Myth: Handguns are 43 times more likely to kill a family member than a criminal.
Fact: Of the 43 deaths reported in this flawed study, 37 (86%) were suicides. Other deaths involved criminal activity between the family members (drug deals gone bad).
Fact: Of the remaining deaths, the deceased family members include felons, drug dealers, violent spouses committing assault, and other criminals.
Fact: Only 0.1% of the defensive uses of guns results in the death of the predator. This means you are much more likely to prevent a crime without bloodshed than hurt a family member.
Original source citations available upon request.
“Fact: Only 0.1% of the defensive uses of guns results in the death of the predator. This means you are much more likely to prevent a crime without bloodshed...”
The public needs to work on this statistic. Society needs a way to cull violent criminals, because incarceration is increasingly expensive and problematic.
“52.4% of sentenced prisoners in state prisons are in for violent crimes. 21.6% of convicted inmates in jails are in for violent crimes. Among *unconvicted* inmates in jails, 34% had a violent offense as the most serious charge. 41% percent of convicted and unconvicted jail inmates had a current or prior violent offense.”
Because the government is loathe to execute murderers promptly, or even execute other violent offenders at all, the citizenry is forced to do so. That they would prefer to *not* do so has *not* been left to them as an option.
Thus it is essential to society that armed persons act as judge, jury and executioner whenever the opportunity presents itself against violent offenders committing crimes.
That you would prefer to chase them off or capture them for the authorities is close to reckless endangerment to other people. Instead of killing a rabid dog, you have just driven it off to attack others.