Why People Fear Guns

Detroit News ^ | January 02, 2004 | John R. Lott Jr.

[jimkress]

People fear guns. Yet, while guns make it easier for bad things to happen, they also make it easier for people to protect themselves.

With the avalanche of horrific news stories about guns over the years, it's no wonder people find it hard to believe that, according to surveys (one I conducted for 2002 for my book, "The Bias Against Guns," and three earlier academic surveys by different researchers published in such journals as the Journal of Criminal Justice) there are about two million defensive gun uses (search) each year; guns are used defensively four times more frequently than they are to commit crimes.

[ConservativeMan55]

Ping!

[ConservativeMan55]

Ping!

[verity]

Psst! I am merely having fun with you!

[ConservativeMan55]

Phew! Thought you were a troll for a second. :)

[leadpencil1]

actually shooting each other

Im doing that now with my son, only using airsoft guns. Its a little unfair though, as my son has a fully automatic gas Ingram-80 (I think) and I still have to manually cock after each shot.

He is aslo very well trained with the real thing, btw.

[jimkress]

Try here:

http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/whypeoplefearguns.html

[leprechaun9]

From the Bureau of Justice Statistics on Violent Crime:

Not sure if a weapon used: 6%
Total Non-firearm: 17%
Total Firearm (from Saturday Night Special to Atomic Cannon) = 9%
NO WEAPON USED = 68%

Where is the concern by the media for the 68%?

[fish hawk]

My big fear of guns is that they are being taken away from us.

[joesnuffy]

God commanded us to "Love our neighbors as ourselves"

When one's neighbor is being attacked, robbed, beaten, raped ...it is love of one's neighbor that should provoke a decent person to try to save that neighbor

To go after thugs armed only with only good intentions is foolishness...you need a gun...the willingness and practiced skill to use it rightly

A person with family has the responsibility to protect that family...in this day and age it simply isn't possibly without a firearm..adequate training and practice

Criminals will always find illegal ways to get weapons including firearms and use them against their victims..its what they do

Making crime illegal hasn't stopped one single crime during from being committed...but firearms in the right hands...have stopped many...

Waiting for an armed police response to a 911 call....may not only just 'seem' like an eternity...

[EGPWS]

"The Bias Against Guns,"

That statement explains the fear in a nutshell.

[longtermmemmory]

Bump to educate the children

[hosepipe]

If 1% of these were told... America would be better off.. and probably even a bit less crime, like this..

[henderson field]

People fear guns becauwse they are from other cultures. Even as late as the early '50s, ninety percent of the population owned guns. America had only recently been an agricultural economy and there were relatively few immigrants. Then, with the influx of people from other countries and other cultures beginning in 1965, the percentage of the population owning guns was reduced. Of course they had no gun ownership - they all came from communist or defacto communist countries like Mexico, where guns are not allowed.

[Congressman Billybob]

In two days, I will be speaking before a Gun Club in Asheville, NC. I will print out this article and take it with me. Thanks for posting it up.

Congressman Billybob

Click here to stick a thumb in the eye of CFR, "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob."

[Fixit]

Hoplophobia?

1: a persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of firearms , despite the understanding by the phobic individual and reassurance by others that there is no danger.
2: a strong fear of, dislike of, or aversion to firearms.

[FReepaholic]

>>...Why People Fear Guns...<<

Based upon conversations with friends and co-workers over the years, I believe some people are afraid that if they have a gun they will somehow "lose thier mind" and kill themselves or their family with it.

[B4Ranch]

"My big fear of guns is that they are being taken away from us."

Mine too. That's when we will have to resort to shorter barreled rifles and silencers. Shoot, shovel and shutup will be standard policy.

[William Tell]

verity said: "Will not do much good if he/she is pointing and you are only carrying! ;~)"

If you are going to die anyway, you might just as well fight. Guns are not magic wands. It is quite common for a person to not only survive a gunshot wound, but to be able to fire back or run away after being shot.

[verity]

See #23.

[FreedomPoster]

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