percent; Gun Death Rate: 17.62 per 100,000.

-- Alabama--Rank: 4; Household Gun Ownership: 57.2 percent; Gun Death Rate: 17.55 per 100,000.

-- Nevada--Rank: 5; Household Gun Ownership: 31.5 percent; Gun Death Rate: 16.21 per 100,000.

States with the Five LOWEST Per Capita Gun Death Rates

-- Hawaii--Rank: 50; Household Gun Ownership: 9.7 percent; Gun Death Rate: 2.82 per 100,000.

-- Rhode Island--Rank: 49; Household Gun Ownership: 13.3 percent; Gun Death Rate: 3.51 per 100,000.

-- Massachusetts--Rank: 48; Household Gun Ownership: 12.8 percent; Gun Death Rate: 3.63 per 100,000.

-- Connecticut--Rank: 47; Household Gun Ownership: 16.2 percent; Gun Death Rate: 4.27 per 100,000.

-- New York--Rank: 46; Household Gun Ownership: 18.1 percent; Gun Death Rate: 5.07 per 100,000.

The gun death rates are not especially high specifically because Republicans usually control four of the five states (Louisiana maintains some Democratic traditions, at least on the local level) and four of the five consistently vote for the GOP presidential candidate (Nevada being a swing state). Nor are the gun death rates especially low in those five states because Democrats rule the roost in each; the connection between crime rates and the (D) or the (R) after a politico's name is too tenuous to make the case otherwise. Of course, the association between gun ownership and gun death rates is more plausible, though other factors intervene.

Still, Rush Limbaugh believes- no, strongly implies- that rapes increase because Democrats hold office. That is absurd; that more guns in the hands of civilians leads to more murders, not nearly so.

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