What is an all too common reaction to gun ownership
I was pointed to this blog posting by Amanda Nalley, someone who I don't know, but her discussion was interesting because of the reactions that she faced from getting a concealed handgun permit are so similar to what I am sure that many face. It is also clear that there continue to be so many misconceptions about the risks of having guns.
The problem of course is that these safety rules come at a real cost for people's safety. Locking up guns make it much harder for people to use guns defensively.
In 2004, there were 649 accidental gun deaths, 76 of those deaths involved women. I just did a really quick search on this.
Unintentional poisoning 20,950, women 7,016
Unintentional Falls 18,807, women 8,951
Suffocation 5,891, women 2,671
Fires 3,322, women 1,368
Unintentional bicycle deaths 843, women 111
Unintentional Motor Vehicles 44,933, women 14,096
Drowning 3,308, women 714
I know owning a gun is dangerous, but so is getting in a car, or sharpening kitchen knives.
What bothers me the most about my choice is talking to non-gun owners.
I keep hearing the same things over and over and over again. They don't want to sound prudish by saying guns are bad but they want to know why you are doing it and have dozens of reasons as to why you shouldn't.
"Why? I mean, I don't mind guns and I don't mind people owning them. My grandfather even owned one. I just don't get it though. What are you trying to accomplish? What about kids? Will they be safe? Why would you ever want to carry one on you? Wouldn't it just incite a situation?"
Most gun owners know there are safety issues in owning a gun. A responsible owner, like a responsible driver, will obey rules and store their guns safely. But there are those who don't obey the rules just like there are drivers who run red lights.
Guns, like cars, are everywhere. They are like the dirty little secret we pretend isn't all around us. And they are one of the few things that EVERYONE has formed an opinion on (other topics would include tipping and abortion).
The four gun classes that were held this weekend were some of the largest in the state. And the variety of people there was awe inspiring. . . .
The problem of course is that these safety rules come at a real cost for people's safety. Locking up guns make it much harder for people to use guns defensively.
In 2004, there were 649 accidental gun deaths, 76 of those deaths involved women. I just did a really quick search on this.
Unintentional poisoning 20,950, women 7,016
Unintentional Falls 18,807, women 8,951
Suffocation 5,891, women 2,671
Fires 3,322, women 1,368
Unintentional bicycle deaths 843, women 111
Unintentional Motor Vehicles 44,933, women 14,096
Drowning 3,308, women 714
Labels: Guns
posted by John Lott at 12:02 AM
2 Comments:
Well I can guarantee, I don't plan on drowning any time soon. Just kidding. If you are wondering how I found this, I was bored and Googling myself. Thanks for reading and talking and everything.
This is the kind of easy to understand statistics that lay people understand. Your academic analyses are rigorous and precise but most voters get that "deer in the highlights" look when citing statistics to them.
I hear the same uninformed statements about guns all the time so these stats give me an easy way to convey information to others.
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