I guess you have to define effective. Homicides and armed robberies are down roughly 10% since 1990. That's good. Sweet. However, assaults are up 40% and sexual assaults up 20% in the same timeframe. I'm not so sure I'd call that good policy.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20131976-us-gun-culture-is-corrupting-the-world-australia-ex-deputy-pm-says-after-okla-slaying?lite Yup, blame the guns, not the gangbangers........
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/no-jail-time-ice-officer-accused-beating-tow-truck/nZZG6/ Am I missing something here? Pleads to a misdemeanor and has all felony charges dropped?
http://rt.com/usa/bradley-manning-female-statement-843/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/bradley-manning-says-he-will-live-as-a-woman-and-seek-hormone-therapy-in-prison/2013/08/22/8f2fb2a8-0b5f-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/bradley-manning-chelsea-manning_n_3794629.html?ir=Politics http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-22/news/chi-bradley-manning-woman-20130822_1_bradley-manning-hormone-therapy-inmates http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/22/convicted-leaker-manning-a-woman/2684009/ I had to do a double take and make sure it wasn't an onion article.