Introduction
The Problem with Guns
Self-Defense
Handguns
Gun Availability
Second Amendment
Gun Control
Sources and Resources
Self-defense
One of the most common reasons people buy guns is for self-defense. Sadly enough, buying a gun for self-defense often ends up hurting the very people who were supposed to be defended by it.
One important problem with keeping guns in the home is that they can cause great danger to the children that either live in or frequent the residence. An estimated 35% of homes with children younger than 18 years reported having at least one gun. This represents more than 22 million children in more than 11 million homes. Many guns are stored in a way that children can get a hold of them. An astonishing 43% of households admitted to having at least one unlocked gun, 9% kept guns unlocked and loaded and 4% kept them unlocked, unloaded and stored with ammunition. (2) It is very important that families realize the dangers associated with guns.
Another problem with keeping guns in the home is that they are more likely to kill a family member or friend than an intruder. It is true that guns are sometimes used to defend someone, but for every person that benefits from the presence of a gun, a lot more people are injured or die. This is shown in a study conducted by Arthur L. Kellermann, Director of the Center for Injury Control and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. What follows is a short review of this study.
"Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home"Study By: Arthur L. Kellermann and others. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 1084-1091, October 7, 1993. Background: A lot of people keep a gun in their home for personal protection. However, it is possible that by doing so, they actually increase the risk of violent crime in their homes. This study aimed to clarify these issues. Methods: All homicides involving residents of three counties were reviewed to identify those that took place in the home of the victim. Included were homicides between August 23, 1987 and August 23, 1992 in Shelby County, Tennessee and King County, Washington and homicides between January 1, 1990 and August 23, 1992 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Results: There were 1860 homicides in the three counties during the study period. Of those, 444 (23.9%) took place in the home of the victim. After some exclusions, 420 of the 444 cases were studied. After eliminating variables like domestic violence and illegal drugs, the researches found that the risk of getting killed in a home with a gun was 2.7 times greater than in a home without one. "Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home" study results of 420 cases
Please click here if you would like to read the complete results of the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Conclusion: Even though a lot of people believe that keeping a gun in the home can be effective for protection, this study suggests that guns actually pose a substantial threat to members of the household. They are more likely to be involved in the death of a household member than to be used in self-defense (a legally excusable circumstance). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: This study has received a lot of criticism by the National Rifle Association. Please click here to find a detailed defense of the validity of this study by Steve Kangas.
When more citizens start buying guns to defend themselves, more perpetrators will arm themselves for fear of retaliation. This ends up escalating the level of violence. Victims are far more likely to die when the perpetrator uses a gun than when he or she uses another weapon or is unarmed. (4) There aren't many cases were citizens were able to successfully defend themselves with a gun. When you check the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, you will see that of all the homicides each year, only a small fraction consists of justifiable homicide by private citizens. Out of 8,493 reported homicides by gun in 2000, there were only 137 justifiable homicides by private citizens. (3)