Looking for some information about the gun control policies and laws that are out there? Take a look at these frequently asked questions to get your answers.
Gun Control FAQs Answered
The gun control debate is one of the most infamously ill-informed topics in any generation.
Whenever there’s an argument, people throw around facts and statistics without understanding their full implications or contexts.
We have a responsibility to inform you about some FAQs you might wonder about the next time someone confronts you about your gun rights.
Do Gun Bans Decrease Homicide Rates?
No. In fact, Washington DC illustrates this point better than most other places.
They have some of the strictest gun control laws in the entire country. Washington DC is also one of the most dangerous places to live.
The homicide rate actually rose after Washington DC implemented a ban that prevented citizens from owning any kind of gun, save for police officers.
This just goes to show that gun control blanket bans don't really do much when it comes to reducing the loss of life.
Australia and Britain also show us that temporary gun bans and long-term gun bans alike don’t affect gun homicide rates.
Do Shootings Occur in Gun Zones?
No. In fact, most mass shootings occur in so-called “gun-free zones.”
This means that individuals with weapons specifically go to places where they know that their victims will not have firearms to retaliate and end up wreaking havoc.
Implementing massive gun-free zones across the country will only make it easier for crazy nut jobs to spray their automatic weapons around and rack up huge body counts.
It's uncomfortable to admit it, but it's true.
Consider that one of the biggest terror attacks in recent history in Orlando, Florida, occurred in a gun-free zone.
This goes to show that giving away your guns really doesn’t actually make you safer, but it makes you more vulnerable.
Do lower Firearms Ownership Rates Reduce Police Killings?
No. It turns out that higher firearm ownership is actually positively correlated with reduced police killings.
Therefore, if you want to protect America’s police forces from gun violence, it makes more sense statistically to increase gun ownership rather than decrease it.
The reasons for this aren’t incredibly clear, but legal firearm ownership likely makes it less likely that thugs and other criminals will attempt to use violent force on their victims.
This also makes it less likely that they get into a shootout in the first place and that the police have to shoot them and be shot at in turn.
In a way, higher gun ownership in general acts as a societal deterrent to prevent would-be criminals from letting loose with their own weapons.
Do Gun Control Laws Reduce Mass Shootings?
Not really. In fact, another study shows that, during a period when the right to carry laws were implemented (1977–1999, if you’re curious), the frequency and severity of mass public shootings were actually down.
The shootings that did occur during this timeframe happened in areas where concealed handguns weren’t allowed.
Again, it seems clear that those who have a mind for terrible violence with firearms are a little less sure about their decisions when anyone in the crowd could turn on them and cut their rampage short.
Do More Regular People or Criminals Use Guns?
Gun control activists would have you believe it's the latter, but it’s actually the former.
Research from the CDC themselves shows that there’s a much higher occurrence for defensive gun uses then illegal or criminal gun uses.
It's Still Up for Debate
As you can see, the gun control debate is far from a decided issue. Remember these talking points the next time you enter a discussion about gun control.
You’ll be able to verbally defend yourself when someone tries to claim that more gun control measures are decidedly a good thing.
What is your opinion about gun control policies? We'd like to hear your thoughts in the comments section!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on April 24, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
