Erik Wemple: "Why is gun advocate John Lott doing his best work on CNN?"

Erik's article in the Washington Post starts this way:

John Lott has been doing great work on CNN of late. He’s the author of “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws.” Though the title speaks for itself, Lott has elaborated a bit on-air on the work’s thesis: Policymakers have many tools to deter crime, including stiffer prison sentences, but “you can also make it more difficult and risk to commit crimes by enabling victims to protect themselves,” says Lott. 

Those views have seeded Lott’s recent slugfests with CNN hosts. Hours after the tragedy unfolded, Piers Morgan hosted Lott on his show, and the result was dramatic. Lott argued that the gun-control laws advocated by Morgan “have killed people.” The host lashed back: “Oh, what a bunch of nonsense.” . . .