Gun Control Myth One: Guns Cause Crime

Gun control advocates often pander to people’s emotions and so-called common sense. It is easy to argue that the availability of firearms increases crime. But careful study shows this simply isn’t true. If anything, legal gun ownership reduces crime, at least violent crime.

The National Crime Survey found that 83 percent of Americans will be victims of violent crime at some time in their lives. Those who support gun control claim that this number would be greatly reduced if laws were enacted that would make firearm ownership nearly impossible. But a review of the data shows this is a myth; a dangerous myth for those of us who wish to protect ourselves from violence.

A review of 18 studies of the effects of gun availability among potential victims and criminals found that the overall effect of criminal violence was zero. One study found no significant differences in total robbery rates, between cities where guns were widely available and cities where anti-gun laws were strict. If guns weren’t available to criminals they simply used other weapons.

A least eight surveys found that firearms were used to deter crime as often as they were used to commit crime. The handgun is the great equalizer between the predators and the prey.

Those who advocate change to America often site other countries. (Think nationalized health care.) So let’s look at some.

In Switzerland all able-bodied males between the ages of 20 and 50 have a military issued automatic weapon, ammunition and other equipment in their homes. According to the arguments made by gun control zealots, killings must be rampant there. And yet, Switzerland has the lowest murder rate in the world. Chicago would be a far safer place if it followed the Swiss model.

Israel requires all able-bodied men and women to serve in the military. Private firearm ownership is encouraged in this tiny nation that is besieged by terrorists. It isn’t a coincidence that the Jewish State has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Denmark and Finland have liberal firearms laws and also low crime rates. Common sense, backed with facts, shows that a public allowed to defend itself deters criminals from acting violently.

No one knows what fraction of firearms are used in crime, but the percentage is small. If criminals used a different firearm for each crime, only one out of every 309 guns would be involved in crime. But of course, criminal often reuse the same weapon more than once.

Only one out of every 123 handguns, less than one percent, are used by violent criminals. The odds are even longer for long guns. Only one out of every 1,247 long guns (less than one-tenth of 1 percent) are used in crime.

For gun control laws to work, they have to restrict 1 percent of firearms. To do so, the 99 percent of guns owned by law abiding citizens have to be made illegal. But this isn’t effective because criminals don’t follow the laws to begin with. The phrase, “Crime doesn’t pay”, is true for violent crimes. Most armed robbers could actually earn more money working a minimum wage job during the time they are incarcerated than they take from their criminal activity. But for some people there is a mental I/O error that doesn’t recognize this.  They will be drawn to the unprotected supporters of gun control and avoid the Swiss Jew with Finnish grandparents who is holding a danish.