Gun Statistics

Imagine you had a reliable source of statistics on urban home handgun usage. What percentage of gun use was:

• Intimidating or shooting a dangerous intruder.
• Accidentally shooting a family member.
• Shooting a family member in a domestic dispute.
• Children shooting others when playing with improperly stored guns.
• The gun owner accidentally shooting himself.
• The gun being used for suicide.
• The gun being stolen and used by criminals.
• The gun being used by a drunk person.
• Shooting some asshole in a moment of rage.
• The gun being used by a mentally ill person.
• Borrowed by a delinquent teen to commit a felony.

Unfortunately, I don’t have those statistics, but I do know that guns being successfully used to intimidate a dangerous intruder are very rare. Today’s criminals are also armed, and they have the element of surprise. Just read your newspaper. The other uses are all too common, especially when compared with other countries that do not permit urban handguns.

Gun owners know this, but they consider intimidating intruders higher priority than protecting their wives and families. That is a pretty sick set of values, considering your stereo more important than your son. If you don’t want intruders or thieves, there are many safer, more efficient ways to keep them out that do not require putting your family at risk. Consider that guns are useless when you are not home or asleep, or when you fail to detect the intruder before he notices you. The movies have taught Americans there is something manly and heroic about defending one’s home with a gun, but it is really quite an ineffective way of doing so with many negative side effects.

~ Roedy (1948-02-04 age:70)