http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/pro-gun-myths-fact-check
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way to round them all up (never mind that no one in Washington is proposing this). Yet if you fantasize about rifle-toting citizens facing down the government, you'll rest easy knowing that America's roughly 80 million gun owners already have the feds and cops outgunned by a factor of around 79 to 1.
gun ownership
Sources: Congressional Research Service (PDF), Small Arms Survey
Myth #2: Guns don't kill people—people kill people.
Fact-check: People with more guns tend to kill more people—with guns. The states with the highest gun ownership rates have a gun murder rate 114% higher than those with the lowest gun ownership rates. Also, gun death rates tend to be higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership. Gun death rates are generally lower in states with restrictions such as assault-weapons bans or safe-storage requirements. Update: A recent study looking at 30 years of homicide data in all 50 states found that for every one percent increase in a state's gun ownership rate, there is a nearly one percent increase in its firearm homicide rate.
ownership vs gun death
Sources: Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Myth #3: An armed society is a polite society.
Fact-check: Drivers who carry guns are 44% more likely than unarmed drivers to make obscene gestures at other motorists, and 77% more likely to follow them aggressively.
• Among Texans convicted of serious crimes, those with concealed-handgun licenses were sentenced for threatening someone with a firearm 4.8 times more than those without.
• In states with Stand Your Ground and other laws making it easier to shoot in self-defense, those policies have been linked to a 7 to 10% increase in homicides.
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See our full special report on gun laws and the rise of mass shootings in America.
Myth #4: More good guys with guns can stop rampaging bad guys.
Fact-check: Mass shootings stopped by armed civilians in the past 30 years: 0
• Chances that a shooting at an ER involves guns taken from guards: 1 in 5
Myth #5: Keeping a gun at home makes you safer.
Fact-check: Owning a gun has been linked to higher risks of homicide, suicide, and accidental death by gun.
• For every time a gun is used in self-defense in the home, there are 7 assaults or murders, 11 suicide attempts, and 4 accidents involving guns in or around a home.
• 43% of homes with guns and kids have at least one unlocked firearm.
• In one experiment, one third of 8-to-12-year-old boys who found a handgun pulled the trigger.
Myth #6: Carrying a gun for self-defense makes you safer.
Fact-check: In 2011, nearly 10 times more people were shot and killed in arguments than by civilians trying to stop a crime.
• In one survey, nearly 1% of Americans reported using guns to defend themselves or their property. However, a closer look at their claims found that more than 50% involved using guns in an aggressive manner, such as escalating an argument.
• A Philadelphia study found that the odds of an assault victim being shot were 4.5 times greater if he carried a gun. His odds of being killed were 4.2 times greater.
Myth #7: Guns make women safer.
Fact-check: In 2010, nearly 6 times more women were shot by husbands, boyfriends, and ex-partners than murdered by male strangers.
• A woman's chances of being killed by her abuser increase more than 7 times if he has access to a gun.
• One study found that women in states with higher gun ownership rates were 4.9 times more likely to be murdered by a gun than women in states with lower gun ownership rates.
Myth #8: "Vicious, violent video games" deserve more blame than guns.
Fact-check: So said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre after Newtown. So what's up with Japan?
United States Japan
Per capita spending
on video games $44 $55
Civilian firearms
per 100 people 88 0.6
Gun homicides
in 2008 11,030 11
Sources: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Small Arms Survey (PDF), UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Myth #9: More and more Americans are becoming gun owners.
Fact-check: More guns are being sold, but they're owned by a shrinking portion of the population.
• About 50% of Americans said they had a gun in their homes in 1973. Today, about 45% say they do. Overall, 35% of Americans personally own a gun.
• Around 80% of gun owners are men. On average they own 7.9 guns each.
Myth #10: We don't need more gun laws—we just need to enforce the ones we have.
Fact-check: Weak laws and loopholes backed by the gun lobby make it easier to get guns illegally.
• Around 40% of all legal gun sales involve private sellers and don't require background checks. 40% of prison inmates who used guns in their crimes got them this way.
• An investigation found 62% of online gun sellers were willing to sell to buyers who said they couldn't pass a background check.
• 20% of licensed California gun dealers agreed to sell handguns to researchers posing as illegal "straw" buyers.
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives did not have a permanent director for 7 years, due to an NRA-backed requirement that the Senate approve nominees.
Not even worth commenting on, this is OLD, and been refuted so many times it's comical… Number of mass shootings stopped by CHLs, 0, well it's not a mass shooting if it's stopped isn't it. So the fact it's zero is a good thing, that means they didn't happen… I could go on, but not worth my time…. I hope you destroy all your guns NOW! Help the cause…
How about the fact it's guaranteed by the Constitution? Is that a myth as well?
Seems that's all that really matters in the discussion. The rest is just people making arguments for or against.
+Paul Snedden Google's algorithm is getting really good. This appeared in my stream moments after our conversation.
I love guns.
Getting hell-a-good +Peter G McDermott!
+Rp White Cite a source that shows where a civilian packing heat stopped someone who was clearly bent on a mass shooting and then we can have a conversation about that. Also… I'm not anti-guns. Read enough of my posts on the subject and you'll see that. I grew up the son of a police officer. When I was younger we all knew that if we went out for dinner my dad would have at least one firearm on him. Growing up my family was hunters too. I've grown up around guns. This article was about how all the PRO-gun arguments are BS, not about how you can't own a gun.
+Gary Beltrami That's first grade school logic dude. That's like saying the 1st Amendment means I can say anything I want, any time I want, to anyone I want. Again, this isn't about saying people can't have guns; they specifically address that in the article.
I do too +Steve Berry. I'm not a hunter, but I totally dig going to the range.
The Walmart incident was stopped by a cwp gun toting individual who died stopping the shooters from harming more people
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cite
Also… he DIED trying to stop someone. May not be the best pro-gun argument…. just saying.
+Peter G McDermott indeed. #GoogleVoodoo is alive and well.
+Gary Beltrami thank you for proving my point I was making on +Peter G McDermott's post.
Denial has no survival value
http://www.drudge.com/news/179593/ccw-holder-died-confronting-vegas-shooters
Making a mistake when confronting two armed viciously heated gunmen is not knowing one is a woman. He died because he didn't count on that. The fact is she drew down on him and he was shocked at the action of unknown situational awareness. The death of people by guns by all means tragic. But the same goes for drinking and driving. Drownings and other situations of instant death because human control get lost.
+Steve Berry Wow dude. First of all, that's not a proper citation.. that's some dude posting on a forum. Like not even a blog owner, but someone posting on site they don't own.
Secondly, you do you realize that everyone in that story died right? According to the "post" Wilcox was shot by Amanda Miller and died. She then shot her husband and killed herself. So uh… not sure where you were going with that one.
+Steve Berry All three died, according to that article. Also, I have no idea how that related to a "mass shooting" as that article says the gunman drew a weapon on a specific person. Nor do I understand how that has anything to do with debunking "pro-gun myths". shrug
America's gun problem, the way I see it… we overly promote this "patriot", "wild west/cowboy", "revolutionary", "God given right", "pry it from my cold dead hand", "open carry show off", "real men carry big guns" mentality, instead of promoting a culture of respecting the power of the weapon, ensuring only sane people get to have access to weapons, appreciate the fact that many people are intimidated by the mere site of them hence respect their feelings while in public, and finally, learning to simply enjoy firearm ownership in a private, non "I'm compensating for my small dick" sort of way …
+Paul Spoerry thanks for the info, but seriously bro go have fun man its the weekend. Raspberry Pi?
Everytime I see someone who proclaims to be a geek and post shit like this I just cringe. Embarrassing political diatribe. I know its a feel good thing to think your pointing out some earth shattering stuff. Your not. I know you have friends who will read this and say way to go Paul. But in the end, Zzzzzzzzzz
Post this in: "Guns Across Google" plenty of intellectuals there you can converse with….
Yes Paul I'm a geek that owns firearms and is pro second amendment.
Happy Father's Day
Great post.
80% of gun owners are men, and they own 7.9 guns on average?
Good.
I always knew I was above average.
Buy 2 more and I'll even own more than my girlfriend does.
No clue what being a geek and guns have to do with one another. I'm so pleased that this was such a snooze, so embarrassing, blah blah blah and yet you had to take the time to comment on it +Igor DeCamps. Either way, I had an awesome fathers day and I hope you did too.
+Paul Spoerry did thank you! Glad you had one too.
Had to respond, you took the time to post, didnt you. I though I was clear enough, blah blah blah blah. <– Exactly. Lol