Originally posted by Amici:
I much prefer this outcome to the far more common ending.
I know that's the conventional wisdom but there have been studies that show guns are used far more often to prevent crimes than to commit them.
Here are some analysis I try to keep on the tip of my brain for antigunners willing to listen.
FBI Uniform Crime Report
Defensive Gun Uses studies by the Government and by credentialed scholars, were summarized by Tom W. Smith in a piece under joint copyright by him and Northwestern University School of Law in 1997. What is of significance here is that the estimates for Defensive Gun Usage range from a low of .76 million to a high of 3.61 million base on one to five year's recall. Based on the range of these studies, guns are used anywhere from about over two an one half to almost twelve times more often to defend against crimes than to commit them. The years may not match but the idea is obvious.
Smith's Range of Defensive Gun Uses
Do DGUs help? Here's what Statistician, John Lott has to say:
Defensive Gun Uses (DGU)per year:
Low DGU: 764,036/Yr, 2.54 times more frequent than firearms used criminally nationwide for the offenses listed.
High DGU: 3,609,682/Yr, 11.99 times more frequent than firearms used criminally nationwide for the offenses listed. (Note: he high figure was from an L.A. Times Study.)
Percent Injured after Self Protection Action
(SP = Self Protection Action. O = Offender)
ACTION_____________________ROBBERY____ASSAULT
Any SP with gun______________ 7.7%_______3.6%
Chased, tried to catch O______9.6%_______9.0%
Ran/drove away; tried to______4.9%_______5.4%
Screamed from pain, fear_____22.0%______12.6%
Threatened O without weapon__15.8%______13.6%
No SP measures at all________23.6%______55.2%
Lott's table
Next to running away, having a gun is the most successful means of self defense during a robbery but having a gun is most effective during an assault.
Fewer than one percent of DGUs result in killing or wounding anyone.
Kleck's commentary
(How does one change fonts, say to Courier or another monospace font to make the table spacing come out visually correct?)
