Gun ownership in America has been unjustly blamed for high crime rates, a speaker from Northwestern University told a crowd of 35 Wednesday at the Lesar Law Building.

Daniel D. Polsby, a professor at Northwestern University, was chosen by The Federalist Society at SIUC’s School of Law to give a lecture on the Second Amendment.

Polsby first read the text of the Second Amendment and then, to the best of his ability, explained it to the audience.

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The purpose of the Second Amendment is not anything different than to provide for the common defense, Polsby said.

Polsby discussed the obsessive concern about crime, as it pertains to guns.

The public has been terribly concerned about crime since the 1960s at least, he said. This brings up the question of, Does a country being heavily armed drive up crime rates?’

Polsby’s answer to this question was no. He gave specific statistics on the subject stating that the homicide rate has gone down in the United States.

This confronted people who are for gun control and people who believe in a concept that he called an intramentality hypothesis.

He said this kind of hypothesis says that it matters in the course of an angry dispute that a crime will most likely occur if the assailant has a gun rather than a pie.

In 1970, roughly half of the murders in the United States, the perpetrator could be identified as an acquaintance, he said. Now in the homicides, the perpetrator can be identified as an acquaintance in only 15 percent. We see it going down substantially.

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In a Firearms Fact Sheet, distributed by the Southern Illinois Patriot League, it is cited that citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year.

Polsby said the least amount of crimes are committed by people carrying concealed weapons.

There have been 0 murders or armed robberies by people who have been lawfully carrying a concealed weapon in Florida., he said.

Polsby said that in Florida anyone who can legally carry a weapon can carry a concluded weapon.

Kevin Burke, a second year law student from Makanda and the president of the Federalist Society, said he was pleased with Polsby’s lecture.

I thought this lecture was pretty fascinating, he said. He backed up his data with a lot of good statistics.

Blake Tatom, a first year law student from St. Louis, said he came because he is in the Federalist Society, a group which has a pro-gun philosophy.

I came to hear an objective speaker; however I think this was rather subjective, he said. I am glad I had the opportunity to hear Professor Polsby speak.